EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — With the departure of several prominent Minnesota Vikings players underway this offseason, Harrison Smith had to consider leaving himself — assuming he wanted to stay in the game at all.
The opportunity to return for a 12th year in the NFL with the only team he’s ever known, now with a revered new defensive coordinator in Brian Flores, far outweighed the downside of taking a pay cut.
“You can’t play forever, you know? It’s a big world out there. There’s a lot of things going on. So it’s fun to think about trying to dabble in some things here and there, but I can still run all right and catch the ball pretty well,” said Smith, the six-time Pro Bowl safety who matched his career best with five interceptions last season.
After stalwarts such as linebacker Eric Kendricks and wide receiver Adam Thielen were released for cap savings and free agents such as cornerback Patrick Peterson and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson signed elsewhere for more money, Smith could have been the next one through the cost-cutting exit. But he decided to accept a $6.7 million salary reduction so the Vikings could clear that cap space and he could keep his place in Minnesota’s secondary.
“I kind of grew up here in a sense,” Smith said, praising the investment owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf have made in the organization over his time with the team. “There’s tangible things I’ve thought about and intangible things. They all kind of added up to I wanted to stay here and give it another crack. It’s tough to quantify everything. You try to because it makes you feel good — ‘Is there a right answer or a wrong answer?’ — but you don’t always know.”
Flores, the former New England defensive coordinator and Miami head coach, was hired to replace Ed Donatell after the Vikings slumped in 2022 to second to last in the league in yards allowed and third worst in points allowed. Flores runs a more aggressive system that is bound to send the capable Smith as a blitzer more often than last season when he was held back in two-deep zone coverage.
“A big draw in staying here,” Smith said, “was learning from him.”
Improvement will be difficult for the Vikings on defense without Kendricks, Peterson and Tomlinson, but it’s not in Smith’s nature to stress about that.
“It’s not like there’s an empty void. I think we think that for some reason,” Smith said on Tuesday, the second day of the team’s voluntary offseason workout program. “There’s still somebody out there, and we’ve got some guys, so we’ll see what we do.”
The 34-year-old Smith will likely play again next to Camryn Bynum, who’s entering his third season. Then there’s 2022 first-round draft pick Lewis Cine, his probable successor whose rookie year was painfully cut short by a gruesome lower left leg injury.
“I’m not like, ‘Ooh, I get to be the guy that teaches,’ or whatever. It’s more I feel like I’m supposed to do that,” Smith said. “Not in a burden-type sense, but more like that’s what guys did for me. So try to pass along what you’ve got.”
Cine has progressed ahead of schedule on his rehabilitation from the compound fracture and could join the team for on-field practices next month.
“I just completely forgot he was hurt,” Smith said.
Cine also addressed reporters this week and expressed a similar dose of optimism about his status.
“I’m taking it a day at a time, getting better a day at a time, stronger a day at a time. I’m not trying to look too far ahead,” Cine said. “So just be where my feet are.”
Said executive director of player health and performance Tyler Williams last month: “I’m just so proud of where he’s at, his desire to be in this building every day, doing the things that we’re asking him to do, and then going beyond that. He’s been fantastic.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL