Despite finishing the 2014 NFL season with more losses than wins at 7-9, the Minnesota Vikings enter the 2015 offseason with a great deal of hope and promise. Most of the happy feelings are due to the play and potential of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Some of the hope is also due to head coach Mike Zimmer and his staff. The entire franchise appears to be headed in the right direction. The Vikings might only be a couple of players and solid depth away from spending Januarys playing rather than planning.
Mike Zimmer and his coaches are teachers. It's not often that one sees a head coach working one-on-one with a player. That was a frequent site in Mankato last summer. For the first time in some time it appears that the Vikings are developing football players. The coaches are taking players with raw talents and working on skills and techniques. For so long the Vikings just seemed to put as many talented football players on the field as possible and hope that was enough to win games. They rarely turned late-round draft picks into front-line players. It felt like more backup players saw playing time in Zimmer's first season than in the previous ten seasons combined. It can only be good when the entire 53-man roster has playing experience in games that count in the standings.
As good as things feel right now in Minnesota, there are still many areas that need improvement on the roster. The difference with this Vikings team is the possibility that some of the improvement might be found with the players already on the roster. The teaching skills of Zimmer and his coaches might bring the players at the bottom of the roster up to the top of the roster. When looking at any offseaon it's always fun to grab a bunch of the shiny new talent that might be available outside of Minnesota. Free agents and draft picks. The Vikings 2015 offseason might not be as active as many fans want it to be. Many of the holes might be filled from within rather than from high-priced free agents. The rest will come from the best source of talent: the NFL Draft.
Here's a knee-jerk look at the Vikings 2015 offseason:
Areas in need of improvement:
-offensive line
-linebacker/middle linebacker in particular
-secondary
-defensive line depth
-receiver
Offensive line was the Vikings greatest weakness last season. Some of the problems were due to injuries. Right guard Brandon Fusco has been the Vikings best, certainly most consistent, lineman for the past two seasons. He was lost to a pectoral injury early in the season. Right tackle Phil Loadholt and left guard Charlie Johnson were lost later in the season. It's tough play a chunk of games with only two starters. Matt Kalil was one of those starters and he had a tough time most of the season. He started to play better over the last month but he has to play even better, much better, than that. He has to play to the level expected of the 4th pick in the draft. A return to health of Fusco and Loadholt and return to form of Kalil will go a long way in improving the line. Left guard Charlie Johnson has to be replaced. 2014 5th round pick David Yankey should get the first shot at doing so. He was the only player on the roster that got no playing time last season so it's tough to tell where he is in his development. At one point, many considered him a borderline 1st round pick in the draft. He has some talent. He was very good college player but he has to get NFL strong.
A Vikings offseason plan:
re-sign:
DT Tom Johnson
OL Joe Berger
LS Cullen Loeffler
RB Matt Asiata
OT Mike Harris
S Ahmad Dixon
The Vikings aren't faced with big decisions concerning their own free agents. None should to be too difficult to retain. Johnson provided terrific depth on the defensive line. He's bounced around a bit in his football career and would like a multi-year contract to end his career. If he's agreeable to a 2-year deal, the Vikings might be as well.
I really don't think that the Vikings will pursue any higher priced free agents. Any new additions will probably be from the bargain bin. Much like Tom Johnson was last year. If they do spend more than that, here are three that I like:
Mason Foster, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, MLB
Davon House, Green Bay Packers, CB
Clint Boling, Cincinnati Bengals, G
I'd like to see the Vikings add a big corner to play opposite Xavier Rhodes. Josh Robinson made some nice strides with Zimmer and secondary coach Jerry Gray's coaching but he's 5-10. You can't coach another 3-4 inches out of him. Captain Munnerlyn was added last offseason. He had a few nice moments but he had many more rough moments. He's talented. He could be a great nickel corner if he plays to the level that he played his last couple of seasons with the Carolina Panthers. The Vikings have some skilled corners. They just need at least one bigger one. If they decide to find that in free agency, Davon House could be the one.
Draft:
1. Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.
2. A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina
3. Devin Smith, WR Ohio State
4. Stephone Anthony, LB, Clemson
Right now, I like Michigan State corner Trae Waynes as the Vikings first pick. Plug him in opposite Xavier Rhodes and the Vikings might have the best young cornerback duo in the league. The Vikings offensive line has to improve and left guard is the greatest weakness. Perhaps on the entire roster. A.J. Cann could probably be plugged in immediately and the entire line is much better. Maybe, just maybe, Devin Smith could develop into a football player similar to Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Vikings address middle linebacker earlier than the 4th round. If they don't, Stephone Anthony would be an excellent choice.
Normally, an offseason brings dreams of adding free agents to the Vikings roster. This offseason has me dreaming about the Vikings finding improvements from players already on the roster like David Yankey, Audie Cole, Antone Exum, and Michael Mauti. I'm leaning towards preferring that the Vikings do little in free agency beyond signing their own and then filling any holes with an awesome draft.
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