Asante Samuel Jr. is the best remaining defensive back in free agency. He’s been loosely linked to multiple teams this offseason without clearly indicating where he wants to sign. The Minnesota Vikings are one of those teams that have been in contact with Samuel, and he’d be a great fit in Brian Flores’ defense.
The Vikings missed bringing Charvarius Ward or D.J. Reed in as premiere free-agent additions to a developing defensive back room. The addition of Isaiah Rodgers has given the Vikings flexibility on the angle the team takes with the position group. However, adding Samuel would transform Minnesota’s secondary entirely.
Samuel is a surefire starter and leader in handling assignments on the outside, elevating the position group. When you consider Mekhi Blackmon’s raw talent and ball skills, Byron Murphy Jr’s nose for the ball, and Isaiah Rodgers’ experience in high-pressure situations, adding a proven young stud like Samuel would complete Minnesota’s revamp of its secondary.
Flores likes to run a lot of cover-2 and cover-0 looks with his disguises and stunts. Cover looks require corners to be the soundest part of that rep, outside of the initial pressure getting home on the quarterback. In cover 0, the man coverage assignment takes precedence.
In cover 2, jamming receivers at the line and engaging in your zone underneath the safeties becomes the play. Both of these looks put high stakes on corners at a time when quarterbacks are getting the ball out quickly. The Vikings have struggled late in seasons under Flores when falling back into quarters or other zone looks, leaving too big of gaps for the opposing quarterback.
Samuel is great in cover looks and has the discipline to know when to bite down on a route in his designated zone.
Coming down on bigger receivers is highly risky because it could lead to a big play if you’re unable to wrap up or make a play on the ball.
Samuel showcased what he can do in man coverage against bigger receivers with the Los Angeles Chargers. He displayed a good mix of being a sound tackling corner while having the patience to break on balls in the red zone. The Vikings could use more of a lockdown type inside the 20-yard line.
It’s unclear how far talks have gotten between Samuel and the Vikings or if Samuel has progressed with any other team. Teams often wait until after draft night to finalize deals so they can keep their options open regarding points of focus within the draft. In terms of the best fit, Minnesota seems to have everything to set Samuel up for success as the leading man in the secondary.
If Samuel remains on the free-agent market past the draft, Minnesota’s first-round selection will offer more context if a deal with Samuel seems imminent. Ultimately, they should push to sign him because the 25-year-old Asante Samuel Jr. would be the perfect candidate.
