Yesterday, we took a look at some wide receivers that the Minnesota Vikings could be looking at in free agency starting on Tuesday. One of the other areas of the roster that could use some shoring up is the defensive backfield. The Vikings could use some help at both cornerback and safety. We'll take a look at the safeties later on, but for now we'll focus on the cornerback position.
Here are five names to keep an eye on when the free agency period kicks off.
1) Brandon Carr, Kansas City Chiefs - In my opinion, Carr is the big prize in this year's free agency class at cornerback. He's a #1-caliber corner, and will get paid like it this season. He's got good size for a cornerback at 6' and 205 pounds, and would fit well in whatever type of scheme the Vikings will be playing this year under new defensive coordinator Alan Williams.
2) Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee Titans - He's one of the NFL's most hated players. . .partially because he's a pain in the tail, but he's also a very good cornerback. A feisty competitor that's become known for having a bit of a temper, he could be just the injection of attitude that the fairly passive Vikings' defense needs.
3) Richard Marshall, Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals aren't generally where you think of when talking about defensive back talent, but Marshall is a pretty solid player. He played well at corner this year for Arizona, and something that might make him even more attractive is his ability to play the safety position, which he did for the Cardinals when Kerry Rhodes went down.
4) Tracy Porter, New Orleans Saints - Porter is a name that causes Viking fans to cringe. . .he's the guy that intercepted Brett Favre's last pass of the 2009 season. . .but he would make a solid addition to the Vikings' defensive backfield. He might not be as high-profile as some of the other corners, despite his post-season heroics, but that just means he could possibly be had for a better price.
5) Carlos Rogers, San Francisco 49ers - Rogers would normally be a lot higher on this list, but his age (31) is a strike against him. Because of that, a team in rebuilding mode like Minnesota might not be quite as interested as they might normally be, but he would still be a nice get for the Vikings.