3 Teams Dumb Enough to Sign Xavier Rhodes
By Will Coleman
The Minnesota Vikings made the tough but finacially-smart move on Friday to release cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle Linval Joseph to free up over $18 million in cap space. While Rhodes was a heavily-touted first-round draft pick in 2013 and has made the Pro Bowl three of the last four seasons, his dreadful 2019 campaign after a 2018 in which it was clear he was declining, pretty much sealed his fate.
Rhodes has just three interceptions over the last three seasons and he's definitely regressed in coverage. There are a few teams, however, desperate enough to sign Rhodes as a free agent.
3. Detroit Lions
The Lions need all the help they can get in their secondary, and Rhodes is the perfect candidate for the Lions to use as a low-risk, high-reward signing. Head coach Matt Patricia is defensive-minded and probably likes the fact that Rhodes is knowledgable of opposing passing attacks throughout the NFC North. With Detroit looking into a trade to get rid of Darius Slay, Rhodes is a good replacement for the Lions to convince their fans it's all going to be OK (it won't be).
2. Miami Dolphins
As bad as the Lions' secondary was in 2019, the Dolphins' was worse. In fact, Miami owned the NFL's worst pass defense last season. Outside of Xavien Howard and Aqib Talib, the Dolphins are in dire need of another experienced cornerback to help round out their defense. Signing Rhodes in a patchwork move could convince the Dolphins they'd have a good 1-2 punch with Howard and Rhodes, but that'd probably be nothing but an illusion. The only reason this could be smart for Miami is because the AFC East will be terrible if Tom Brady leaves. Every passing attack would be trash.
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks passing defense has been in decline for a couple of years now, and while they have some solid players in the secondary, a cost-cutting move to sign Rhodes and add more flair is just what the front office might have to do to save money to keep Jadeveon Clowney. It could end up blowing up in their face, but the Seahawks can't be too liberal with money this offseason. Expect them to convince themselves Rhodes will help patch up the defensive backfield as they throw cash at Clowney.