Tag: Mackensie Alexander

Is Mackensie Alexander a nickel cornerback or a CB out wide? Doesn’t matter to him

Minnesota Vikings CB Mackensie Alexander could play out wide or at nickel corner — it doesn’t matter to him.

This offseason, the Vikings decided to reunite with Mackensie Alexander.

Alexander ended his previous stint with Minnesota as a solid nickel corner on an otherwise unremarkable cornerback unit. Does that mean he’ll be in the slot again for the Vikings? It doesn’t matter to him.

“Honestly, I’m all about the big picture. Wherever they want to play me, I’m a team guy,” Alexander said, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “We’re going to compete as a unit and we’re going to see where it all falls.”

The Vikings will have some interesting choices to make in the secondary next season. If Alexander plays the nickel corner, then Jeff Gladney is likely the odd man out of the starting lineup. But if Alexander plays outside with Patrick Peterson, Gladney could be a better fit for the nickel than Cameron Dantzler.

Going off last season’s production, it would make sense to put Alexander in the slot and have Dantzler and Peterson out wide. But right now, the Vikings have some options that they can try before the 2021 regular season.

Grading the Vikings’ acquisition of CB Mackensie Alexander

The Minnesota Vikings cornerback unit just got a lot better with the 2021 free agency acquisition of Mackensie Alexander.

The Vikings cornerback unit was up and down in 2020.

Corners Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney were getting beaten early on, before the two found their stride in the league. Mike Hughes dealt with injuries yet again. And Holton Hill was waived from the injured reserve. 

Despite the struggles, the cornerback corps has something to build off of for future seasons. The Vikings have younger players who are coming off promising seasons. The team also added veterans in free agency to help solidify the unit.

Mackensie Alexander is one of those veterans. Per Alexander’s agent and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Vikings are reuniting with their old nickel corner.

I think this deal is a great move for both parties. Alexander can play the nickel cornerback role for a team that lacked corner depth at times in 2020. He knows the Vikings’ scheme, he’s a solid tackler and he’s decent in coverage. Not only that, but Minnesota is also expected to sign him to the veteran minimum plus a signing bonus, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.

I think Gladney can still compete for spots, but as it stands, I would guess that Patrick Peterson and Dantzler are the two corners out wide and Alexander is the nickel corner. Minnesota improved its cornerback unit this offseason and the team didn’t have to give up a ton to do so.

Grade: A-

Vikings continue to bolster CB group

The Vikings have signed Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander already.

The Vikings ranked 25th against the pass last season.

For a coach like Mike Zimmer who prides himself on his defensive backfield, that was frustrating.

Heading into 2021, it’s clear the team has made it a priority to bolster that group.

The Vikings started by signing veteran Patrick Peterson. They continued that by bringing back nickelback Mackensie Alexander, who spent last season with the Bengals.

The team now has a core of those two, Jeff Gladney, Cam Dantzler and Mike Hughes, which certainly puts the team in a much better position than they were in last season.

The Vikings still have to address the safety spot opposite Harrison Smith after Anthony Harris signed with the Eagles. We could see the Vikings address that position with one of their 10 draft picks, or the team could perhaps test one of those corners at safety.

Even with that hole, Vikings fans have to feel much better about their secondary than they did a year ago.

Report: Vikings are reuniting with CB Mackensie Alexander

The Minnesota Vikings have made yet another move in 2021 NFL free agency, signing CB Mackensie Alexander.

Minnesota’s cornerback unit struggled in 2019, but Mackensie Alexander was a bright spot.

Alexander was serviceable in the slot. However, he moved on in free agency that offseason, signing with the Bengals on a one-year deal.

Well, guess who’s back? As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Alexander has agreed to terms with his former team. There’s no report of how long the deal is or how much money it will be at the time this article was published.

Purely from an on-field standpoint, the Vikings got a big boost to their cornerback unit with this move. Minnesota struggled in pass coverage last season. Alexander can slot into the nickel corner position.

With cornerbacks Cameron Dantzler and Patrick Peterson out wide, the Vikings look primed for improvement in the secondary come 2021.  Even if Jeff Gladney ends up securing the slot corner spot, Minnesota has more depth at a position of importance on defense.

7 free-agent defenders who could assist Cowboys in secondary overhaul

The best remaining free agent defensive backs, according to ESPN.

The Cowboys made their most significant move of free agency on Saturday, inking former Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. The club has made other small strides towards improving their defensive backs. Following the club bringing back C.J. Goodwin, CB Jourdan Lewis was re-signed. Next week, the team will be visiting with Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee, Neal’s former teammate in Atlanta.

ESPN released their 25 best available free agents and there are a number of well-known veterans at both the safety and cornerback positions who could upgrade the Dallas defense. Here are some potential candidates for the Cowboys to consider from ESPN’s best available rankings.

Vikings have offer on the table for former Minnesota CB Mackensie Alexander

Do you want Bengals free agent CB Mackensie Alexander to reunite with his former team: the Minnesota Vikings?

In 2019, the Vikings cornerback unit was not perfect. Trae Waynes was inconsistent and, ultimately, Minnesota let him walk in free agency. Xavier Rhodes did not look like his old self and he, too, signed elsewhere in free agency.

