The Minnesota Vikings used free agency to plug holes in the secondary last offseason and are now poised to employ a similar strategy heading into training camp.
The NFC North Division rival Green Bay Packers parted ways with cornerback Jaire Alexander on Monday, June 9, two years into the two-time Pro Bowler's $84 million contract. When Alexander signed that deal in May 2022, it made him the richest cornerback in NFL history at the time.
Things haven't gone great for Alexander since, however. He missed 10 games in each of the past two seasons due to injury issues and was also served a one-game suspension by the team, as personality clashes between Alexander and the Packers' front office/coaching staff became more evident with time.
That said, when healthy, the 28-year-old defensive back is still capable of playing lockdown defense. Green Bay may not have let him go were it not for the $17 million in savings the team recouped by doing so.
Alexander isn't going to come cheap, per say, though right now is the time to sign him to an affordable one-year contract. The Vikings make sense in that regard in several ways, as the team has one lockdown cornerback in Byron Murphy but lost its other two starters at the position during the offseason.
Brian Flores also plays an aggressive style of defense that led to a league-leading 24 interceptions by the Vikings last season. Alexander could potentially rebuild his value in a big way statistically in such a scenario, while also playing on a team with legitimate playoff/Super Bowl aspirations and one that will afford him at least two opportunities to inflict direct revenge on his former employer during division play.
Kay Adams of FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" show had similar ideas on her Monday broadcast.
"My vote for landing spot for one Jaire Alexander would be the Vikings, of course. We can do the funniest thing ever here. Join forces with he who you like jawing against (in Justin Jefferson)," Adams said. "Go to the Vikings. So much has gone on between him and Minnesota over the years. They need a corner."
