Mackensie Alexander could be headed elsewhere.
The Vikings' 26-year-old nickel cornerback is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next week. He has been medically cleared, a league source said, following January arthroscopic knee surgery. It's unclear if the cap-strapped Vikings have yet made an offer to Alexander, but the organization is bracing for the possibility of replacing all three starting cornerbacks in 2020.
"If it is that way, then we just have to do a good job keeping guys in there and making sure they can play," coach Mike Zimmer said at the NFL scouting combine Feb. 26. "We're not going to cry because we don't have some of those guys. Our job is to figure out how to get guys in there and get them to play."
Alexander might have played his way out of Minnesota with a strong contract season. He missed both playoff games because of his knee injury. Only five NFL defenders played more than Alexander in slot coverage and allowed a stingier passer rating than the 85.7 on passes thrown his way. He might have been the NFL's best tackler from the slot. He led the Vikings with zero misses (an incredible jump after 15 whiffs in Years 2-3) and surrendered the fewest yards after the catch (94) among all slot corners in Weeks 1-16.
Alexander's growth has been credited often by Zimmer when discussing how well in 2018 and 2019 he settled into the starting slot role — a job Alexander initially fought with visions of starting outside. That confidence led to plays and could bring a decent payday. Last year's top free-agent slot corner, Justin Coleman, signed a four-year, $36 million with the Lions. Alexander has some competition, including pending free agents in Denver's Chris Harris Jr. and Pittsburgh's Mike Hilton, but it's likely his market will be too strong for the Vikings.
The Vikings typically re-sign core players entering their second NFL contracts well before this point. So while Alexander's trajectory is promising, indications are his payday will come elsewhere. The projection here is Alexander moves on from the Vikings after four seasons.
Podcast: offensive line
Part 2 of our five-part Access Vikings podcast free agency preview focuses on the offensive line. The cap-strapped Vikings probably can't afford major upgrades — unless they part ways with steady tackle Riley Reiff, which would create another hole. Can they maneuver their way into better position on the line — particularly the interior — after taking a step toward adequacy in 2019?
All this and more at startribune.com or anywhere you regularly listen to your favorite podcasts.
