Brian Flores boasts a sophisticated football mind. When he speaks, people would be wise to listen. Flores isn’t perfect, held back by being human like the rest of us. He does, however, tend to get things right.
After the Tuesday Vikings minicamp practice, Coach Flores stepped in front of the assembled media. The coach’s reflections on James Pierre meant offering exclusively positive thoughts, calling him a “pro’s pro” who works hard and is professional. All of these abilities and attributes led to coveting the corner for a while: “He’s a name that I’ve been bringing up for a while. Glad we finally got him. And I think he’s going to be a good addition.”
Brian Flores has Been After James Pierre for a While
Once upon a time, Flores advocated for Isaiah Rodgers. The corner with all-world speed became a Viking after agreeing on a two-year deal totalling $11 million in promised pay (OTC). At that rate, Rodgers is a bargain.
So, too, did Pierre get added after a reasonably modest two-year agreement. His is even lower than the Rodgers deal, coming in a touch above $8.5 million. Note: that’s not per season. Rather, Pierre’s compensation comes in at an average of $4.25 million annually, meaning there’s a pile of room to outperform the compensation.
The Vikings’ top three corners are a cluster of talent who each offer an extreme attribute.
At CB1, Byron Murphy Jr. is unusually versatile. Tasking him with journeying into the slot is standard stuff, almost bland given how commonly he does so. At CB2, Isaiah Rodgers is remarkably fast, allowing him to keep up with the other team’s speed demon(s). At CB3, James Pierre is a long-and-strong corner who takes care of the small details of his profession. He’s a 6’2″ coverage player who isn’t otherworldly in his size but who nevertheless has some presence on the field.
Combined, the Vikings’ air-traffic controllers should make passing the pigskin difficult.
Last year, Pierre earned a truly sizzling PFF grade sitting at 86.8. Most impressive is the 89.7 coverage grade, which finished off at 1st among the 114 corners in the ranking. Being able to replicate that level of brilliance would be a major boost to the Vikings’ secondary.
Apparently, passers had a combined 52.8 passer rating when going after him in 2025. Any QB who had that passer rating would be benched in short order. Just as a point of reference, Max Brosmer had a 53.0 passer rating last season. The comparison isn’t perfect, but the general takeaway is that QBs looked a bit like Brosmer when they went after Pierre last year.
Brian Flores has established himself as being among the preeminent strategists in football. Rolling into his fourth season as the Vikings’ DC, Flores appears likely to continue with his blitzing ways.
What will be fascinating to see, though, is if he can get a touch friskier in the secondary. Can he roll out different coverages now that James Pierre lets the Vikings go toe-to-toe with huge receivers such as Christian Watson, Mike Evans, A.J. Brown, and others with an imposing build?
Mr. Pierre is 29 but hasn’t played a ton in his career. Minnesota is hoping he can offer up a minimum of two excellent seasons, but maybe he’ll outlast the normal shelf life for a corner due to the professionalism and work ethic Flores was so keen to praise.
Pierre’s work continues tomorrow as the Vikings move forward into the second day of mandatory minicamp.
Read More