Mackensie Alexander was arguably the best cornerback on that defense. Alexander was a reliable tackler in the slot and finished 2019 with an overall PFF grade of 65.7, which is a better PFF grade than every 2020 Vikings cornerback besides Cameron Dantzler and Harrison Hand this season.

Alexander signed a one-year deal with the Bengals for 2020. Now that’s he’s a free agent, could a reunion with his former team be on the horizon?

As reported by Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, the Vikings have an offer on the table for their old cornerback.

Alexander coming back to the Vikings on a cheap deal would really boost the outlook of the cornerback unit. Cameron Dantzler is probably the team’s best option out wide. If Alexander came to the team and played in the slot, all Minnesota would have to do is find another serviceable cornerback to pair out wide with Dantzler. Alexander can also play out wide if need be if Minnesota wants to put Jeff Gladney in the slot full time.

Then, with Dantzler and Alexander, the unit could be decent. Gladney, Harrison Hand or maybe even a rookie or a low-cost free agent are all options for another corner spot. However, right now all Minnesota has is an offer on the table for Alexander. It’d be good for the team if he agreed to it and came back.

Mackensie Alexander’s misdemeanor battery charge dismissed

An update on Cincinnati Bengals CB Mackensie Alexander.

[jwplayer SngVa6Ym]

All charges against Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mackensie Alexander stemming from off-field events in August have been dropped.

According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, records show a misdemeanor battery charge levied against Alexander was dismissed this week. The veteran corner had filed for deferred prosecution in early December, leading to the dismissal of the charges alongside community service and anger management

Alexander was arrested in August while searching for his father, who had gone missing earlier that week. The charges stemmed from a reported confrontation he had with a man who allegedly left his father behind.

Alexander’s father, Jean Odney Alexandre, was later found alive.

With the odd saga and strong on-field season behind him, Alexander once again heads to free agency after completing his one-year contract with the Bengals.

[listicle id=40276]

Bengals down several players to COVID-19, illness just before kickoff vs. Ravens

The Bengals had one player test positive for COVID-19 while another is showing symptoms, all right before playing the Baltimore Ravens.

The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Cincinnati Bengals at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday — just a few hours away. But with the Bengals having one player test positive for COVID-19 and another showing symptoms, the coronavirus is looking to make Week 17 a wild one once again.

On Saturday morning, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Cincinnati defensive tackle Mike Daniels had tested positive for COVID-19 while another player was showing symptoms. By Sunday, the Bengals had ruled out both Daniels and cornerback Mackensie Alexander due to illness, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. With Cincinnati already ruling out cornerback William Jackson III and linebacker Logan Wilson on the injury report, further losses will only make this regular-season finale harder on the 4-10-1 Bengals.

So many impact players missing this game due to either injury or COVID-19 is a big blow for Cincinnati. While the Bengals didn’t have anything to play for but pride and a potential playoff-spoiler role, finishing strong would be a good end to what has been a difficult rebuilding season for a young roster and coach.

On the flip side, the absence of those players is a big boost for the Ravens, who are in a must-win situation this week, needing to win to guarantee themselves a playoff berth. With Baltimore’s offense performing much better in recent weeks, the absence of a starting defensive lineman and two starting cornerbacks should give the Ravens a better opportunity to get out to a comfortable lead early, where they play their best football.

[listicle id=58717]

NFL fines two players from Bengals’ upset over Steelers in Week 15

The NFL issued fines from the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals game.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers again had a chippy encounter resulting in players getting fined by the NFL.

This time though, it was the Bengals getting the better of their bitter rival on “Monday Night Football” in Week 15, a 27-17 upset.

Over the weekend, the NFL issued fines to players from the contest, singling out two participants who stepped over the line during the AFC North tilt.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Bengals corner Mackensie Alexander was fined $10,000 for taunting. Steelers offensive lineman Chukwuma Okafor got tagged for the same amount after he shoved Alexander well out of bounds.

While not the most dramatic bit of fines from the league office by any means, the emotions between the rivals again led to some action. Alexander probably isn’t one to sweat it considering he had a monster game and again showed the Bengals why he’s worth bringing back on an extension after his one-year stint to date.

[listicle id=39921]

Mackensie Alexander had the taunt of the year, high-stepped out of bounds after an interception

Oh my.

We’ve already discussed how the Bengals reacted to Pittsburgh Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster dancing on their logo before Cincinnati pulled off a huge upset on Monday night — clearly, Cincy took it as a sign of disrespect.

The Bengals had a taunting moment of their own on Monday night that the Steelers might have seen the same way.

Cornerback Mackensie Alexander intercepted Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter of the eventual win and as he was heading toward the sidelines, HIGH STEPPED!

Now, you could say that a mostly terrible team like the Bengals shouldn’t high step at all in 2020. But having some fun while pulling off an upset like this over a heavily-favored Steelers team is OK by me.

Here’s the moment:

My goodness, that high step. The Steelers’ Chukwuma Okorafor was whistled for the late hit, too.

Not everyone approved:

[jwplayer v67ndn5P-q2aasYxh]