Vikings Floated as Destination for $90 Million CB, 4-Time Pro Bowler

Getty Cornerback Xavien Howard, formerly of the Miami Dolphins.

The Minnesota Vikings are prime candidates to add to the secondary this month after watching their cornerback ranks deplete over the summer.

Dan Graziano of ESPN visited Vikings training camp in early August and broke down the situation in the defensive backfield before offering a couple of splashy free agents who might be on the team’s radar in the coming days.

“There are still a few free agent veterans who haven’t signed yet, and a couple of those — most notably Stephon Gilmore and Xavien Howard — have experience playing in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ system,” Graziano wrote on August 9. “So watch for the Vikings to possibly be in play on guys like that when they decide it’s time to sign somewhere.”

Howard has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Miami Dolphins, where he earned trips to four Pro Bowls, including three in a row between 2020-22. Howard is also a two-time All-Pro (2018, 2020) and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2020.

The cornerback signed a five-year, $90 million contract with Miami in April 2022 before the Dolphins designated him as a post-June 1 release in March. Howard has racked up 95 pass breakups, 29 INTs, 4 forced fumbles and 4 defensive TDs over the course of his professional tenure, per Pro Football Reference.

Xavien Howard Would Immediately Help Vikings’ Secondary

GettyCornerback Xavien Howard, formerly of the Miami Dolphins. 

Howard will play the upcoming season at 31 years old and struggled with injury issues that kept him off the field for four of the Dolphins’ 17 regular-season contests last year. So while he probably isn’t a long-term solution in Minnesota, Howard can slot in as a one- or two-year fix in a secondary he would undoubtedly improve from Day 1.

Minnesota’s pass defense finished 23rd of 32 teams last season by surrendering nearly 4,300 yards through the air. The Vikings have made only minor moves to improve the secondary via free agency, save for the pickup of Shaquill Griffin — a starting caliber cornerback on a one-year deal worth approximately $4.5 million.

The franchise has invested heavily in the defensive backfield in terms of draft picks over the last three offseasons. However, the tragic death of fourth-round rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson during a car crash in July and the subsequent torn ACL suffered by former third-round pick and second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon have ripped both youth and depth from the position group.

Graziano predicted that Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. are likely to start for the Vikings this season. However, he added that Minnesota will probably push Murphy into a nickel corner role to deal with talented slot receivers around the NFC North Division.

That scenario would leave the Vikings with the options of Fabian Moreau or Akayleb Evans to line up on the outside opposite Griffin, which isn’t ideal against potent passing attacks in Detroit and Green Bay, as well as a revamped offense in Chicago.

Vikings Hosted Recent Meeting With Stephon Gilmore

GettyCornerback Stephon Gilmore, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.

While Howard remains a viable possibility for the Vikings, the franchise has already taken a tangible step forward in its recruitment of Gilmore.

Minnesota hosted Gilmore, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, to a meeting on Sunday, August 11. Gilmore most recently played in 2023 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

Gilmore, who is on the precipice of his age-34 campaign, is older than Howard and has more tread on his tires after playing 12 years in the league compared to Howard’s eight. That said, Gilmore has been a Pro Bowler almost just as recently (2021) and does not have as recent of a serious injury history.

He also has experience playing for Flores, which Graziano noted, as a member of the New England Patriots. And, like Howard, Gilmore would likely prove Minnesota’s top cornerback the moment he stepped into the locker room.

Given his age, Gilmore would probably also be a short-term signing for the Vikings as they try to get younger, cheaper and develop more continuity in the secondary. Spotrac projects Gilmore’s market value at $9 million on a one-year contract.

If the Vikings decide to add a free agent cornerback, fans can expect the addition to come sooner than later, with Gilmore and Howard as two of the leading candidates for consideration.