Inside The Vikings

Report: Vikings Work Out Veteran CB Ronald Darby

Darby is a ninth-year veteran with 88 career starts under his belt.
Will Ragatz|
Report: Vikings Work Out Veteran CB Ronald Darby
Report: Vikings Work Out Veteran CB Ronald Darby

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings worked out veteran cornerback Ronald Darby on Thursday, according to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune.

"Darby tore his ACL with the Broncos last October," Goessling wrote. "If he’s healthy, he could be an option to add a veteran presence to the secondary at some point."

Darby, 29, is a 2015 second-round pick who has spent eight years in the NFL, starting 88 games during that span. He began his career with the Bills and has also played for the Eagles, Commanders, and Broncos. Darby has eight career interceptions and 90 passes defended, most of which came in his first six seasons. His most productive season may have been his rookie year in Buffalo, when he recorded 21 passes defended, three tackles for loss, and two picks on his way to finishing second behind Marcus Peters in defensive rookie of the year voting.

On paper, the Vikings could benefit from adding a veteran to their cornerback room. Their most-experienced corner is free agent acquisition Byron Murphy Jr., who is 25 and in his fifth season. The other projected starters at that position are second-year player Akayleb Evans and rookie Mekhi Blackmon.

Andrew Booth Jr., another second-year corner, left Tuesday's training camp practice with an injury and has had major struggles to stay healthy during his college and pro career.

Working out Darby doesn't mean a signing is imminent; the Vikings worked out former Broncos guard Dalton Risner on Tuesday but haven't signed him as of Thursday evening. What it allows them to do is meet with Darby to see if he could be a fit, as well as have him take a physical to evaluate where he's at health-wise.

Injuries have played a sizable role in Darby's career. After two healthy seasons with the Bills, he missed at least five games in all three of his years with the Eagles (2017-19). He then played a full 16 games with Washington in 2020, but missed big chunks of time in each of the last two seasons with Denver. That includes tearing his ACL in Week 5 last year — the second ACL tear of his career.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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