The recent activity of the Minnesota Vikings this offseason could secure Mike Zimmer’s future as the team’s head coach.
There were plenty of rumblings from members of the media and from Minnesota Vikings fans this year that Mike Zimmer could be facing a make it or break it season in 2021.
It does make sense. Zimmer has been the head coach of the Vikings since 2014, and while he’s led the team to the NFC Championship and suffered some heartbreaking playoff losses, he hasn’t achieved the ultimate goal of helping the franchise win a Super Bowl.
If Minnesota gets off to another slow start next season like they did in 2020, there’s no reason for the team’s ownership to stick with Zimmer, and they could even fire the coach by midseason.
However, the Vikings’ moves in free agency this year and the comments from the players who have signed with the team have put a large dose of cold water on those simmering thoughts.
In fact, the complete opposite could be said, and the moves Minnesota made this offseason have done nothing but cement and secure Zimmer’s continued tenure as the head coach in Minnesota. What are a few reasons why this might be the case?
Minnesota’s defense got much better
The simplest answer to why the Vikings’ moves in free agency have helped secure Mike Zimmer’s future with the team is because the defense became vastly improved this offseason.
This was the biggest area of weakness a season ago for Minnesota, and the poor play of the defense can be directly blamed for a handful of the team’s nine losses in 2020.
Prior to the start of this year’s free agency period, the Vikings defense had already experienced a few improvements. We found out that both Michael Pierce and Danielle Hunter will return to the field next season and the team also signed defensive end Stephen Weatherly.
Pierce and Hunter returning gives Minnesota back their primary pass rusher and their run stuffer. The addition of Weatherly improved the depth as he excelled as a situational pass rusher during his first stint with the Vikings.
In addition to those players returning, Minnesota brought in some key free agents this year. They added defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to form an impenetrable wall alongside Pierce. The Vikings’ run defense was horrid in 2020 and it will go from the outhouse to the penthouse in the rankings with Tomlinson and Pierce on the field.
Then Minnesota upgraded the defensive backfield with future Hall-of-Fame cornerback Patrick Peterson. He brings much-needed veteran leadership to the Vikings’ cornerback group and his presence should fast track the development of both Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.
Minnesota also signed safety Xavier Woods to replace Anthony Harris and they added Mackensie Alexander, who is a major upgrade at the nickel corner spot.
The defense is vastly improved, and that should equal more wins, which should be enough to keep Mike Zimmer in town for another season or two.
Zimmer’s reputation is still a draw for free agents
Mike Zimmer has been a coach in the NFL for a long time. He spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Atlanta Falcons before coming to the Vikings in 2014. In that time he’s been known for his great defensive mind and his ability to develop cornerbacks, earning the nickname “The Cornerback Whisperer”.
Apparently, that reputation is still intact even after the horrible performance of Zimmer’s defense in 2020. Minnesota’s two big free-agent signings this year, Dalvin Tomlinson and Patrick Peterson, both had great things to say about the team’s head coach in their introductory press conferences. Tomlinson stated over and over how excited he was to be working with the coaching staff, but Peterson got even more direct.
Peterson stated that he wanted to work with Zimmer and he recognizes the work the veteran coach has done with cornerbacks over the years. He also mentioned how he has taken many players to the next level and believes playing with and in Zimmer’s scheme can make him an even better player. That is huge praise coming from a future Hall of Famer.
The fact that proven veterans want to come and play for Zimmer is an extremely valuable asset for the team in free agency. Losing that draw would be a huge hit to the chances of the team bringing in quality veterans in the future.
Former players wanted to return
A sign of a great coach is when players are more than happy to come back for a second stint with the team to play for him again. Mike Zimmer has seen this happen in the past and he saw it again in free agency this year.
A few years ago, the Vikings signed their former defensive tackle Shamar Stephen after a one-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, his second go-around with Minnesota wasn’t as successful as his first and he was recently released. The Vikings will hope these more recent players who are starting their second regimes in Purple, find more success.
First of all, Weatherly came back to the Vikings after signing a pretty nice deal with the Panthers a season ago. He was ecstatic to be back working with Zimmer and the rest of the defensive coaching staff, even if he was back to a part-time role.
The same can be said for cornerback Mackensie Alexander. He was one of Zimmer’s recent success stories who after he had two substandard years in the league, found his niche as a nickel corner who was tremendous at blitzing. Alexander stated how happy he was to be back and greeted his former head coach with a big hug.
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It says a lot about the head coach when former players are so eager to come back and suit up for his teams. Zimmer is obviously a coach who guys love playing for and learning from. The fact that he’s had so many come back in recent seasons proves this and adds to the value he brings to this franchise.