Safety Camryn Bynum, whom the Vikings selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, developed into a fan favorite in Minnesota.
He started every game for the Vikings from 2022 through 2024 and was a key player on the defensive side of the ball. Bynum had 342 tackles, 8 interceptions, and 28 pass deflections during his four years with the Vikings.
However, business decisions were made last offseason, and Bynum outplayed his market from Minnesota's perspective. He instead signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Colts.
With Indianapolis sitting at 2-4, many believe they might be sellers at the trade deadline. That has led Bring Me The Sports analyst Will Ragatz to speculate about a potential reunion with the former fan favorite in Minnesota.
"The issue with the idea of acquiring a safety is that Brian Flores' defense is extremely complex and requires precise communication between its players, especially on the back end," Ragatz wrote. "That's why a reunion with Bynum could make all kinds of sense. He played in this defense, alongside Smith and Metellus, in 2023 and '24. Because of that experience, he wouldn't need a lengthy acclimation period.
"Bynum, who has 13 career interceptions, is a rangy downfield playmaker. He's a good run defender, which is a requirement under Flores. And as Vikings fans know well, he's an elite guy for locker room vibes and turnover celebrations."
Bynum's upward trajectory continued last season, as he was the Colts' lone consistent (and healthy) player in the secondary. He led Indianapolis with four interceptions and added 81 tackles.
Unfortunately, he hasn't picked up where he left off to begin this season. While he did nab his first interception of the season last week against Tennessee, he's been caught out of position far more often this year than in years past. With only 16 tackles over the first six games, he also hasn't been around the ball often.
Notably, Bynum also lost green dot duties (which saw him relay the defensive play call to the rest of the team) after the team's blowout loss against the Ravens in the season opener.
"Yeah, we worked through that. We're going to have Akeem [Davis-Gaither] do that [going forward]," Steichen said. "I think it's going to be better for everyone just from the communication standpoint. It'll free up Cam on the back end as well, communicating with those guys.. I just don't think the communication was where it needed to be in Week 1."
While the Vikings boast an elite defense, they've struggled mightily at safety. Harrison Smith has played roughly half the team's defensive snaps, and he hasn't exactly looked the part at age 37.
He has only five tackles, and Pro Football Focus has him tabbed as the league's worst-graded safety thus far (31.5 grade). Meanwhile, Josh Metellus isn't doing much better with a 40.2 grade, and he's been a downright liability in coverage.
The Vikings were excited about two promising rookies throughout the preseason, Jacob Thomas and Jakobe Thomas. However, neither has made a dent in the stat sheets since the regular season began. The former has played only 22 defensive snaps, while the latter has been a healthy scratch every week.
Sure, the Vikings are riding high with a 5-0 record, and their defense has been the engine. They will eventually run into some adversity, though. Their disappointing safety room very well could be the reason for those potential struggles.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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