7 free-agent safeties the Vikings could sign in 2023
By Luke Parrish
Damontae Kazee
2022 Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Going back to the Flores tree a bit, Damontae Kazee is a fun veteran that has experience with Flores and could follow him to Minnesota. Kazee has had some phenomenal seasons and has also served as a reliable backup at a few stops as well.
Early in his career, Kazee started for the Falcons and was a ball-hawking safety at his core. He had seven interceptions in 2018 and three more in 2019 as a starter in Atlanta before playing just four games in 2020. After that, he spent a year in Dallas, where he started 15 games and recorded two more interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Last season in Pittsburgh, Kazee started four games and picked off two passes. He can find the ball and has done a wonderful job when working under brilliant defensive minds. His best seasons in the NFL have come under Dan Quinn – and he followed Quinn from Atlanta to Dallas recently.
Now, he has a chance to follow another defensive leader and continue his success as a free safety that can just find the ball. Kazee makes even more sense for the Vikings if Harrison Smith is let go, and they need to find a true deep safety to start in 2023.