What's New?
The Minnesota Vikings took a frugal approach to free agency this season despite an abundance of salary-cap space and a team with plenty of needs. With the club making a commitment to building through the draft and avoiding overspending in the free-agent market, tight end Visanthe Shianco, wide receiver Bobby Wade, and safety Mike Doss were really the only notable veteran pickups during the offseason.
NFL Draft Picks
1st Round - Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma
2nd Round - Sidney Rice, WR South Carolina
3rd Round - Marcus McCauley, CB Fresno State
4th Round - Brian Robison, DE Texas
5th Round - Aundrae Allison, WR East Carolina
6th Round - Rufus Alexander, LB Oklahoma
7th Round - Tyler Thigpen, QB Coastal Carolina
7th Round - Chandler Williams, WR Florida International
Who's Gone?
Minnesota’s most effective option in a poor passing attack, Travis Taylor, left via free agency, and tight end Jermaine Wiggins, who averaged more than 60 catches a year over the last three seasons, is now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The additions of Wade and Shianco help soften the blow, but the Vikings are counting on young guys like Williamson and rookie Sidney Rice to fill the gap by stepping up their games.
The team suffered perhaps an even bigger blow on defense when coordinator Mike Tomlin was hired to be the Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach. Tomlin had the Vikings in the top 10 of the league defensively, a rare placement for the unit over the last decade. He has been succeeded, however, by Leslie Frasier, who promises to use a more aggressive version of the cover two Minnesota ran in 2006.
What Needs to Change?
Obviously, Minnesota has got to find some sort of spark on offense. The problem is, though, they have a raw prospect who has just two career starts at quarterback in Tavaris Jackson and no proven receivers. That’s generally not a good combination.
Taylor, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards, left for Oakland, leaving Troy Williamson, who displayed hands of stone last year, as perhaps the best remaining option at wideout. Rookie Adrian Peterson’s potential explosiveness at running back will help, but he and Chester Taylor are likely to be facing eight-man fronts until Jackson proves he can beat defenses with his arm.
Defensively, the Vikings were the best team in the league at stopping the run in 2006, and opposing offenses often abandoned the ground game, which makes the team’s 31st ranking in passing yards allowed a bit deceptive. The lack of a pass rush, however, contributed as much as anything to inconsistencies in pass defense. Minnesota has a lot invested in its defensive ends, and they have got to start producing. With arguably the best tackle tandem in the league drawing a lot of attention in the middle of the line, there’s no excuse for these guys to not get to the quarterback on a consistent basis. The return of Erasmus James from a knee injury could give this unit the boost it needs.
Under Pressure to Perform
Tavaris Jackson - Without a proven veteran behind Jackson, the Vikings are rolling the dice, hoping he doesn’t suffer a complete meltdown. But the second-year player still has a long way to go in his development and could quickly become overwhelmed if he gets off to a bad start.
Troy Williamson - Minnesota has a high draft pick invested in Williamson, but his inability to hang onto the ball has him on the hot seat already. This could be a make-or-break year for the youngster, and he won’t have the benefit of having a veteran QB to work with.
Defensive ends - Pressure from the outside was among the worst in the league last season, and it held this defense back from being one of the league’s truly elite squads. The Vikings are likely to find themselves in a lot of low-scoring contests this year, and a lack of pressure again -- especially at crunch time -- will once again find them on the short end more often than not.
2006 Rankings
Overall Offense - 23rd (308.9)
Rushing Offense - 16th (113.8)
Passing Offense - 18th (195.2)
Overall Defense - 8th (300.2)
Rushing Defense - 1st (61.6)
Passing Defense - 31st (238.6)
Prediction - The Vikings’ front office appears resigned to building this team through the draft, which is the correct approach, in my view. The problem is, the results will be slow in coming and the 2007 season will probably reflect those growing pains.
Record: 5-11 and last in the NFC North
