The Minnesota Vikings had been active in free agency. They did a terrific job of keeping their own free agents. It took until the last few minutes before the opening bell but they got it done. The biggest one was their biggest player. They re-signed right tackle Phil Loadholt. Offensive line continuity is extremely important. It's especially important when you have a running back like Adrian Peterson being the engine of the offense. It's as important when you have a young quarterback like Christian Ponder trying to get comfortable and maintain consistency. The Vikings also re-signed Pro Bowl fullback Jerome Felton, safety and special teams ace Jamarca Sanford, linebacker Erin Henderson, receiver Jerome Simpson, and versatile lineman Joe Berger. It was critical to retain Loadholt, Felton, Sanford, Henderson, Simpson, and Berger and the Vikings did it. But, most think that signing your own free agents is boring. That was easily seen in the large number of fans in Vikings Nation going ballistic over the perceived inactivity of the team in the early days of free agency. That inactivity changed yesterday. The Vikings dove into free agency.
When Ponder wasn't able to play in the Vikings' playoff game against the Green Bay Packers it became obvious that they needed a proven backup. Joe Webb is a phenomenal athlete and he has shown some nice quarterbacking when called upon in the past but he played poorly in that playoff game. He was forced into a tough situation but ineffective quarterback play can't happen in that situation. You go home. The Vikings first signing of a player from another team was former Kansas Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel. He understands that Christian Ponder is the starter but he will compete. Cassel is a proven veteran and has been a better than solid starter for most of his career. He was solid enough in his one year of starting for the New England Patriots that the Chiefs thought that he could be their franchise quarterback. He had some nice moments in Kansas City. He had some rough times too. An incredible number of injuries destroyed the Chiefs 2011 season. This past season was just a mess. Cassel became expendable when the Chiefs traded for Alex Smith. The Vikings scooped him up. Then came the big addition.
When Percy Harvin was traded to the Seattle Seahawks at the start of the new league year the Vikings receiver corp when from pretty thin to pretty crappy. Bringing back Simpson helped a bit. Before that re-signing, Jarius Wright, a rookie last year, was the leading returning pass catcher. After yesterday, the position got a whole lot better. The Vikings signed former Packers receiver Greg Jennings. He immediately became the most accomplished receiver in Minnesota since Randy Moss' first stint with the team. That was nearly a decade ago. Jennings signed a 5-year $47.5 million contract. Not only is he an excellent receiver and football player, Jennings will have a tremendous impact off the field. He will be a mentor to a very young group of receivers and a young quarterback. As he walked down the hall of the Vikings headquarters, Jennings greeted and hugged the staff. I'm not saying that something like that has never happened. I've just never heard of a player making a gesture like that. He's a classy guy. He's also a terrific receiver.
The Vikings got much better yesterday. Matt Cassel will help. He'll help in Ponder's development and his ability to come in and provide solid quarterback if needed will bring a piece of mind. Greg Jennings will help a lot. Especially after the trade of Harvin.
The Minnesota Vikings finally took the plunge and got better.
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