Alterraun Verner On Minnesota Vikings' Radar

More free agency rumors, you say? Sure, why not!

As we've been expecting, after the NFL's "legal tampering" period opened on Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings called to express interest in the player that might be the top available cornerback on the free agent market this year, making contact with the agent for Tennessee Titans' cornerback Alterraun Verner.

Verner has played all four years of his career in Tennessee after the Titans took him with their fourth-round pick (#104 overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played his college ball at UCLA, where he was an All-American in his last season with the Bruins. He has developed nicely during his NFL career under the guidance of then-Titans defensive coordinator (and now Vikings' defensive backs coach) Jerry Gray, garnering second-team All-Pro honors this past season and tying for the AFC lead in interceptions with five.

Verner isn't a big player, measuring in at 5'10" and about 190 pounds, but he has shown the ability to make plays on the outside. He's defended 50 passes in his four NFL seasons, including a whopping 22 this past season.

According to NFL.com, the Vikings are one of six teams that has called to express interest in Verner, along with the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants. Much like we talked about with Michael Johnson earlier, there will be a lot of competition for Verner's services, and it remains to be seen whether the Vikings' new-found connection to him will give them an advantage.

If the Vikings sign him, perhaps we will hear a sound as if millions of wide receivers cried out in terror, knowing that they were about to be silenced. That would be a nice change. (Get it? Alterraun? Alderaan? Star Wars? Oh, come on.)