Minnesota Vikings Off-Season "To-Do" List
2011 was a season of frustration and disarray. This proud purple and gold team has a few to many stars to end the season with a record of three wins and thirteen losses. They have arguably the best back in football (even though he went down with an injury late in the season that we'll get to later.). Jared Allen, star defensive end, led the NFL in sacks. His 22 sacks fell one shy of breaking the single season record. Percy Harvin was an absolute stud making plays at receiver, from the backfield and in the kicking game. Also, Chad Greenway has turned into one of the best outside linebackers in the league.
One small probem. Quarterback. Minnesota started the season with Donovan McNabb running the show. It's safe to say McNabb won't go into the regular season as a starter ever again. They quickly turned to their first round draft choice, Christian Ponder. He has shown the capability of playing with the "big boys," but has yet to string together any amount of success to assure he's the answer. Many times late in the season, Joe Webb came into the game in relief of Ponder, only to out-perform the rookie. Which begs the question: Why wasn't Webb ever given an opportunity to become the starter? Minnesota will presumably continue with Ponder as their starter for seasons to come.
Another, problem for the Vikings was the shotty run defense. The "Williams' Wall" was missing. Pat Williams retired after the 2010 season, and Kevin Williams was injured much of the season. Lack of a consistent run force, matched with a sometimes inferior secondary caused season-long trouble. A linebacker corps can aid both the defensive line and secondary, but without either, a defense is doomed for failure.
Minnesota has the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. They will sure take "best player available" with the pick to gain the most out of their selection. Minnesota is only a few impact players away from regaining playoff form. Allow me to put my GM cap on and suggest what I'd do:
Re-sign E. J. Henderson: Minnesota is in a good situation free agent-wise. Henderson is the only "must sign" player they have. He is the leader of that defense. He's a hard nose downhill tackler with plenty aggression. Re-sign Henderson, and then scour the free agent market.
Get Ponder A Target: I mentioned Percy Harvin as a dynamic talent, earlier. He's just not a number one receiver. What the Vikings need is someone who can run excellent routes, line up outside the numbers and be a red zone threat. They could draft Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State with their first round pick or attempt to sign a free agent wide receiver like Vincent Jackson, Marques Colston or even Dwayne Bowe.
Establish an Offensive Line: Minnesota has a shaky offensive line situation. They haven't been able to stabilize it since Bryant McKinnie had to be let go. The situation could be fixed with a couple free agent acquisitions or through the draft. Matt Kalil is an outstanding prospect at left tackle. Also, players such as Boise State's Nate Potter and Georgia's Cordy Glenn could boost Minnesota's line.
Safety Help: Many of the defensive problems could be attributed to bad safety play. Moving Antoine Winfield to safety could be in order. It's a radical move on paper only. He's an aggressive, smart cornerback who is aging. He can't play man coverage like he used, so it would be a potentially rewarding move. Taking late round defensive backs for depth, would also be a good idea.
Add a Running Back: My suggestion would be to draft a running back in the third or fourth round. Adrian Peterson is coming off ACL surgery, which is supposedly going well. But he is still just one man. This is turning into a two sometimes three-back league. Toby Gerhart has proven to be a solid, but not gaming changing back. With the draft stock of running backs plummeting in recent years, it should fairly probable that Minnesota can get a quality player in the middle rounds.
Final Thoughts
This is a team with pro bowl talent at the top of the roster. We all know it takes depth to compete in this league. If Minnesota can add a playmaker on each side of the football, and bolster both the offensive and defensive fronts, they could challenge for a playoff spot next season. The Purple and Gold is poised for a rebirth.
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