Good Vibrations

Despite the terrible knee injuries to rookie receiver Greg Childs there seems to be a nice vibe coming out of Mankato this summer. Not a lot is expected of the Minnesota Vikings this year. That probably triggers those good vibrations. It shouldn't take much to exceed the expectations that most have for Minnesota. In some ways it reminds me of the Vikings 1998 training camp. A change in ownership then brought about a feeling of a new beginning. A little bit of excitement. A rookie receiver named Randy Moss raised that excitement even higher. This offseason the Minnesota Vikings finally got approval on a new stadium. That long sought achievement has everyone walking taller. This Vikings team may not have a new football player as dynamic as Moss but there's a youth movement under way that's creating some buzz. Fox's Jay Glazer spent some time in Mankato this summer. He came away surprised at the talent on the Vikings. There's much more than he expected.

The youth movement since their last taste of success in 2009 has been remarkable. Corner Antoine Winfield, defensive tackle Kevin Williams and backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels are the only players over 30. Over half of the 90 players in camp are under 27. By the time the season starts the Vikings may have the youngest team in the league. This youth brings hope. Much of that hope depends on the development of second-year quarterback Christian Ponder. The Vikings have sought a franchise quarterback for nearly as long as they have sought a new stadium. Many, including me, feel that the team now has both. Hopefully, the building of Ponder takes less time than the building of the stadium. Whether Ponder's the long term answer really remains to be seen but his potential and leadership provide hope. General manager Rick Spielman, his personnel staff and head coach Leslie Frazier have done a great job of surrounding their young quarterback with some weapons. The offense will be much more dynamic than last year. The addition of Jerome Simpson nicely compliments the incredibly versatile Percy Harvin. Second-year tight end Kyle Rudolph is poised to be a star. Free agent tight end John Carlson pairs nicely with Rudolph and gives Ponder another big target. The loss of Childs to the receiver group hurts but second-year receiver Stephen Burton and rookie receiver Jarius Wright will provide some passing game diversity. Burton reminds me of Baltimore Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin, at least physically. That's a nice place to start. I think that Ponder likes throwing to Burton. That's a better place to start. Adding rookie tackle and top pick Matt Kalil and second year guard Brandon Fusco to the offensive line solidifies the entire offense. Everything starts up front and the Vikings line will be very young, very talented, a little nasty and much improved. Of course, the Minnesota Vikings offense starts with the running game. All-everything running back Adrian Peterson is coming off a terrible knee injury. He'll be back and he'll be as fantastic as ever. Even if the team takes it slow with Peterson early on Toby Gerhart can carry the load. The Vikings offense is capable of surprising this year and being very potent in a couple of years.

Last year the Vikings led the league in sacks. Good line play was often wasted by a secondary that was decimated by injuries at corner and simply horrible play at safety. Corner is now stocked with some youth and experience. Chris Cook, like Rudolph on offense, is poised to be a star. Safety was greatly improved when the Vikings traded back into the first round to draft Harrison Smith. His smarts, instincts, tackling, basically everything that he does will help. Improved play in the secondary greatly improves the entire defense. Getting the incredibly versatile Everson Griffen on the field more often will improve the defense even more. Drafted as a defensive end, the Vikings have moved Griffen to linebacker during camp. Seeing him as an every down starter there might be a stretch. Whether on the line or off the line, it's guaranteed that his playing time is going to greatly increase. He's a difference maker and needs to find more time on the field.

The 2012 Minnesota Vikings are a much improved football team. That alone has improved the feelings of Vikings fans everywhere. Good vibrations. 3-13 was no fun. Peterson, Harvin, Jared Allen, Ponder, Rudolph, Kalil, Simpson, Gerhart, Chad Greenway, Winfield, Smith, Cook. There's a lot to like about this team. The greatest obstacle to continued good vibrations through the season is the division in which the Vikings play. Despite a surprisingly porous defense the Green Bay Packers were 15-1 last year. A year removed from a championship. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the Packers will always be a title threat. The Detroit Lions are incredibly explosive on offense. A healthy Jay Cutler now has Brandon Marshall and rookie Alshon Jeffery catching his passes in Chicago. The Vikings are looking up at three teams. The Vikings will surprise this year mainly because so little is expected from them. They'll have their opportunities. They just have to take advantage of them when they come. Seeing youthful improvement is reason enough to feel good about this Minnesota Vikings team.