Vikings Closed the Door on 3 Free Agents

The Minnesota Vikings have hired three new cornerbacks, in addition to re-signing top guy Byron Murphy Jr. Within nine days, the cornerback room has transformed from an alarming crew into a solid unit. At some point, however, the numbers game will become a problem for the ousted players, especially after the latest addition of Jeff Okudah.

Vikings Closed the Door on 3 Free Agents

On their way out and entering free agency were Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau. But only one returned, and it doesn’t seem like any of the other three are needed.

Currently, the Vikings employ 11 cornerbacks in easily their deepest position group with one established player, a few imaginable starters, and some intriguing depth options with potential.

Minnesota’s cornerback room now looks like this:

• Byron Murphy Jr.
• Isaiah Rodgers
• Mekhi Blackmon
• Jeff Okudah
• Tavierre Thomas
• Dwight McGlothern
• NaJee Thompson
• Ambry Thomas
• Reddy Steward
• Kahlef Hailassie
• Nahshon Wright

Not much remains from the cornerback room that had Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern as the CB1 and CB2 just a couple of weeks ago.

Murphy Jr. will start, Rodgers and Blackmon are likely the next men in line, and Okudah brings size and might have some untapped potential. Tavierre Thomas is a special teamer who has played some meaningful snaps on defense in his career, and then there are some promising guys like 2024 preseason standouts McGlothern and Reddy Steward (he was with the Bears). Ambry Thomas was a rotational defender on some stacked 49ers teams.

Long story short, it’s pretty much a complete cornerback room. Now, the Vikings could still add another bonafide starter or pick a long-term solution in the draft, but more depth guys and low-end starters aren’t needed anymore.

That’s where the three departed guys come into play. Gilmore and Griffin looked like they had something left in the tank when last season ended, although they clearly aren’t in their primes anymore. Moreau was a solid backup.

Ten days ago, it was still conceivable for the Vikings to keep one or two of them to keep some familiar names in the building and to raise the floor of cornerback play and provide solid depth. Suddenly, re-signing them seems highly unlikely.

Gilmore might simply retire. After the team’s final game of the season, the cornerback mentioned the possibility of retiring in The Star Tribune.

“I’m probably the last corner playing. So, definitely going to sit down with my family and think about what’s best for me and go from there,” Gilmore said about his 2012 draft class, noting that his body was “feeling it.”

He missed a couple of games with a minor muscle injury, which isn’t too uncommon for a player aged 34. The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year was the best available option for last season’s cornerback problems in the Twin Cities, and he played in 15 games. He is no longer an explosive player, but he made up for it with his experience.

However, at his age, the speed isn’t suddenly returning, and, as he said, his body is feeling it. Retirement is an option, and so is another one-year stint on a corner-needy team. Gilmore played for five different teams in the last five seasons.

Griffin was once a standout defender in Seattle and a big free agent signing for the Jaguars, but injuries have also slowed him down in recent years. In his lone season in Minnesota, Griffin was a decent CB3, and at the age of 29, he looked like a reasonable re-sign candidate for the same role.

Moreau, another veteran, has also become a journeyman depth cornerback in the league. He’ll turn 31 in April.

Last season, the lack of youth was visible in some games, and the front office has brought in some younger guys to fix that issue. It looks like Gilmore, Griffin, and Moreau will remain one-year chapters in Minnesota’s franchise history books.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt