EAGAN, Minnesota (AP) – The Minnesota Vikings have tried to keep their window open to the title fight as long as possible and have committed to drawing on the excellence they enjoyed in defense for at least one more season even if they are not getting any younger.
This time they even turned the clock back a little by bringing back a few former players. They couldn’t wait to return either.
“I left thinking the grass on the other side was greener to be honest and it wasn’t,” said defensive player Everson Griffen.
Head coach Mike Zimmer’s Vikings have put up one of the most effective, if not dominant, defenses in the league, consistently finishing in the top five in most statistical categories. That run came to a humiliating end last year when a tired room towards the end of the season labeled this group as the worst it had ever had.
Without waiting the time to rebuild it through the draft, the Vikings rushed headlong into the free agency, inviting polished veterans like eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson, even if it’s past its prime. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson was the biggest prize. Safety Xavier Woods was another solid addition.
The Vikings also took on the shopping spree in a unique way with some of their former players, seeking the mutual familiarity that offers a potential bonus from the others in the market who had never suited Minnesota before.
“We’ve always had a special locker room, lots of people close, lots of people taking care of each other,” said Harrison Smith.
The Vikings signed defensive end Stephen Weatherly, a seventh-round draft pick in 2017 who worked his way into the rotation and spent a year with Carolina only to be cut early in the offseason. Mackensie Alexander, her 2016 second round draft pick who became a dependable Nickel cornerback after some early career fights, played for Cincinnati for a year and then decided to re-sign with his original team as he was in dire need of more experience in the position needed.
When defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson became available that summer, who fell victim to a Cleveland salary cap, the Vikings snapped him up for the luxury of a proven starter in a backup role to free agent awards Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson. Richardson only played purple for one year in 2018, but his absence from the inside pass rush and run freeze has been noticeable over the past two seasons.
Then came Griffen, who first came to Minnesota in 2010 as the immature fourth-round draft selection and became one of the best pass rushers in team history when he became an every-down player in 2014. He also only spent a year away. Playing for Dallas and Detroit, he quickly realized he valued the place where his NFL roots grew best.
The team from 2018, which all four returnees together were fourth in the league in allowed yards and ninth in points.
“In my opinion, I never left. You know what I mean? “Said Alexander.
Alexander was as stubborn a young player as Zimmer had come to be, often noting in 2019 how far he had come since his rookie year. Two seasons later, the coaching staff raves continued from Alexander, who slips in behind Peterson and Bashaud Breeland for a regular role in the slot.
“I am shocked at how Mackensie matured in the year he left. He learns really hard. He communicates really well. He’s really growing up to be a solid professional, ”said co-defensive coordinator Adam Zimmer, the head coach’s son.
Alexander could hardly argue.
“You are touted highly when you get out of high school. You’re one of the best in college football. You come here to a team and you think it will go your way. Every guy comes out young and thinks he wants it to go his way, and that’s how it should be. You dream about it, don’t you? ”Said Alexander. “But that’s not how it happened to me. So for me it’s just understanding and being patient with the process. I talk to the young boys about it, just be patient and listen, see what they expect from you and be the best at it. “
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