"Waiting in the Weeds"

Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman stated that his team would be "waiting in the weeds" in their approach to NFL Free Agency 2015. Some said that he wasn't speaking truthfully. He was. The Vikings did make one big move through trade. Other than that they waited "in the weeds." Here's what that "waiting..." yielded:

Re-signed their own:
Tom Johnson, DT
Joe Berger, OL
Mike Harris, OL
Matt Asiata, RB
Cullen Loeffler, LS

Signed:
Shaun Hill, QB
DuJuan Harris, RB
Casey Matthews, LB
Taylor Mays, S
Terrence Newman, CB
Babatunde Aiyegbusi, T

Acquired through trade:
Mike Wallace, WR

The Vikings also signed former Canadian Football League S/LB Brian Peters

The Vikings traded QB Matt Cassel and a 6th round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a 5th round pick. The Vikings sent their own 5th to the Miami Dolphins for Mike Wallace and a 7th. It might not be the activity that many hoped but the Vikings have been active this offseason. The Wallace trade was the biggest move of the offseason. At least in terms of name recognition. They didn't give up much to get a player that could make a huge impact. Few receivers have the deep speed of Wallace. That vertical threat should open up the offense for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in his second year. Adding Wallace did end up costing the Vikings the steady play, and veteran leadership of Greg Jennings but it was a risk worth taking. With Wallace the Vikings got a little younger at receiver and much more dangerous.

It would be awesome if the Vikings were adding the Terrence Newman of a decade ago. He will turn 37 before the season starts. That's a rare age for any NFL player. Let alone a corner. It's also rare for Spielman to bring in a free agent well over 30. Hopefully, Newman shows the longevity of Darrell Green and Charles Woodson. With a one-year salary of $2.5 million, Newman is probably expected to be much more than a coach on the field. If the Vikings had to play a game today Terrence Newman is probably the starting corner opposite Xavier Rhodes. The 36-year old Newman was a solid starter for the Cincinnati Bengals last season so he's doing a decent job of holding off Father Time. He's played a decent amount of his career with Mike Zimmer in both Dallas and Cincinnati. Coach and player have a great deal of respect for each other and it's safe to say that mutual respect is a big reason for Newman in a Vikings uniform. Zimmer says that Newman "can still play." Sounds great. Taylor Mays has also played for Zimmer. With terrific athletic ability, size, and speed, he should be a nice addition in "special" defenses as a dime LB/S. He should also be a significant contributor on special teams. Casey Matthews will also contribute on special teams and add depth at linebacker. He has some starting experience at inside linebacker. A great need for the Vikings at the moment. Shaun Hill replaces Matt Cassel as the backup to starter Teddy Bridgewater. DuJuan Harris will join the running back competition. One of the most curious additions was that of the tackle from Poland, Babatunde Aiyegbusi. He's a raw player but a huge player. 6'8" and 351 lbs. He's been destroying slight competition in the football leagues of Poland and Germany. Those in front of him were simply destroyed. "Babs" ran the 40 in 5.28 and had a vertical leap of just over 26 inches at a recent Pro Day at the University of Texas-San Antonio. Those are better than decent numbers for a player of his immense size. He says that his football intentions aren't complete until he can handle J.J. Watt. At the very least he has his target set on the right player. If he can handle Watt he can handle any player in the league. His size, movement, strength, and attitude are very intriguing. There's really no risk and the upside is as huge as the man.

With the activity of the past several weeks the Flea Flicker view of the Vikings projected starting lineup heading into the draft looks like this:

WR  Mike Wallace
  T    Matt Kalil
  G   David Yankey
  C   John Sullivan
  G   Brandon Fusco
  T    Phil Loadholt
TE    Kyle Rudolph
WR  Charles Johnson
QB  Teddy Bridgewater
RB   Adrian Peterson
FB   Zach Line

DE  Everson Griffen
DT  Sharrif Floyd
DT  Linval Joseph
DE  Brian Robison
LB  Anthony Barr
LB  Audie Cole
LB  Gerald Hodges
CB  Xavier Rhodes
CB  Terrence Newman
 S    Harrison Smith
 S    Robert Blanton

If Yankey can hold down the left guard spot in his second year, the offense could be set. Solidifying that spot on the line, an improved Kalil, and a return to health of the right side of the line is crucial. Improvement from the offensive line is perhaps the Vikings greatest need going into the 2015 NFL season. Another receiver wouldn't hurt. Middle linebacker is the biggest question on defense. Cole is penciled in for now. At best, Newman is a one-year stop-gap at corner. Smith is terrific at one safety spot. Blanton, Antone Exum, Taylor Mays, Andrew Sendejo, or a rookie has to step up next to him.

"Waiting in the Weeds" might not have been fun for a lot of people (fans) but the Vikings are moving in the right direction. If a team drafts the right players much more often than not they don't really need to do much in free agency.