Xavier Rhodes, CB, Minnesota Vikings
On the cusp of free agency the Minnesota Vikings were one of the first teams to make some difficult decisions, and the organization announced they were releasing defensive lineman Linval Joseph, and Rhodes, a two-time Pro Bowler at the cornerback position.
Rhodes was drafted in the first round of the 2013 Draft by the Vikings, but it took him a few seasons to grow into the eventual Pro Bowl defender. His career year of 2016 saw him selected to his first Pro Bowl, and in that season he notched a career-high five interceptions while breaking up 11 passes and notching 52 tackles. He returned to the Pro Bowl in 2017, a year where he added two more interceptions to his resume.
But the past two seasons saw Rhodes fall off a cliff, even with his Pro Bowl selection this year. When Pro Football Focus named him a potential cut candidate back in January, their write-up outlined just how far he had fallen:
His decline began to rear its head in 2018, but this past season, it reached full-fledged free fall. 87 different cornerbacks saw 50 targets into their coverage in 2019, and none of them allowed a higher completion rate into their coverage than Rhodes did. His 84.3% completion rate allowed was the worst of that bunch by over 4%. Rhodes was never as dominant as the league-wide reputation that he commanded, but he regressed significantly to borderline unplayable this season.
So what makes Rhodes a redemption candidate? He still has some years ahead of him, as he turns 30 this summer. Another reason is somewhat schematic. Rhodes is at his best as more of a physical, press-man corner at the line of scrimmage. But some of his poor play these past two seasons has coincided with the Vikings playing more off-man coverage. In addition, the Vikings also played a lot of zone coverage last season. Rhodes is probably better suited to find a home in a team that relies heavily on Cover 1, and likes having their corners in press alignments, harassing the receivers as they come off the line of scrimmage.
Does that remind you of anyone? Perhaps a defensive-minded head coach who loves Cover 1 and also loves veteran reclamation projects?
Yeah, maybe that guy.