I took a little dive into the cornerback situation in Min

nesota"Two cornerbacks for the Minnesota Vikings will enter the final year on their rookie contracts in 2019. Minnesota picked up Trae Waynes’ fifth-year option and will retain him for one more season. Mackensie Alexander will enter his fourth season in a purple jersey. Waynes was drafted 11th overall in 2015 and Alexander was swooped by the Vikings during the second round (54th overall) in 2016. Minnesota should resign both players when the time comes. This case is being made simply because Marcus Sherels will be a free agent this off-season and even if the Vikings do resign him Minnesota Vikings Jerseys 2019 , he’s still 31 years old. Also, Mike Hughes will be coming back from a torn ACL, so it’s unclear how he will bounce back. The Vikings just need options at the cornerback position right now and it would be troublesome (in my opinion) if Waynes or Alexander were let go or dealt elsewhere. Both have come a long way since their rookie seasons. I’m going to think that it’s fair to say (although some may disagree) that Alexander has seen the most improvement amongst the two. Alexander certainly evolved into the go-to nickelback after Hughes’ injury.Not only did he become a useful depth defensive back, but also played a vital role in the Vikings pass rush towards the end of the season. Alexander tied former Vikings defensive back Robert Griffith in the sack column for DB’s, both recorded four. The 25-year old, Clemson alum led the team with ten defended passes and participated in 54 percent of the defensive snaps last season. He had six starts, 43 combined tackles, seven tackles for losses and hit the quarterback five times. It may just be me, and that’s fine, maybe I’m what the people would say “sippin’ on that purple Kool-Aid.” But I don’t understand all the gibber-gabber about trading Waynes within the Vikings community. It doesn’t hurt to shop around, but I wouldn’t pull the trigger unless it seems worth it. The soon-to-be fifth-year pro saw 67 percent of the defensive snaps at his position, only behind Xavier Rhodes who participated in 74 percent of the snaps. With Hughes being out, Waynes solidified being the number two guy last season. Waynes only committed two defensive pass interference penalties all year. He gave up seven total defensive pass interference penalties during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He also hasn’t been tagged for a defensive holding call since October 2017. This proves maturity and growth in the Michigan State alum. He defended eight passes that were sent his way, he’s second behind Alexander (it’s really hard to find a site that gives info about how many times a CB was targeted by an opposing QB, so if you know of one that doesn’t cost money, let me know please). His best game of the season was probably against the New York Jets back in October, when he caught his only interception of the season and batted away four passes sent his direction. It’ll be worrisome if Rhodes gets hurt and Waynes or Alexander isn’t there. I feel like Minnesota will have a situation at the cornerback position in the coming years. I feel all greasy and gross when I think about what would happen if we got rid of one or the other (or maybe it’s from being on a coach bus for two days). I just sense Minnesota grabbing some sub-par 33-year old cornerback who only had a handful of starts in his career. Happy Wednesday, everyone!We’ve made it to the peak of the week, it’s an easy downhill coast into the weekend, and the next big game for our beloved purple and gold. I hope they’re keeping their focus on Detroit, because we’ve seen the Lions dig deep and play well above their seasonal average when they play the Vikings. On paper Cameron Smith Jersey nfl draft , it looks to be one that the Vikings should be able to handle, but you can throw that paper out the window when it comes to divisional games, especially at this point in the season. It’s the end of the season, the Lions have nothing to lose, and they would like nothing more than to knock off a division rival who has their eye on the playoffs. So, the Vikes better be prepared, and I am confident they will be. The Lions defense has had a decent year, they’re about at the middle of the pack in most statistical categories, with the pass defense slightly above average, and the run defense slightly below average. In a deviation from the norm, it’s their offense that has been hurting them, and that is mainly due to a rash of injuries. Their WR corps was bombarded with injuries early in the season, and it has shown in their production. The Vikings secondary is very good in coverage, so I expect to see Detroit try to get the ball out quickly. If they have Stafford sit back in the pocket waiting for a WR to get open, the defense may shatter that single game team sack record that they tied earlier this season. In looking through some stats, I see that the Vikings are 4 for 11 this year on field goals from 40-49 yards. That’s 36%. Might as well just go for it on 4th if the ball is between the 23 & 33 yard lines, the conversion % would likely be higher than 36%. They’ve also managed to miss at least one field goal in every 10-yard incremental category, with the exception of the 10-19 yard category. That’s right, we have not missed a field goal from 10-19 yards this year! We haven’t attempted one, either, but hey Adult Cameron Smith Jersey , no need to get bogged down in details, gotta celebrate the little victories. If we’re down by 2 points with 3 seconds left in a playoff game, and we line up for a 40 yard field goal to win it, I’m relatively certain that I’ll have a heart attack before he ever kicks it. My dying words will be something about kickers being the root of all evil.........and I’ll also likely blame Ponder, to the confusion of the attending paramedics.Around the DN since our last open thread:Luft Krigare posted Good Morning Gjallarhorn Episode 041 - In the Raw With the Grand Poobah.Ted takes a look at Brian O’Neill, who is quietly having a pretty good rookie year. That’s odd, I keep hearing doomsday laments by some fans who claim we have the worst O line in the NFL and that Cousins will soon break in half.MarkSP18 looks at which college players are future Vikings. The lucky ones, of course.Four Minnesota Vikings have been named to the Pro Bowl, per Chris.Also from Chris, Dalvin Cook has been nominated for the Week 15 FedEx Ground Player of the Week.Kyle Rudolph has a huge early lead in the voting for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Chris has the details on how you can cast your vote.Vikings news from other sources and news from around the rest of the NFL:From FoxSports, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen are nearing a milestone where they will join some elite company.At Vikings.com, David Carr looks at the film to see how the offense got back on track, the guys on Move the Sticks preview the Vikings-Lions match-up, and there’s plenty more to sift through in the media vault.Interim HC Joe Philbin isn’t planning to sit Rogers for the final two games, likewise for Rivera and Cam in Carolina, per NFL.com.Ray Rice is speaking out against domestic violence, and although he’s done with football, is looking to make a difference, per ESPN. Good for him. You commit a wrong, you own it Big And Tall Cameron Smith Jersey , you take steps to become better, and you move on. That’s all you can ask of someone.We come to today’s media selection:Alright Vikings, you had aspirations coming into the season, and you can still get there, so finish what you started.Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:No discussion of politics or religionNo feeding of the trollsThis isn’t a male version of The View, so leave the gender hatred at the doorKeep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tagsNo pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employerIf you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go awayWhile navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasmWith that, the beer light is on and the bar is open. Belly up and tie one on. Don’t forget to tip your waitress, and try the offense. No really, it’s actually pretty good, we finally replaced the former chef.