3 former Vikings we’ll be glad are gone, and 2 we’ll wish stayed in 2023

Duke Shelley – CB

New Team: Las Vegas Raiders

How the Vikings let Duke Shelley get away this offseason is mind-boggling, especially with how little it cost the Las Vegas Raiders to sign him ($1.3 million).

After injuries forced Minnesota to put Shelley on the field during the middle of the 2022 season, the 26-year-old corner never looked back after he was given his opportunity to make an impact on defense.

Shelley wound starting six games for the Vikings in 2022, and after appearing in a total of 11 matchups, he finished the season with the fourth-best defensive grade from PFF grade among qualifying cornerbacks.

Still, Minnesota didn’t believe his performance in 2022 was enough to bring him back this offseason when he became a free agent. Perhaps it had something to do with his size (5-foot-9, 176 pounds), but his size didn’t prevent him from making a number of significant plays for the Vikings last season.

If Minnesota’s secondary struggles in 2023, many are likely going to question why the team let Shelley leave, especially since it wouldn’t have taken much to bring him back.