Vikings add cornerback Bene Benwikere

Posted by Darin Gantt on August 3, 2019, 4:03 PM EDT
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The Vikings have been checking out veteran cornerbacks, and they signed one Saturday.

The team announced the addition of cornerback Bene Benwikere. To make room for him on the roster, they waived rookie cornerback Terrence Alexander.

Benwikere has bounced around nearly a quarter of the league in his five seasons. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Panthers, he has also been with the Dolphins, Packers, Bengals, Cowboys, Cardinals, and Raiders.

The Vikings have been checking out depth at the position, working out veterans Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick. Mike Hughes began camp on the physically unable to perform list, and Holton Hill will be suspended for eight games, keeping them interested in available options.

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30 responses to “Vikings add cornerback Bene Benwikere”

  1. Dude was on the Packers practice squad for about 5 minutes a couple years ago. I don’t know that I’d say he was “with” the Packers. Though that is probably why the Vikings signed him.

  2. If the Packers and their Swiss Cheese (sorry) defensive backfield wouldn’t keep him. He must smell kike Limburger cheese… (another sorry)

  3. The next Vikings excuse is already being made. If can hear it now….’If only they had some DBs who could cover, they could have been a contender!’

  4. Lucky guy. Zimmer and company may save his career and turn him into a good corner – something our coaches can’t do despite the numerous first and second round picks we’ve wasted on DBs in recent years.

  5. arealisticpackerfan says:

    Lucky guy. Zimmer and company may save his career and turn him into a good corner – something our coaches can’t do despite the numerous first and second round picks we’ve wasted on DBs in recent years.

    —————————

    You really have no clue what *our* coaches can or can’t do. For most of them, this is their first year in Green Bay.

  7. “Zimmer and company may save his career and turn him into a good corner – something our coaches can’t do despite the numerous first and second round picks we’ve wasted on DBs in recent years.”

    Kevin King has looked like a really good starting outside CB. His issues are injury related. Not a heck of a lot coaches can do about that. Josh Jackson was always said to need some development; he is a WR converted to CB. Give him time. Jaire Alexander was making splash plays right at the start. The only really top CB the Vikings have had in some time is Xavier Rhodes. They aren’t sure whether they’ll want Trae Waynes after his rookie deal and he was a #11 pick. UDFA Holton Hill keeps getting suspended. Mackensie Alexander has been okay, but not better than King or Jaire. Last year’s first rounder only got 6 games in and is now on PUP.

    Not sure why you think Zimmer could fix Benwikere who has bounced from team to team.

  8. @thegreatjimbrown

    Lmao where did you get the idea that Kevin King has been good? That’s just flat out false. He’s been widely inconsistent when healthy, with at best flashes of starting potential. But as it sits right now, Kevin King is on the edge of busting completely.

    Xavier Rhodes is an elite corner. Jaire Alexander has flashed elite potential, but obviously is not there yet. Trae Waynes is not elite, likely never will be, but don’t kid yourself, he’s developed into a very solid starting corner. He usually struggles a bit out the gate of the season, but by mid season on, teams have rarely even targeted his side the past two years. He’s also one of, if not the best run defending cornersin the league. If he hits the open market next year, he’s gunna get paid, and he’ll likely be the top corner on whatever team does sign him. Only reason Vikings are considering letting him hit the market is because they have no cap room.

    Mackensie Alexander sucked for a few years, but he was actually quite good last season, probably the most underrated Viking on the whole team. Assuming he’s not a one year wonder, he’ll be a good nickel corner in this league.

    Mike Hughes is just as talented as Jaire Alexander, many scouts and analysts had him higher on their draft boards. Injury was unfortunate, but don’t be foolish and right him off.

    And lastly, probably the saddest part of this whole thing is that the Vikings UNDRAFTED ROOKIE Holton Hill was better last year than any corner the Packers have fielded not named Alexander for the last few years. And as you said, the kid got suspended, that has nothing to do with coaching

  10. Doubt he’ll make the final cuts, but could probably start and be quite an upgrade for the Pack….

  11. Xavier Rhodes *was* an elite corner. Last year he wasn’t top 100. Not player. Cornerback.

    In fact the only elite player the Vikings have in the secondary is Smith.

    Vikings will be fourth in the north.

  12. The past 4 season the Vikings have the best record of anyone in the NFC and have had multiple QB’s starting for the team. Nice to have Cousins back and not have to worry about the QB position.

  14. Lol.

    There are two things that Vikings fans are actually good at.

    1. Finding the most obscure excuses and rationalizing them to be monumental.
    2. Cherry-picking stats to make it seem like they have a good team.

