Vikings Positional Breakdown: Safeties

Safety is one of only one of two position groups for the Vikings where they have no free agents this offseason (the other being special teams). That doesn't mean they are completely set at the position, however, because safety is by no means a strong point of their defense. Expect plenty of competition at this spot during the offseason, as it seems to have become an annual tradition to have a safety battle at Winter Park.

Here's the breakdown of the Vikings safeties as they head into the 2014 offseason:



On the Roster: Harrison Smith, Jamarcus Sanford, Andrew Sendejo, Mistral Raymond, Robert Blanton
Harrison Smith looked like he was ready for a breakout year in 2013, but unfortunately his season was derailed due to injury. It looks like he's an emerging star at the position go, and he should have one of the starting safety spots locked up for the foreseeable future. Part of Smith's appeal when the Vikings drafted him was his ability to play free or strong safety, but last year he seemed to struggle a bit in coverage which means a more rangy free safety could be a good partner for him.

Jamarcus Sanford has been the starter opposite Smith the last few years by the start of the season, though he'll have to fight for that spot again this year. Sanford is an above average run defender who really struggles in coverage, and he was regularly abused by opposing tight ends. He's an average starter at this point who also provides some value on special teams, so while the Vikings could do better they could also do a lot worse.

Andrew Sendejo has been a special teams leader for the Vikings, but with the early injury to Smith he was put into the starting lineup for most of the year. Sendejo appeared to be a solid starter in his time on the field, and while he does not excel in necessarily one aspect of his game he is at least average in all of them. Expect a training camp battle between him and Sanford this fall to see who gets to remain in the starting lineup.

Mistral Raymond was actually slated to be the Vikings starter in 2012 opposite Smith, but an injury forced Snaford in instead and Raymond was never able to regain his spot on the depth chart. In 2013, he fell even further as Sendejo passed him as well. Raymond has nice speed, but he seems to frequently be out of position on the back end and has never really been able to establish any consistency. He still has upside if he can improve the mental aspect of his game more, but it remains to be seen if that's possible.

Robert Blanton is a converted corner, as the Vikings liked his coverage ability but his stiff hips were not ideal for the position in the NFL. Blanton was forced to switch back actually this season for stretches of time, because the Vikings lack of depth at nickel corner forced Blanton to see action there. Predictably, Blanton struggled, as he was often out of position and seemed to lack awareness on the field. Is that because he was playing in a different position at the last minute or do those weaknesses show up when he's at safety as well? That's a big question for Blanton this offseason.

Free Agents: None

What should Rick do? (WSRD?)
With no free agents, an emerging star, and two adequate players who can compete to start, the Vikings are probably likely to avoid any big moves at this position. There will likely be a training camp battle yet again at this position, with Sanford or Sendejo emerging opposite Smith. The one things the Vikings could do here is add more competition at the bottom of the depth chart, as Raymond and Blanton will need to earn their way on to the 53 man roster for another year.

Some intriguing lesser known players the Vikings could choose to add as competition include former Zimmer players Taylor May and Chris Crocker. Both have played in Zimmer's system for a number of years and at the very least could help the other players on the roster learn how to play in a Mike Zimmer defense.