Marcus Sherels Re-Signs With Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have brought back another of their in-house free agents and, while he might not be the biggest name on the list, it made sense to bring him back.

Punt returner/cornerback Marcus Sherels is back in the fold with the Vikings, as the team signed him to a deal on Friday afternoon. Sherels developed a bit as a cornerback this past season, going from the guy that got scorched repeatedly in the 2012 regular season finale to a guy that showed he could actually step in and play capably in a back-up/sub-package capacity. He recorded his first career interception this past season, and also had seven passes defended.

Where Sherels makes his money, however, is on punt returns. He set a Vikings' record in 2013, averaging 15.2 yards a punt return. That includes an 86-yard touchdown return in the Monday Night disaster against the New York Giants this past season. Paired with Cordarrelle Patterson, it's hard to name a team with a pair of return specialists as good as the Vikings have.

Sherels has worked pretty hard to get to where he is, and it's nice to see him get rewarded for it. He's not a superstar, but every team needs a few Marcus Sherels on their side.