    That’s it.

  18. I hate to say it but this guy looks like the cheapest option. I am sure these bigger names cost a lot more and we don’t have it to spend. He must be at least serviceable or they would still be looking but it is hard to get excited about this signing. Hill needs to have his butt kicked but if we cut him someone else will simply pick him up. Talent outweighs character. So welcome aboard Bene, sigh.

  19. The last 4 years is a considerable stat. The best in a conference isn’t nothing to laugh at unless you are a packer fan that has won 7 and 6 games the last 2 years.
    Your team is garbage with a rookie coach that wasn’t missed when he left Tennessee.
    Add to that a diva QB that was guaranteed over $100 million dollars and seems to have caught the injury bug. And then there is the front office with Murphy and the new GM Gutey that don’t look very good at what they do. Murphy only looked competent with Ron Wolf around. You guys are in rebuilding mode and haven’t realized it yet. But you are on here saying the Vikings are finishing in last place.

  20. A jealous, irrelevant, nobody says the Packers suck.

    Cancel the season. The Vikings won it all again this summer.

  21. Many of the Viking fans on here get annoyed when Packer fans say the Zim regime hasn’t accomplished alot. Two division titles and a 47-32-1 are a decent achievement. No doubt.

    Those same Viking fans spewed about Green Bay from 2011-2016. Green Bay (and McCarthy!) went 66-29-1 and won 5 division titles (playoffs every year).

    Good for the Vikings that they have been better than Green Bay 2 years running, and the head-to-head winning streak. Now accomplish more or yap less, please and thank you. Happy August.

  22. You know……. I gotta agree with Packertruth here. Being better than the Packers shouldn’t be good enough. Heck, 3/4 of the league can say that. Set the sights higher. First be better than the Bears, than better than the Rams/Saints/etc, than (at least for one game) better than the Patriots. The Packers aren’t even worth making a goal out of

  23. fmc651 says:
    August 3, 2019 at 10:08 pm
    The past 4 season the Vikings have the best record of anyone in the NFC and have had multiple QB’s starting for the team. Nice to have Cousins back and not have to worry about the QB position.
    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    Four years? Why such a hand-picked number? Why not 3.5, like cheesey uses? Or, why not stick with five year increments like everybody else……… in the world?

  24. -stellarperformance says:
    August 4, 2019 at 4:07 pm
    fmc651 says:
    August 3, 2019 at 10:08 pm
    The past 4 season the Vikings have the best record of anyone in the NFC and have had multiple QB’s starting for the team. Nice to have Cousins back and not have to worry about the QB position.
    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
    Four years? Why such a hand-picked number? Why not 3.5, like cheesey uses? Or, why not stick with five year increments like everybody else……… in the world?
    —————-
    Why not worry about your own team instead of trolling and fight picking on other teams threads. 6-9-1 – plenty of work on that side of the river to discuss with the other “owners”.

  25. freefromwhatyouare says:
    August 4, 2019 at 11:42 am
    A jealous, irrelevant, troll types tons of emojis and says the Vikings suck.

    —————

    The similarities are striking.

  26. RMoss84HOF says:
    August 4, 2019 at 5:30 pm
    Why not worry about your own team instead of trolling and fight picking on other teams threads. 6-9-1 – plenty of work on that side of the river to discuss with the other “owners”.
    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    I am worried about my own team. I’m just not able to call them the best team ever during a meaningless 3.5 year period of time while accomplishing nothing.

    It’s all yours.

  27. Why not 3.5, like cheesey uses?
    _____
    Bucky Brooks laid it out explaing when Rodgers’ decline started. He called it Prior it that line of demarcation for Rodgers not being great any longer

  28. Hmmm. Bucky Brooks said this in October:

    “Minnesota could be trending up by month’s end. And in a passing league, with a pair of blue-chip pass catchers at his disposal on the perimeter, Cousins could be the difference maker the Vikings need to make a legitimate run at the Lombardi Trophy.”

    Bucky Brooks. Hahaha.

  29. Brooks’ comments is his opinion. I’ll take the opinion of fifty-five professionals in the industry. This is what triggered Brooks:

    “A piece in The Athletic where Mike Sando asked 55 NFL coaches and executives to place each of the league’s veteran quarterbacks into one of five tiers based on their performance and impact potential. Sando then took the average of all the survey results to provide an overall ranking from these football folks. Care to venture a guess as to who claimed the No. 1 spot? That’s right: Mr. Rodgers.”

  30. Bucky Brooks also said last October that Cousins could be the key to a legitimate run at the Lombardi Trophy…..

    Point being Bucky Brooks isn’t always right.

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