By: Jake Rajala

The Casey Hayward-less pass defense in Las Vegas could surely benefit from more talent at their cornerback position. Rock Ya-Sin and Trayvon Mullen haven’t quite cemented themselves as consistent, starting CB options in Sin City. With that said, I’m going to simply untwine three CB targets (and likely upgrades) for the Raiders.

Joe Haden

It may seem like wishful thinking for any team to believe they can scoop up a talented free agent in June. Although, I believe the talented Raiders squad with a need for CB talent could join forces with Pro Bowl CB Joe Haden. The former Steelers CB has expressed that retirement isn’t on his mind. He could play with a defense that will have a terrific pass rush led by Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones while having a realistic opportunity to win a Super Bowl in the near future.

Xavier Rhodes

Xavier Rhodes can be the bully, man to man CB that the Raiders desire on the outside. Rhodes was a Top-10 CB per PFF in 2020 and I believe he still has some juice left. The former Vikings first-round pick is still 31 years old – which is the same age as Stephon Gilmore. His ability to blanket top-notch WRs (such as Deebo Samuel) at this stage in his career can nicely be seen below.

https://www.colts.com/video/highlight-xavier-rhodes-blankets-deebo-samuel-for-physical-int

Kevin King

The former Packers CB Kevin King, also known as the youngest CB on this list (27 years old), may be able to bounce back in LV. He recorded five interceptions in 2019, but it seems like he may be remembered better for getting torched by Scotty Miller in the NFC Championship. King may be able to prove his worth on a short-term deal behind a talented Raiders pass rush in 2022.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Minnesota Vikings finished with a disappointing 8-9 record in the 2021 season. In the Mike Zimmer-less era, the Vikings hope to reach the playoffs next season. The Vikings new head coach Kevin O’Connell and new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added more ammunition this off-season and it’s clear the shiny Vikings should hold their heads high heading into the 2022 season.

With that enunciated, I still believe it’s possible that the Vikings add horses from the FA pool. I will untwine three free agents that would be superb fits for Captain Kirk and the Vikings new direction.

• Xavier Rhodes

The Vikings had the 28th ranked pass defense last season and it’s clear that the Vikings needed to improve their CB spot this off-season. They nicely brought back Patrick Peterson and then Andrew Booth slipped into their hands in round two. I still believe Xavier Rhodes would be a nice, physical CB and he may start at CB2 over the shaky Cameron Dantzler. If the Vikings can transform from a porous pass defense to a Top 12 pass defense, they could have a similar outcome in the regular season as the 2021 Dallas Cowboys.

• Phillip Lindsay

The Miami Dolphins weren’t scared to ink RB Sony Michel and I’d like to see the Vikings become creative by inking the underrated Phillip Lindsay right now. Lindsay and Dalvin Cook could truly be like thunder and lightning. The UDFA legend would be the perfect replacement for Cook if the Vikings RB1 continues to have injury issues.

• Julio Jones

There are a lot of NFL teams that have excellent WR trios and it may be wise for the Vikings to supply Cousins with as much explosion as possible. Julio has to be thrilled about the combination of one on one matchups and roster talent in Minnesota. The NFC has the LA Rams, TB Buccaneers, Aaron Rodgers, and the Dallas Cowboys, so the Vikings will need to score a lot of points in their potential 2022 NFL playoff gauntlet.

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