Who are some of the players available in free agency this year that could end up reuniting with new Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores?
After moving on from Ed Donatell as the team’s defensive coordinator back in January, the Minnesota Vikings finally found someone to replace him on Monday when they hired Brian Flores to run their defense next season.
Flores spent the 2022 campaign as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before that, he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for three seasons, and a member of the New England Patriots coaching staff for 11 years.
Following the disaster that was Minnesota’s 2022 defense under Donatell, Flores should be able to bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to a unit that will, hopefully, be transformed into a group that is average at the very least.
The Vikings‘ defensive scheme is expected to look a lot different in 2023, and to help make the transition easier, Flores might want to bring in a few players that have achieved success under him in the past.
When looking at the guys that are expected to be available in free agency this offseason, who are a few players with a past connection to Flores that could end up signing a deal with Minnesota this year?
Terrell Edmunds – S
Connection to Brian Flores:
- Together in 2022 with the Steelers
2022 Stats (with Pittsburgh):
- 15 games (15 starts)
- 70 tackles (3 for a loss)
- 3 pressures, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits
- 5 pass breakups
Five years after Pittsburgh selected him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Terrell Edmunds will be hitting free agency this offseason for the first time in his career.
During the next few months, the Vikings should be looking for someone other than Camryn Bynum to start next to Harrison Smith next season. Lewis Cine could potentially be that player, but Minnesota might still want to ease him back onto the field in 2023 after a serious injury ended his rookie season early.
With Edmunds, the Vikings would not only get someone with plenty of starting experience (75 starts in five years), but he and Cine could end up as Minnesota’s new starting safeties in 2024 if the team chooses to move on from Smith after the 2023 campaign.
During the 2022 season, PFF graded him as the 36th-best safety in the NFL (out of 89). But his pass-rushing grade from PFF in 2022 was the fifth-best among all qualifying safeties.
With new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores expected to run a very aggressive scheme in 2023, adding a safety with pass-rushing capabilities like Edmunds could be something Minnesota considers this offseason.
Jonathan Jones – CB
Connection to Brian Flores:
- Together from 2016 to 2018 with the Patriots
2022 Stats (with New England):
- 16 games (16 starts)
- 69 tackles
- 11 pass breakups, 4 interceptions
- 3 forced fumbles
Jonathan Jones didn’t really come into his own as a starter for the Patriots until Brian Flores left the team in 2019, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the two reunited in Minnesota.
Jones played the majority of his snaps in 2022 as an outside corner, but during his previous six seasons with New England, he mostly lined up in the slot. With Chandon Sullivan also expected to hit free agency this year, the Vikings are in need of a new slot cornerback for the 2023 season.
Jones will be 30-years-old in September, but his experience, especially in Flores’ scheme, would prove to be very useful for a Minnesota cornerback group that is full of youth.
Cameron Sutton – CB
Connection to Brian Flores:
- Together in 2022 with the Steelers
2022 Stats (with Pittsburgh):
- 16 games (15 starts)
- 43 tackles (1 for a loss)
- 15 pass breakups, 3 interceptions
If the Vikings are looking for someone a little younger than Jonathan Jones who has both slot and outside corner experience, then Cameron Sutton could be their guy.
Now, Sutton is expected to be one of the top cornerbacks available in free agency this year, so Minnesota might not be able to afford what another team might offer him this offseason.
But if the Vikings can convince the 27-year-old corner to follow Brian Flores to Minnesota, he would help their defensive backfield tremendously.
Sutton’s PFF grade in 2022 ranked 27th out of 118 qualifying cornerbacks and he excelled as a run defender this past season. He also allowed a 47.9 completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks in 2022 when he was targeted, which ranked seventh among all defenders in the NFL.
Trey Flowers – DE
Connection to Brian Flores:
- Together from 2015 to 2018 with the Patriots
2022 Stats (with Miami):
- 4 games (0 starts)
- 4 tackles, 1 pressure, 1 QB hit
Things didn’t go very well in 2022 for Trey Flowers. As a member of the Dolphins, he only managed to appear in four games due to a foot injury that he suffered in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Vikings.
Injuries have hampered Flowers for the last few seasons, as he’s only appeared in a total of 18 games since 2020. Before he started being bitten by the injury bug though, he excelled as a pass rusher in New England when Brian Flores was one of his coaches on the defensive side of the ball.
With Flores on the Patriots’ staff in 2017 and 2018, Flowers finished with at least 60 pressures and seven sacks in both seasons.
Minnesota wouldn’t need Flowers to come in and be a starter in 2023 though. If he could provide the Vikings with some situational snaps as a pass rusher for next season, it might be a good idea for the team to bring him in this year.
Devin Bush – ILB
Connection to Brian Flores:
- Together in 2022 with the Steelers
2022 Stats (with Pittsburgh):
- 17 games (14 starts)
- 81 tackles (2 for a loss)
- 3 pressures, 2 QB hits
- 2 pass breakups
As someone who Pittsburgh traded up to select in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Devin Bush had high expectations ever since he stepped on the field for the Steelers.
Unfortunately though, Bush still hasn’t developed into one of the best inside linebackers in the league like Pittsburgh was hoping he would when they drafted him so high.
His PFF grade in 2022 ranked 54th out of 81 qualifying linebackers, and in 2021, his grade from PFF ranked 81st out of 86. Luckily for Bush, he’s still only 24-years-old, so he still has a little bit of time left to figure things out in the NFL before the league gives up on him.
Perhaps working in a defense in Minnesota run by Brian Flores could help him reach some of the expectations he was given back as a rookie in 2019. With the Vikings not expected to have a ton of cap space this offseason, Bush might be one of their best options in terms of affordability if they’re looking to find a new starting inside linebacker.
Shaq Lawson – DE/OLB
Connection to Brian Flores:
- Together in 2020 with the Dolphins
2022 Stats (with Buffalo):
- 15 games (6 starts)
- 30 tackles (6 for a loss)
- 11 pressures, 9 QB hits, 3.5 sacks
- 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble
Like Devin Bush, Shaq Lawson is another former first-round draft pick who hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations that came with his draft position. However, Lawson has still had a solid career in the NFL since he entered the league in 2016.
One of the best seasons of his pro career took place in 2020 when both he and Brian Flores were members of the Dolphins. That year, Lawson finished with 32 tackles (four for a loss), 25 pressures, 18 quarterback hits, and four sacks.
His versatility to line up as an outside linebacker or as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt could provide a lot of value to Flores and what the Vikings will be trying to accomplish on defense in 2023.