Minnesota’s cornerback situation
The current cornerback situation for the Vikings is grim, to say the least. This area of the field has been decimated during the offseason and it has left them with just Mike Hughes and Holton Hill to call upon.
Former All-Pro Xavier Rhodes’ fall from grace was confirmed with a release from his contract due to poor play and salary cap relief. There has been little free-agent interest in Rhodes and it remains a slight possibility that he might end up back in Minnesota on a significantly reduced deal.
Trae Waynes was not on the market for long before penning a lucrative three-year, $43 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. This included a $15 million signing bonus and $15 million in guarantees.
Waynes failed to live up to his enormous promise with the Vikings and there was little chance of him coming back once he received such an offer.
What was more surprising was the departure of Mackensie Alexander. The talented cornerback left in favor of a one-year, $4 million contract with the Bengals to join Waynes. His presence in the secondary will be sorely missed, especially the player’s ability to cover well in the slot.
This leaves only Hughes and Hill on the books before other players come in. If safety Anthony Harris is eventually traded, it would leave just perennial Pro-Bowler Harrison Smith from the secondary starters in 2019.