Written by Sam Ekstrom
Though hard-hitter Harrison Smith is a lock to start at free safety for the Vikings in Week 1, the strong safety position is up for grabs as training camp wears on.
Coming off a season where the Vikings were 31st in passing yards allowed, new coach Mike Zimmer wants to make sure there is plenty of competition for spots, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The three likeliest candidates to roam alongside Smith are incumbent starter Jamarca Sanford, Smith’s former Notre Dame teammate Robert Blanton and former sixth-round pick Mistral Raymond.
Blanton appeared to be the early leader to steal the job and join Smith to reprise the superb Fighting Irish tandem. But a hamstring injury to Blanton has left the door open for Sanford and Raymond, who are both in the final year of their contract. Raymond has been getting the majority of first-team reps in Blanton’s absence.
In 2012, it was Raymond who won the starting job over Sanford but went down with a severe ankle dislocation in Week 3, paving the way for Sanford to start for the majority of the next two seasons.
Raymond, a fourth-year player, remains confident as he seeks to win the job back.
“Confidence doesn’t come from experience or any of that stuff,” said Raymond. “I believe it’s something inside of you as a player. From high school to college to the pros, it’s something you possess, and you’ve always had. For me, personally, I’ve had confidence in myself since the day I walked into this organization.”
Coach Zimmer pays special attention to the defensive backs, even going so far as calling that unit his “baby.” But aside from the X’s and O’s, Zimmer constantly reinforces the same self-confidence that Raymond refers to. The defensively-minded coach is trying to create a secondary like the Super Bowl champion Seahawks – full of swagger.
“That’s Coach Zimmer’s biggest thing that I’ve taken away is that he wants his guys to play with confidence, and I think as a defensive back you’ve got to have that mindset anyway,” Raymond said.
If not for Raymond’s belief in his own ability, he would likely have gone undrafted. Raymond, unrecruited out of high school, earned a tryout at the University of South Florida after hunting down the Bulls’ coaching staff in 2008 and giving them his highlight reel. Raymond made the team and transformed into one of the team’s top safeties.
The sixth-round draft pick has had ups and downs as a Minnesota Viking, however. The 26 year old has 10 career starts under his belt but has dealt with injuries during each of the last two seasons. He has 34 career tackles and one career interception.
Now healthy, Raymond thinks he would be a nice fit beside Smith at the back line of the defense. The two have started three games together in their two overlapping seasons.
“Harrison and I have been together – now in our third year. It’s just a matter of communication back there; that’s the biggest thing,” said Raymond. “And not just communication between the two of us but just the safeties communicating to the entire defense. Because we’re so much farther back off the line of scrimmage, we may be able to see things that other guys do not, so it’s just a matter of communicating that pre-snap and helping the guys out.”
Zimmer said he may keep anywhere from nine to 11 defensive backs on the roster but does not intend to maintain an even ratio of cornerbacks to safeties.
“I’d rather keep more corners than more safeties,” said Zimmer on Monday. “It seems like those guys are always getting nicked a little bit as you’ve been seeing here in this camp, so we try to keep quite a few of them if we can.”
This makes training camp even more pivotal to a player like Raymond – a safety with a small salary and limited experience in the final year of his deal. A poor training camp could make him expendable.
But with Blanton considered doubtful for Friday’s preseason opener, Raymond could get the starting nod as the new head coach sees his team at game speed for the first time.
“It seems like it’s been such a long time coming, man,” said Raymond. “We’re excited about the opportunity we have, all of us, to go out on Friday and showcase our talents. It’s going to be fun.”
Raymond wouldn’t say whether he thinks the strong safety spot is his to lose. He will simply continue to do the things that got him where he is now.
“I just always feel like the main thing is to come out every day and practice your hardest and be the best you can and just show the coaches that you are one of those guys they can count on,” said Raymond. “At the end of the day, [naming a starter] is a decision that they’re going to have to make. All you can really control is what you do on the field and your performance.”
UPDATE: The Vikings signed veteran safety Chris Crocker Monday afternoon to compete for the starting safety job.
| Sam Ekstrom is a staff writer for Cold Omaha at 105 The Ticket. He has previously served as a play-by-play broadcaster in Iowa and South Dakota and has covered Minnesota sports since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @SamEkstrom for further insights. |