Meet Two New Vikings

Daniel House profiles two "under-the-radar" signings the Vikings made this offseason. Will they make an impact in 2013?

 

Following the NFL draft, the Vikings signed two players that may make an impact during the 2013 season. On April 29th, they signed cornerback Jacob Lacey and defensive end Lawrence Jackson.

Lacey (25), was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and played three seasons as a Colt. He recorded 43 games and started 27 of them. During the 2012 offseason, he signed with the Detroit and played in 11 games, while starting nine of them. He played 9 games and missed the rest of the season after suffering a a subluxation (dislocation) in his knee cap. He has prototypical size and measures in at 5'-10", 183 lbs; the perfect height and size for a nickel cornerback.

A closer look at the stats below, shows that he is around the ball and can make plays. With 6 career interceptions and 2 touchdowns, he has athletic ability. I see him primarily playing on special teams, but could be a nice reliever if he could sneak on the roster.

Despite entering the draft via Oklahoma State and signing as an undrafted free agent, he persevered and has produced at an NFL level. The question is whether he can consistently produce and bring the Vikings an option as a backup. He has speed and ran a 4.45 40 yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2009.

A look at the stats, (via ESPN) show Lacey's persistence around the ball during minimal starts in the league.

Defensive Stats
SEASON	TEAM	GP	COMB	TOTAL	AST	SACK	FF	FR	YDS	INT	TD
2009	IND	16	85	69	16	0.0	0	0	0	3	1
2010	IND	12	64	51	13	0.0	0	0	0	1	0
2011	IND	15	72	48	24	0.0	3	1	4	1	1
2012	DET	11	36	30	6	0.0	0	0	0	1	0
Career		54	257	198	59	0.0	3	1	0	6	2

 Overall, look for Lacey to be a backup in the nickel package for the Vikings. After digging deep into research I found he was worst in the league QB completion percentage. Quarterbacks continually went in the direction Lacey was lined against on the field. This is something the Vikings can't afford and may result in a steep battle for Lacey when it comes to making the active 53-man roster.

 

 

 Onto defensive end Lawrence Jackson who has seen a plethora of NFL experience in 6 seasons. Jackson (27) is in the prime of his career after entering the NFL Draft from USC in 2008. The signing went very under the radar with the 3 first round draft picks being selected the day before Jackson signed.

Jackson will have to learn the scheme and battle hard for a roster spot, as he is placed in a position group with 16 players; two of them being draft picks. He has experience and has made an impact in 2 seasons with Seattle and three with the Detroit Lions. The concern I have is his inability to be effective in run defense. He has struggled in that area, but has been extremely effective in pass rush, which is profiled in the statistics shown below.

A look at the stats, (via ESPN) show great production in the sack category, but a tapering effect in the tackle area.  

Defensive Stats
SEASON	TEAM	GP	COMB	TOTAL	AST	SACK	FF	FR
2008	SEA	16	29	21	8	2.0	0	0
2009	SEA	16	32	27	5	4.5	2	0
2010	DET	11	34	21	13	6.0	1	1
2011	DET	11	26	17	9	4.5	0	1
2012	DET	15	20	11	9	2.5	1	0
Career		69	141	97	44	19.5	4	2

He has relatively been a rotational player, but has seen starting exposure in his 6 NFL seasons. As said before, he will have to impress in training camp and the preseason to show veteran leadership and playing ability, or his time in Minnesota may be short-lived.

Overall, the signings aren't splashy, but will provide the Vikings with veteran competition at two key defensive positions. We can certainly see the Vikings are looking for quick, elusive, and young players to inject energy into a defense that is losing a key veteran presence in cornerback Antoine Winfield.