Vikings MLB Wishes

The greatest need of the Minnesota Vikings is improved play from the offensive line. Unlike many, I think that improved play can come from players already on the roster. They need a return to health of a couple of players, a change at left guard, and left tackle Matt Kalil playing to his talent. Right guard Brandon Fusco has probably been the Vikings best, certainly most consistent, offensive lineman over the past few seasons. He missed nearly the entire season with a torn pectoral muscle. Right tackle Phil Loadholt missed about half of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Gotta get those pects put back together. Charlie Johnson has been barely mediocre, and usually less than that, at left guard. David Yankey had a red shirt rookie season last year. Only the coaches know what they have in him. I think that he can take over the left guard spot. He was a terrific lineman at Stanford but might not have been quite strong enough for the NFL just yet. Improved play at left guard should improve two positions. Playing next to Johnson did Matt Kalil no favors. Kalil has struggled since an excellent rookie season in 2012. At times he's been terrible. His play is the reason that many authors of mock drafts have the Vikings picking an offensive lineman with the 11th pick of the draft. Nagging injuries, confidence, and playing next to Charlie Johnson has all played a role in Kalil's struggles. He gets those sorted out and the Vikings offensive line has a chance to be stout.

All that being said, I think that the biggest hole on the Minnesota Vikings roster is middle linebacker. They could really use a three-down guy in the middle and I don't see that player on the roster. Audie Cole has shown some potential in spot duty over his three years in the league. He was terrific against the Chicago Bears in the final game last season. It's uncertain whether he can maintain that sort of production week-to-week-to-week. The guess here is that he is best suited as a backup and special teams stalwart. So, the Vikings have to look to free agency and/or the draft to find a middle linebacker that can stay on the field in every situation. That elusive 3-down guy.

Free agency is up first. Here are the potential free agents middle linebackers that intrigue me the most.

1. Rolando McClain
2. Mason Foster
3. Nate Irving
4. Brandon Spikes

McClain reignited his NFL career by playing great for the Dallas Cowboys last year. With all of his off-shield shenanigans and shaky interest in the game it's stunning that he's only 25. It feels like he's been hovering in and around the league for a decade. If his head is on straight and he can build on his performance from last year, he'd be perfect in the middle of the Vikings defense. There's also the question of whether the Cowboys let him walk. They have Sean Lee returning from another injury and they have to find a bunch of money for several other pretty significant free agents. McClain is still such a question mark. Does he walk away from the game again? Mason Foster has intrigued me since his days at Seaside High School. As a rookie he looked like a Tampa Bay franchise cornerstone. Whether due to injuries I'm not so sure that he's lived up to that. Maybe he's not a perfect match for the Lovie Smith/Leslie Frazier defense. Who knows? He's quick and instinctive when healthy. Irving was a first time starter for the Denver Broncos this past season but a knee injury cut his season short. The injury isn't the sort that would endanger the upcoming season. He was a teammate of Audie Cole at North Carolina St. Brandon Spikes might be more of the 2-down, run stuffer than the Vikings would like. McClain might be the ideal middle linebacker of this group but he's such a question mark.

Then there's the 2015 NFL Draft. This is a draft that I wish contained a football player like Luke Kuechly or C.J. Mosley. It's kinda funny, not really, that Kuechly and Mosley were available when the Vikings picked in the 2012 and 2014 drafts. Unfortunately, this draft doesn't have a player like Kuechly or Mosley. It does have some very interesting football players that could develop into a difference making player.

CBS ranks the top-5 middle linebackers like this:
1. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
2. Denzel Perryman, Miami
3. Benardrick McKinney
4. Ramik Wilson, Georgia
5. Stephone Anthony, Clemson

CBS gives none of them a first-round grade. I seriously doubt that all five are available with the 33rd pick of the draft.

Mike Mayock didn't separate inside from outside linebackers in his rankings. Despite that all of his top five linebackers are seen by some, if not all, teams as middle linebackers.
1. Paul Dawson, TCU
2. Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi St.
3. Denzel Perryman, Miami
4. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
5. Stephone Anthony, Clemson

On the field, Paul Dawson is my favorite. It's easy to see why Mayock has him at the top of his list. He simply makes plays. But, I hate the flow of excuses that Dawson had for a handful of off-the-field issues. That's probably the only question mark that I have with Dawson. He's often late, doesn't seem to care that he's late, and makes excuses frequently. They may seem like little issues but they are the sort that seriously call into question his dedication. If a coach can reach him he could be dynamite. His Combine performance probably turned away some teams. I hope that it did. He's a football player plain and simple. One of the best defensive playmakers in the draft. After Dawson, Eric Kendricks is the football player that I like best at this position. He actually draws pretty close to Dawson as he has no character question marks. He also has football instincts and anticipation similar to that of Dawson. Denzel Perryman and Stephone Anthony aren't too far behind Dawson and Kendricks. Benardrick McKinney might be the most physically gifted of the group but his play on the field doesn't always measure up to those gifts. Despite the rankings all five are pretty close in football ability. Each is just a little different and it all depends on the particulars that each team prefers from their middle linebacker. Some teams might even have those five reversed. That might include me pretty soon. The more I watch and read of Anthony the more I that I like him. This is an intriguing enough group that I could see the Vikings holding off spending money on a free agent middle linebacker. I don't think that they will use a first round pick on a middle linebacker unless they trade back a bit. #11 is a little early. At least one will probably be available with their second round pick.

No matter which route the Vikings take they have to find a middle linebacker.