The Minnesota Vikings have lost another player on the defensive side of the ball, and this time it was a member of their secondary that has made a huge haul for himself.
According to numerous sources, the Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to terms on a three-year, $42 million contract with cornerback Trae Waynes. The deal includes $20 million in the first year of the deal.
Waynes was the Vikings’ first-round pick, #11 overall, in the 2015 NFL Draft after an outstanding college career at Michigan State. That made him the highest-selected cornerback in Vikings franchise history. He played sparingly as a rookie, though he did record an interception in the Vikings’ Wild Card playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
In his second season, Waynes saw his playing time increase significantly, as he started eight games for the team that season and picked up a career-high three interceptions. He finally jumped into the starting role in his final three seasons in Minnesota, starting all 44 games he appeared in.
In his career as a member of the Vikings, Waynes collected seven interceptions along with 42 passes defended.
I don’t think anybody expected Waynes to be back, given the Vikings’ salary cap crunch and their desire to get younger in the defensive backfield (along with retaining star safety Anthony Harris). But I’m not sure if anyone was expecting him to get a contract worth $14 million/year, either.
In any case, we wish Trae Waynes the best of luck as he moves on to Cincinnati. . .except, of course, for when he plays against the Vikings.