R Charles Johnson
T Matt Kalil
G Brandon Fusco
C John Sullivan
G T.J. Clemmings
T Phil Loadholt
TE Kyle Rudolph
R Mike Wallace
QB Teddy Bridgewater
RB Adrian Peterson
FB Zach Line
DE Everson Griffen
DT Sharrif Floyd
NT Linval Joseph
DE Brian Robison
LB Chad Greenway
LB Eric Kendricks
LB Anthony Barr
CB Xavier Rhodes
CB Trae Waynes
S Harrison Smith
S Antone Exum
K Blair Walsh
P Jeff Locke
KR Cordarrelle Patterson
PR Stefon Diggs
LS Cullen Loeffler
The Vikings have been a trendy pick to be a surprise team in the league this year. It's easy to see why. There's a lot of young talent on this roster. The Green Bay Packers are a serious obstacle for the division title but a playoff berth this year is a definite possibility for a Vikings team that is pointed in the right direction.
Offense
Adrian Peterson returns. No matter how much football talking heads honked about other possibilities Vikings GM Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer maintained that Peterson is and will be a Vikings football player. So many ludicrous rumors and here he is. In Minnesota. Peterson is a big reason for optimism in Minnesota. So is Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings young quarterback was fantastic down the stretch as a rookie last season. And, he didn't have Adrian Peterson in the backfield with him. He also didn't have a deep threat like Mike Wallace. Bridgewater will have more weapons around him in his second season. Receiver Charles Johnson rose from the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns to be a reliable playmaker for the Vikings all in a matter of months. Great route-runner, hard-worker. His future looks bright. Cordarrelle Patterson, Jarius Wright, Adam Thielen, and Stefon Diggs provide nice, diverse receiver depth. Kyle Rudolph is a star at tight end if he can stay healthy. Fifth-round pick MyCole Pruitt could be a real find as a movement tight end. He can line up in the backfield, tight, or split wide. He's a matchup problem for defenses. He might even impact the Vikings decision on whether to keep a fullback. For now Zach Line is in the backfield for about a dozen plays a game. The line was the biggest offensive problem for the Vikings last year. Bridgewater was nearly killed in back-to-back games against the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. The young quarterback has to stay upright and the line has to make that happen. A return to health will help. Brandon Fusco has been the Vikings best, most consistent lineman over the past couple of seasons. He missed most of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Phil Loadholt missed about the last quarter of the season with the same injury. The return to health of both will help the line. Fusco is moving from right to left guard this season. That move should help one of the line's biggest problems of the last two seasons. The puzzling play of Matt Kalil. The fourth pick of the 2012 NFL Draft has disappointed since a standout rookie season. Health, confidence, Charlie Johnson (not to be confused with the receiver Charles Johnson) have all been mentioned as reasons. Replacing Charlie Johnson with Fusco at left guard will help Kalil immensely. Staying healthy all season will also help. Right guard is one of the top position battles of training camp. Fourth-round pick T.J. Clemmings is probably the most skilled lineman of the candidates but he has no experience at guard. He also has limited experience as an offensive lineman as he spent half of his college career as a defensive lineman. Fellow rookie Tyrus Thompson also spent some offseason time at right guard and it sounds like he might be penciled in as the starter to open camp. Second-year guard David Yankey and veteran stalwart Joe Berger are also in the mix. On paper, the Vikings offensive line looks talented. That doesn't win games or keep the quarterback on his feet. Kalil has to play better.
Defense
This is the baby of head coach Mike Zimmer. The defense was historically horrid in 2013. That sad defense was a big reason for Leslie Frazier getting fired and Zimmer getting hired. In the new coach's first season the Vikings defense improved dramatically. The pass defense was solid. The run defense is a work in progress. A second season in Zimmer's defense should improve that. He inherited some nice talent. He's brought in even more. Rookie Eric Kendricks looks like the three-down middle linebacker that the Vikings have been looking for since the best years of E.J. Henderson. About a decade ago. He's a bit smaller than some say that Zimmer likes in the middle but how would they know? Zimmer has never had a team to call his own. Maybe Kendricks is the perfect middle linebacker for Zimmer. The linebacker group should be improved. Strong-side linebacker Anthony Barr is a star in the making. Chad Greenway is on the wrong side of 30 but he's healthy again. He wasn't last year. His experience and leadership is an asset. He's penciled in at weak-side linebacker. If he struggles, Gerald Hodges is ready to start. No matter what happens at the position Greenway and Hodges will likely come off the field in pass defense packages. A common occurrence in today's pass-happy NFL. It looks like a Barr-Kendricks combo in those situations. The defensive line should have the same starters as last season. Everson Griffen was terrific in his first season as a starter. He's only going to get better. Great athlete. He gets to the quarterback and makes plays against the run. Brian Robison joins Greenway on the wrong side of 30 but he can still hassle quarterbacks. Nose tackle Linval Joseph should be better in his second year with the Vikings. Zimmer mentioned him as a standout in offseason workouts. Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd is on the verge of stardom if he can stay healthy. The secondary was solid and often great last year. Corner Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith are stars. More will be aware of that this season. First-round pick Trae Waynes should pair nicely with Rhodes at corner for years to come. If he's not ready to do that right away veteran Terrence Newman will likely open the season as the starter. Captain Munnerlyn had a rough first year with the Vikings last year but is a solid nickel corner. The safety spot opposite Smith is the other top position battles of camp. This one is as wide open as right guard. Robert Blanton was solid as the starter last season but the Vikings are looking for more than solid. Blanton enters camp as the leader but he's face challenges from second-year Antone Exum, veteran Andrew Sendejo, and undrafted rookie free agent Anthony Harris. Exum is probably the most athletic of the group and most capable of providing something more than solid. But who knows? He's penciled in as the starter here. This could be a top-10 defense this year. Maybe even top-5.
Special Teams
The Vikings have made a concerted effort to get younger on special teams over the past few seasons. Blair Walsh replaced the solid Ryan Longwell at kicker in 2012. Jeff Locke replaced Chris Kluwe at punter in 2013. Is it long snapper Cullen Loeffler's turn to be replaced this year? He's been with the team since 2004. He's always been nothing but solid. Last year was the first year that he wasn't. Kevin McDermott will provide Loeffler with his first training camp competition in years. Cordarrelle Patterson is one of the most, if not the most, dangerous kick returner in the league. Always the underdog, Marcus Sherels has surprised everyone in establishing an NFL career. He's become one of the best punt returners in the league with determination, work, and effort. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Sherels continue his inspiring NFL career but Stefon Diggs might have too much natural ability for that to happen.
The future looks bright for the Minnesota Vikings. They have an excellent coaching staff put together and led by Mike Zimmer. They have added a bunch of young football talent over the last few years. It's mostly a young team but there's still a nice mix of veteran leadership. They have a very motivated, even angry Adrian Peterson. His first NFL season at 30 might be his best season. They have a tremendously promising young quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater. He has weapons. Certainly more than he had last season. This could be a very good year for the Vikings. With even better years to follow.
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