After combing through Minnesotas starters for each year, here are the franchises top 10 safety duos of all-time. Buy Vikings Tickets. The Minnesota Vikings continue to reshape their defensive coaching staff under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Additionally, his ball-hawking ways helped solidify a pass defense that faces brutal competition every week in the pass-happy NFC North. There were certainly ups and downs from the veteran defensive back, and it's worth keeping an eye on. Browner made six straight Pro Bowl appearances, beginning in 1985. The Vikings need to clear $23 million of 2023 salary to get under the cap. They've drafted two of the best players ever in Randy Moss and 2012 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. He started 12 games that year and went on to play in 131 games for Minnesota, which is sixth most for any defensive back in team history. Here is every player who has ever held the position of Minnesota Vikings starting cornerback. Alan Page. Minnesota Vikings: Greatest All-Time Defense From the Purple People Eaters to Purple Reign, the Minnesota Vikings have struck fear into opposing offenses for over 50 years. Bobby Bryant played corner back in all four Super Bowls for the Minnesota Vikings. In addition to leading the team in tackles with eight, Woods intercepted QB Cooper Rush early in the second quarter. Minnesota returned All-Pro safety Harrison Smith for his 10th NFL season, and signed Xavier Woods after he played his first four pro seasons with Dallas. Randle led the Vikings in sacks in nine of his 11 seasons, and strung together eight seasons in a row with over 10 sacks. He isnt just an all-time Vikings player, he is an all-time NFL player. Brian Bahr/Allsport. Please check your email for a confirmation. He played this position immaculately but was also so versatile a player that he was utilized in unconventional ways. Picking a highest high proved challenging because a number of the safeties' big plays occurred mostly in games Minnesota ultimately lost. Some have been ball hawks, while others have been huge hitters. Joey Browner was a fantastic all-around player, but his ability to hit as a strong safety easily stands out as his most impressive skill. Who Are The Atlanta Falcons' Biggest Rivals? View the best safety photos from the 2021 season shot by Vikings photographers. The report, released Wednesday during the league's annual scouting combine, rated teams in eight categories - everything from meals and . They held teams to just 10.3 points per game, and in their championship game they held the Giants to just ten points. Asked on Tuesday morning at the NFL Combine about a potential contract extension for Jefferson this offseason, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made himself clear. By the time Randle was finished, he had 114 career sacks, made six straight pro bowls as a starter and made the NFL team of the decade in the 90s. His heady presence in the secondary served to make him a leader on the defense, even though he's one of the youngest players on the field. He played for the University of Georgia and was drafted to the Vikings in 1961 when the team was just getting its start. The best in the business need to be athletically gifted: fast,. "So as soon as I saw the quarterback look me off and then go back to the front side, that's when I knew I was free game to make a break, and that's when me and Xavier, we both had it viced and if I didn't make the play, he would have made the play on that," Bynum explained. 15 Worst Free Agents Signings of All-Time. Earlier this week, he covered the safety position. 14. As a tackling machine, Atwater compiled more than 120 tackles during his first five NFL seasons. Led the Vikings to three of their four Superbowls in 1974, 1975, and 1977, Became the first defensive player to receive the NFLs MVP award, Part of the legendary Vikings defensive line known as The Purple People Eaters, Set a record when he was selected twelve times consecutively for the Pro Bowl, Regarded as the real muscle behind the notorious Purple People Eaters, Selected for the Vikings 40th and 50th Anniversary teams, NFL 1,000-Yard Clubs Top Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1969, Selected for the NFLs All-Decade Team for the 1990s, Widely considered the Vikings greatest. Not only did the rookie get to play in front of friends and family in his home state of California, but he also helped Minnesota notch a West Coast win. O'Connell gave a positive update on Cine's recovery process, noting the young safety's clear excitement about the upcoming season. Bynum answered the bell after finding out the morning of the Ravens game that he'd need to make his first NFL start. Minnesota, 13-4 in 2022, is 30th in cap space at $24.4 million over the cap. The NFLPA specifically mentioned that they provide all three meals. Karl Kassulke was known in NFL circles as a fierce hitter, but Robert Griffith made a career out of it. I couldnt justify keeping Barr off the list just due to the rich history of other players. 