Winfield can make a lot of & in the coming weeks
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:47 am
Mostly a piece about Winfield's contract, but I thought it was a nice take overall.
http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Peli ... eeks113012A first-round draft pick (23rd overall) by Buffalo in 1999, Winfield has told those close to him for some time he hoped to play 15 years. There's little question he plans to get there next season, particularly since he's healthy.
The Vikings need him, too, at a position where you can never have enough quality players and they've struggled to fill for years through the draft.
Chris Cook hasn't proven able to stay on the field. A.J. Jefferson and Josh Robinson still are developing. Winfield no longer is an ideal cover man outside but remains better than all of them in run support, which is crucial in the Vikings' scheme.
The website ProFootballFocus.com, which breaks down tape of every NFL game, has Winfield atop its rankings of all cornerbacks this season in large part because of his ability to make plays in the run game, particularly when manning the slot in nickel.
Winfield also commands respect in the locker room, as evidenced by the weight with which players took his rare speech after the Vikings' Sept. 16 loss at Indianapolis.
He played in the season opener four days after his brother was shot and killed in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and continues to fight through a knee issue that has nagged him for a couple months.