Getty Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings are poised to make a run at the NFC North Division title for the first time in five years and shoring up the secondary will go a long way toward that goal.
Minnesota has struggled to contain opposing air attacks, tied with the Houston Texans for 21st in the NFL in overall passing yards allowed. Those difficulties have been particularly present in the slot, a deficiency the team can address prior to the trade deadline on November 1.
One possible solution is to deal for cornerback Michael Davis of the Los Angeles Chargers, who is in the second year of a three-year, $25.2 million contract but has fallen into a largely supporting role this season.
Davis Offers Vikings Potential Long-Term Solution in Secondary
GettyCornerback Michael Davis of the Los Angeles Chargers is a potential trade target for the Minnesota Vikings.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN on Thursday, October 13, suggested a move that would swap cornerback Kris Boyd and a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 for Davis.
Davis is in a curious situation with the Chargers. He was an every-down corner in the slot last season, but after Los Angeles signed Bryce Callahan and J.C Jackson this offseason, his role has disappeared.
Depth is great, but most teams would consider paying a cornerback who doesn’t see the field on defense most weeks a $7 million base salary to be a waste of money. Boyd would be a much more realistic (and less expensive) fourth or fifth cornerback for Los Angeles.
[Vikings cornerback] Chandon Sullivan has struggled as the team’s slot corner this season. The Vikings have allowed a 94.0 QBR to slot receivers, the fifth-worst mark in football. Minnesota would need the Chargers to eat some money to make this deal work, but Davis would be a significant upgrade in the slot and a possible solution next year, too.
Over the course of his six-year NFL career, Davis has recorded 239 tackles, 44 passes defensed, six interceptions, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown.
Boyd Had Recent Online Dust Up With Vikings Fans
GettyCornerback Kris Boyd of the Minnesota Vikings reacts to a tackle during a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 14, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
Beyond an upgrade in slot coverage, dealing Boyd and a pick for Davis makes sense in other ways. This month is, perhaps, a good time for Boyd to depart Minnesota after he recently admonished some Vikings fans following the team’s Week 4 victory over the New Orleans Saints in London.
We got some ungrateful fans….I don’t be on the internet looking for shit but we won and some were still complaining….We got a big Dub! We 3-1 stfu….Please find another team if you not satisfied or stfu!!??😂
“We got some ungrateful fans. I don’t be on the internet looking for s*** but we won and some were still complaining,” Boyd wrote on October 2. “We got a big Dub! We 3-1 stfu. Please find another team if you not satisfied or stfu!!??”
Boyd has started just six games over the course of his four-year career. He has tallied 84 tackles, three defensed passes and two forced fumbles, per Pro Football Reference. He has also recovered four fumbles, including one against the Saints in England earlier this month.