Vikings add cornerback Jeff Okudah, receiver Tim Jones; fill out coaching staff

A day after hosting cornerback Jeff Okudah on a visit at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, the Vikings have agreed to terms with the 26-year-old on Tuesday.

Okudah’s deal will be for one season, according to a report by ESPN.

The agreement brings Okudah back to the NFC North, where he started his career with the Lions in 2020 after being selected No. 3 overall in that year’s draft.

He spent three years in Detroit, playing and starting 15 games in 2022, but was traded to the Falcons for the 2023 season. He spent last year with the Texans.

Injuries have been an issue for Okudah: Abdominal surgery ended his rookie season, a ruptured Achilles ended his 2021 campaign and last year he played just six games because of a hip injury.

Okudah has played 44 games with 31 starts through five seasons. He’s made 145 tackles, forced one fumble and grabbed two interceptions. He joins a Vikings cornerback room that returns its 2024 star in Byron Murphy Jr., along with Mekhi Blackmon, the 2023 third-round pick who missed last season with an ACL tear.

Last year’s other rostered corners with regular snaps, Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin, are both free agents who have not signed yet.

The Vikings also signed former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.

The Vikings also announced they agreed to terms with former Jaguars wide receiver Tim Jones.

Jones, 26, will add depth both in the receiving room but maybe more importantly on special teams after Trent Sherfield signed with the Broncos last week.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Jones spent that season on Jacksonville’s practice squad before being elevated to the active roster for the 2022-24 seasons.

He appeared in all 17 games for those three seasons, playing 657 snaps on offense and 668 on special teams, according to Pro Football Focus. Jones has made six special teams tackles and a fumble recovery; he’s caught 17 passes for 154 yards on 27 targets.

The Vikings officially announced two staffing additions Tuesday, one of which had not been previously reported.

Charlie Frye, 43, will join head coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff as a defensive assistant. The former NFL quarterback will reunite with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, whom he worked for in 2021 as Dolphins quarterbacks coach while Flores was head coach.

Frye was responsible for calling in plays to Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, though he did not call the plays themselves.

After one season in Miami, Frye took a job at Penn State as an offensive analyst and analytics coordinator.

Most recently, Frye was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida Atlantic University. He’s also worked at Ashland as a wide receivers coach (2018), Florida as a consultant and director of player development (2015-17) and as offensive coordinators for two high schools (2012-15).

Frye spent six seasons in the NFL with the Browns, Seahawks and Raiders. He was also a coach for Nike’s Elite 11/The Opening Combine from 2013-17. This is his first explicitly defensive coaching position.

The Vikings also announced the addition of Jordan Traylor as an assistant offensive coordinator and QBs coach. The Minnesota Star Tribune had previously reported Traylor’s intended hiring to replace Grant Udinski, now the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator.

Former Vikings starting center Garrett Bradbury has reportedly agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $12 million with the Patriots.

The Vikings released Bradbury on Monday after failing to find a trade for him. They signed Colts center Ryan Kelly in free agency.

Bradbury was a first-round pick in 2019 and played and started 88 games through seven seasons for the Vikings.