10. Just like part one, this roster will be both awesome and arguable, and I await your comments (@eddiechisham). NFL-record four career safeties Recorded 136 career sacks (No. In his first year in Minnesota, he picked off passes in six straight games, which is still a team record. the best Vikings players of all time. 7 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings 2019 season. Part one of the Greatest Minnesota Vikings of All Time focuses on the offense. A list of the best Minnesota Vikings of all time. The Vikings had several Hall of Famers suit up for them during their Super Bowl years like Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page and Ron Yary. Sign up for the Vikings Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, Five years ago today, the Vikings celebrated the Minneapolis Miracle. The crash left him paralyzed from the waist down, ending a stellar career. Either way, safeties are usually the last line of defense. Carter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013 and is one of the best wide receivers in football history. Then check out this list of Minnesota Vikings cornerbacks with photos and seasons as starters. That won't be happening here. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Anthony Barr converted to linebacker late in his college career from running back, and has quickly become a top-tier 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL. Krause played 16 seasons in the NFL, the last 12 with the Vikings. Antoine Winfield Jr. wasted no time making a name for himself as one of the best young safeties in the league. He started as a defensive end in every Super Bowl they played in and helped the Vikings win ten NFC titles during his eleven seasons.After retiring, he secured a degree in human services and became a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, advocating for people of color within the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Studwell showed an elite football mind, dissecting offenses by diagnosing plays early. Bynum secured his first career sack against Chargers QB Justin Herbert, and he also recorded a pass defensed and a tackle for loss. The Vikings had several Hall of Famers suit up for them during their Super Bowl years like Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page and Ron Yary. He was second on the team's all-time sack list with 92.5 and played in 191 consecutive games every game for 12 consecutive seasons. Ronnie Lott 4. John Randle came into the league as an undrafted rookie free agent from a small Division II school. 16 despite having an NFL-record 81 interceptions. The goal: assemble the scariest, most talented roster from Vikings historya group that promises to make the crowd roar without allowing a score. NFL teams were graded on eight categories with a grading range of F to A+. Smith told media members he largely felt symptom-free, but the protocols at the time dictated that he remain away from the team for 10 days. Alex Pagulayan full-hit follow-the-rail hide, against Skyler Woodward [8:51]: https://youtu.be/ALy6VtA78uw?t=5259. Here is how the Vikings graded out in each category. Bynum made his second straight start against the Chargers in Week 10, and he made the most of it. Top 10 BEST SAFETIES of All Time And How to Shoot Them 56,661 views Dec 16, 2020 1.2K Dislike DrDaveBilliards 240K subscribers Dr. Dave recreates and analyzes the 10 best safeties of all time. 4) Larry Wilson He revolutionized the "safety blitz" that we see in every game today and finished his career with a whopping 52 interceptions. Dexter Manley 8. Vikings have 2 of the top safeties of all time Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West Broncos. Troy Polamalu 3. In 2021 . He also managed 17 interceptions, though he wasn't known for his hands. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Niels Feijen tough bank hide with distance, against Albin Ouschan [5:09]: https://youtu.be/ptmqWFCU-FA?t=9206. Currently, the team is roughly $24 million over . All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Sonny Jurgensen 12. Projected to line up alongside him is Anthony Harris who took over as the starter in 2018 after Andrew Sendejo suffered a groin injury that eventually ended his season as well as his career with Minnesota. He played ten seasons with the Vikings, made over 1,400 yards in a season three different times, won MVP in 2012, and played in seven Pro Bowls. EAGAN, Minn. The Vikings combined a mixture of veteran experience and youth at the safety position in 2021. He was undrafted out of San Diego State and spent a year in the CFL before arriving in Minnesota in 1994. 0. Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings. He made a name for himself immediately, setting the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game (296) in his very first season, earning himself Rookie of the Year in 2007. Smith is slowly making his case for being the best safety in Minnesota Vikings history. Bynum filled in admirably when Smith who disclosed earlier in the year he was unvaccinated tested positive for coronavirus. 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