It’s no secret that the Minnesota Vikings could be hurting for help in the defensive backfield heading into the 2022 season. One move towards a solution, per Pro Football Focus, would be signing Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams in free agency.
The analytics site is predicting Williams to the Vikings on a three-year, $40 million deal with at least $22.5 million in guaranteed money.
Williams, 28, has played opposite of top-flight corners since his arrival in 2018. He opened up his pro career playing alongside three-time Pro Bowler Marcus Peters before the Rams upgraded to three-time First-Team All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey.
So there’s the wealth of knowledge and experience that would come with Williams, which could prove invaluable to Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell’s envisioned hybrid defense. But there’s also the reality that the Vikings have some moves to make before they start spending money in free agency. Per Over the Cap, the team is projected to be $16 million over the salary cap.
Granted, that all could change via restructured deals or maybe even some surprise cuts or trades, but as of right now, the team’s best bet to countering the mass exodus they could see in the defensive backfield due to expiring deals is the 2022 NFL Draft.
They have the No. 12 overall pick, and there will be plenty of options available to them to start to rebuild the backend of the defense. And perhaps they could come to a team-friendly agreement with future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson to return for another season.
There are less expensive ways to fix the problem, while also taking the future into consideration.
