3 former players Brian Flores needs to save the Vikings defense
By Scott Rogust
Brian Flores has been tasked with fixing the Minnesota Vikings defense as their new coordinator. Here are three former players he should bring in.
The 2022 Minnesota Vikings had quite the roller coaster of the season. They were able to pull off some huge wins, like their overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 10, or their historic comeback victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15. But then, there were huge, decisive losses, like in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles and Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys.
When it came to the defense, that is the main factor in the Vikings underperforming this season. After their shocking Wild Card Round elimination by the New York Giants, the Vikings fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. The writing was on the wall, as they surrendered 388.6 yards of total offense (second-most in NFL) and 25.1 points per game (tied third-most).
After a lengthy search, the Vikings found their new defensive coordinator in former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. This is a huge move, considering the success he had leading the defense of the New England Patriots at the start of his coaching career. Now, he will be tasked in improving the defense of a playoff contender.
Considering he is a new coordinator, the Vikings could stand to bring in some of his former players to help out. Here are three former players who played for Flores that must sign in Minnesota.
3 former players Brian Flores needs to save the Vikings defense, No. 3: Devin Bush, LB
Prior to joining the Vikings, Flores spent the 2022 season as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach on Mike Tomlin’s staff. There is one player who Flores worked with in Pittsburgh and can bring over to Minnesota, and that’s linebacker Devin Bush.
The Steelers traded up in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft to select Bush. While he did show promise in his rookie season, he did have a setback in the form of a torn ACL in his sophomore season. But in 2022, in his first year with Flores working extensively with him, Bush improved.
In 17 games, Bush recorded 81 combined tackles (44 solo, 37 assisted), two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed.
Bush is a free agent due to the Steelers turning down the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He could be a solid inside linebacker option for the Vikings this offseason.