Via Chip Scoggins/Debbie Downer. Legit concerns but it's seemingly looking at it from a very pessimistic angle.
Scoggins: Vikings cornerbacks are question mark
Conversely, the Vikings will counter with a group of cornerbacks that includes a fourth-year veteran who has amassed zero career interceptions, a rookie first-round pick and a guy who has never played the slot nickel back role but is being asked to replace Antoine Winfield.
I don’t think it is THAT bad. To me Cook’s issue is durability, not consistency. That quip about the INTs is rather misleading. The guy can do a solid job against guys like Megatron for crying outloud.
Robinson and Rhodes are the bigger questions. Robinson wasn’t terrible, but Winfield’s shoes are going to be hard to fill. I think we’ll see some drop of there, most likely in the running game where Winfield was flat out amazing. Rhodes is the biggest question only in that he is a rookie. Hopefully his trend of showing all the stuff you want to see will continue into the regular season.
Also, AJ Jefferson wasn’t terrible last year, so we are not entirely without some insurance even if less than ideal. Bottom line is assuming Rhodes isn’t a bust, I think the 4 starting CB have us pretty well set up at this position group. Also, it isn’t fair to put these guys entirely on an island, Harrison Smith is also solid in coverage.
It is impossible to know right now, but despite the question marks, this group also has a decent shot at becoming a significant strength for our defense. Cook has shown great ability in coverage and Smith is poised to become one of the top Safeties in the league. There is potential for the secondary to become elite. That is a huge positive given that 3 of the 5 starters are in their 1st or 2nd seasons.
I actually think our Defense could be more talked about than our offense this year. I think there is potential for the unit to produce an elite season from a team perspective.
Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all of the time thing - Vince Lombardi
Vikings DBs pick their poison when facing elite quarterbacks
“These guys will throw no-look slants, no-look fades, no-look comebacks,” Robinson said. “They just know where their receivers are going to be. They throw it and they just expect the receiver to be there. And the good teams with the great quarterbacks, the receiver is always there.
I have a little more hope for our 2ndary this year, but I just dread not seeing Winfield! I would have liked to keep him one more year, especially to mentor the new class coming in. No one in the league tackles like he does, and they MUST tackle. You can no longer just hit a receiver or back down, they have to be wrapped up. The 'gator roll' that Winfield did (I'm sure to compensate for size discrepancy) was extremely difficult to escape from. Lets hope the coaching staff recognizes that and TEACHES it as mandatory!
~Ginny~
A woman is only vulnerable while her nails are wet. Even then, she can pull the trigger if she needs to.
Chris Cook, Vikings D focused on 'calculated risks' to force turnovers
MANKATO, Minn. -- As Minnesota Vikings' players rushed out of the Myers Field House in Mankato after Wednesday's walkthrough, cornerback Chris Cook and the secondary stayed 10 minutes after to continue working on techniques before the afternoon practice.
Cook, who has gone without an interception in his first three NFL seasons, said he and his teammates have also concocted some celebrations if he gets his first.
"We have a few celebrations that we've been working on," Cook said. "Hopefully we get a chance to pull them out."
As a team, the Vikings' defense finished 22nd in the league in turnovers (10 interceptions, 12 fumble recoveries) and three of those interceptions left with veteran Antoine Winfield's exit this offseason.
Defensive coordinator Alan Williams said the importance of defensive turnovers isn't his concern alone, but a constant reminder from coach Leslie Frazier.
"Coach Frazier put up a stat the other day, he said when the defense turns the ball over and scores, you have a 75 percent chance of winning that ball game," Williams said. "Not just turning the ball over, but scoring with it."
The Vikings' four defensive touchdowns last season, two from rookie safety Harrison Smith, helped to counter quarterback Christian Ponder's rocky play at midseason, but Williams said he needs more from his young secondary.
"We stress that all the time," Williams said. "We're going to hustle, we're going to run to the ball so when there is a tipped ball, when there is a ball on the ground, that we have more purple jerseys around that ball than anyone else. It's a priority in our camp and it will going into the season."
Cook broke his right arm in a loss against Tampa Bay, spent six weeks on injured reserve before coming back and holding Houston Texans' receiver Andre Johnson under 100 yards in a 23-6 win.
Williams said Cook and other members of the secondary need to work on taking "calculated risks, instead of chances," in order for the Vikings to convert more interceptions.
"I worked on my footwork a lot, standing square on my back pedal a lot more," Cook said. "I worked on my hand placement too in the offseason. Those are two big areas I felt like I could improve."