The Minnesota Vikings have a few positions they might want to upgrade at the trade deadline. Rumors about a potential new backup quarterback have surfaced. Furthermore, the club could use another cornerback, as depth has been a problem for quite some time, and Jeff Okudah’s second concussion of the season isn’t helping matters.
Top Vikings CB Candidate Gives His Green Light
On the trade market, the Vikings should call teams that aren’t playoff contenders in the NFL. The Dolphins have already started to unload some talent for picks, although their CBs certainly aren’t their strength.
Besides trading, the Vikings could also just sign a free agent, and it turns out there’s still a promising corner out there, waiting for a call. Asante Samuel Jr., a former second-rounder of the Los Angeles Chargers, has been a free agent since March. He didn’t sign with a team in the offseason because of some ongoing injury struggles, but he’s now back.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday, “Free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who underwent spinal fusion surgery in April, has been cleared for football activities and plans to make free agency visits as soon as this week. Samuel is in touch with several teams, some of which are in the market for a cornerback before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.”
The teams are unknown, but the Vikings would make sense. Brian Flores has his two starters, Isaiah Rodgers and Byron Murphy. Behind them, Flores can pick between the struggling Okudah (who is currently unavailable), demoted sophomore Dwight McGlothern (who the coaching staff seemingly doesn’t trust despite his preseason heroics), and practice squad veteran Fabian Moreau.
If Samuel is even half the player he was in Los Angeles, he would be an immediate upgrade over the non-starters.
More from Fowler, “In March, Samuel was the No. 14 overall free agent in ESPN’s pre-free agency rankings. Some team executives considered him the best corner in the class. But he went on injured reserve in 2024 and was limited to four games. At the end of that season, Samuel described the injury as a stinger in both shoulders but also a condition he has been dealing with since he was born. It became clear in the spring he needed the procedure.”
Ongoing shoulder problems and a back issue certainly aren’t good signs for an extended career, but the Vikings should give the 26-year-old a call regardless, and at least check his medicals.
Samuel Jr. was the 47th overall pick in 2021 after playing his college ball at Florida State. He started all of his 12 games in 2021. In the following two seasons, Samuel Jr. appeared in all 34 games (31 starts). The shoulder cost him all but four games last season, which certainly hurt his free-agency stock.
In his 50 career games, Samuel Jr. registered 176 tackles and six interceptions. Though he hasn’t played football in over a year, he was a solid starter when he last did, with the potential to become one of the better CBs in the league if his health allows him to stay on the field.
The Vikings will undoubtedly skim the market as their cornerback situation is shaky at best, and Samuel Jr. should be on the list.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
