Marcus Sherels became a Vikings fan favorite for a number of reasons after arriving with the team in 2010. He was "one of us," hailing from Rochester and playing for the Gophers; he was an underdog, making the team as an undersized and undrafted free agent; and most importantly: he was good at what he did.
He ranked in the Top 10 in the NFL in punt return yard average in five of the past six seasons and is third on the NFL's active list for total punt return yards.
Perhaps having a true specialist was a luxury the cap-strapped Vikings could no longer afford. Perhaps they decided the 31-year-old Sherels was on the decline or due for one. What we know for sure is that Sherels now plays for the Saints after agreeing to a one-year deal in New Orleans.
Quantifying how much fans will miss Sherels is difficult, though the basic answer is "a lot." Quantifying how much the Vikings might miss Sherels is a little easier. But the answer is the same: "a lot." Why?
Mike Zimmer values field position, and Sherels added it. The average NFL team returned 28.4 punts in 2018, and the average length of return was 8.5 yards. Sherels in the past six seasons has averaged 11.3 yards per return.
Also, Sherels was a game-breaker. Though he wasn't flashy and didn't look particularly dangerous, Sherels has five career punt returns for touchdowns — second among active NFL players and No. 14 all-time.
Sherels was dangerous as a return man, but he was pretty careful with the ball.
In eight years as a return man, he had just eight regular-season fumbles and lost just two of those — so one fumble a year, and one lost fumble every four years.