It’s no secret that the Vikings have dealt with turnover this offseason, but Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman didn’t exactly temper expectations when discussing next season.
Here’s what he told Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune:
“The expectations are always going to be very high,” Spielman told the Star Tribune. “Even though we have some young guys coming in we still have a core part of our defense together with Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith, we have [Eric] Kendricks and [Anthony] Barr at linebacker, Danielle Hunter, we were able to sign Michael Pierce in free agency when we lost Linval Joseph. We have a core group of young guys that still are the bread and butter of our defense or the heart of our defense.”
A position group to watch for next season will be cornerback. The team has lost two starters from 2019 — Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes — and also Mackensie Alexander, Minnesota’s nickel corner.
In their place will be Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Jeff Gladney, Cameron Danztler and others who have a chance to fill the void Rhodes, Waynes and Alexander left behind.
“This year, you know, maybe a little bit different because of the turnover, especially on the defensive side of the ball, “Spielman told the Star Tribune. “We had that defense together for six years, I believe, and you know with our cap constraints and decisions we had to make in the offseason we knew we had to replenish a lot of the talent that we lost during free agency this year.”