Getty Cornerback Anthony Brown, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, sits in the end zone after being penalized for pass interference during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in November 2021.
The Minnesota Vikings have spent the last two years focused on bolstering the secondary, but the work remains unfinished.
Byron Murphy Jr. and Andrew Booth Jr. should make for a formidable starting duo come September, assuming both can remain healthy. However, Murphy and Booth missed eight and 11 games in 2022, respectively. Minnesota’s backup cornerbacks are second-year player Akayleb Evans, who missed seven games in his rookie season due to concussion issues, and third-round rookie Mekhi Blackmon who has yet to play an NFL snap.
The Vikings aren’t overly flush with salary cap space, with roughly $17.8 million at their disposal as of Sunday, June 18. But a value contract for a veteran cornerback makes sense for a young defensive backfield that has serious health issues in its recent past. Perhaps the perfect candidate in this regard is Anthony Brown, most recently of the Dallas Cowboys.
Anthony Brown Developed From Low-Round Draft Pick Into Bonafide NFL Starter
GettyThe Dallas Cowboys are unlikely to re-sign long-time starting cornerback Anthony Brown.
Brown is a longtime starter with the Cowboys who has spent the entirety of his seven-year career in Dallas since the team selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He became an every-Sunday starter alongside two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs two seasons ago after inking a three-year, $15.5 million deal in 2020. Brown had a highly productive 2021 campaign and was playing well again last season before tearing his ACL in December.
The injury appears to have derailed any plans the Cowboys might have had to bring Brown back into the fold on another multiyear deal after he played out his contract in 2022, though it opens a window for a team like the Vikings to add Brown on a value contract.
Anthony Brown Among Top Free Agents Remaining in 2023 Class
GettyCornerback Anthony Brown #30, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, is congratulated by Steven Parker #40 and Jaylon Smith #54 after returning a fumble for a touchdown against the New York Giants during a game in October 2020.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on June 14 listed Brown among his top-10 players under the age of 30 still available in free agency, noting that bad injury luck is all that has stood between the cornerback and a new deal in 2023.
[His] injury is the only reason that Brown remains unsigned this late into the offseason. There are a number of corners who have already signed new deals and found new homes who don’t have Brown’s ability or resume.
Two years ago, Brown was a 16-game starter for the Cowboys. He topped 70 total tackles, intercepted three passes and even scored a touchdown. Brown allowed just 65 of 122 passes thrown in his direction to be completed in 2021 and posted a passer rating against of 78.4.
For the record, that passer rating against is lower than Trevon Diggs’ was last year and Darius Slay of the [Philadelphia] Eagles. Brown’s numbers weren’t quite as good in 2022, but he was still a solid NFL starter.
Brown will play nearly the entirety of the 2023 campaign at 29 years old is in need of a landing spot where he can re-establish his value as a legitimate NFL starter. In this scenario, the Vikings hold the majority of the leverage in any potential negotiations and can likely ink the starting-caliber cover corner to a team-friendly deal for a duration of one or two seasons.
It isn’t the perfect solution for Minnesota’s secondary, but it is an affordable one that brings another quality player into a unit that has been a priority for the franchise over the past two offseasons.
