The Minnesota Vikings should still be playing this season.
It's probably a little early for a 2016 offseason thoughts but what the heck the offseason came a little too early.
This Vikings offseason will be a long one. Mostly because the future of this young, talented football team is a bright one and I want it to start now.
Here are some early thoughts on this long offseason.
1) Bring back the old guys
CB Terrence Newman
LB Chad Greenway
Newman seems ageless. He'll be 38 when the 2016 NFL season gets started. He was very good all season. Good enough to keep promising 2015 first round pick Trae Waynes on the bench. Some have suggested that maybe Newman could move to safety like other ageless corner wonders Charles and Rod Woodson. Who knows? I just think that the Vikings defensive backs are better with Newman.
Compared to Newman, Greenway is a young pup. He turned 33 yesterday. His playing time was reduced with the emergence of young linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks and the frequency of nickel packages in the NFL these days. His play this year, perhaps due to the reduced playing time, was solid. He even returned an interception 91 yards for a touchdown. The leadership that he provides is just as important.
I feel that the Vikings are a better football team with Newman and Greenway a part of it.
2) Re-sign
RB Matt Asiata
FB Zach Line^
WR Adam Thielen*
TE Rhett Ellison
OT Mike Harris
OT Carter Bykowski*
DE Justin Trattou
LB Audie Cole
CB Josh Robinson
CB Marcus Sherels
S Andrew Sendejo
S Robert Blanton
*exclusive rights free agent
^restricted free agent
That's a long but manageable list if the Vikings are interested in bringing back all of the players. The exclusive rights and restricted free agents should be back. Line and Thielen in particular. The others shouldn't command big contracts. Ellison suffered a torn patellar tendon in the season finale against the Green Bay Packers. His projected six-month rehab puts him back on the field well before training camp. He's so important to the Vikings offense in so many ways. He's a must re-sign but the injury throws a curve into the negotiations. A short, "prove-it" contract or the nice, long-term contract that he deserves. Of the rest, Line, Harris, and Sendejo were starters last year. The rest were backups and special teams players. While I could see the Vikings bringing all of the above back for 2016 in reality I think that they will be more selective than that. Ellsion, Line, Thielen, Harris, Trattou, and Cole are probably the players that have the highest priority.
3) Contract extensions
S Harrison Smith
OT Matt Kalil
Both players were protected for the 2016 season when the Vikings exercised their fifth-year options last spring. Smith is a franchise cornerstone and is due for a big contract. The Vikings will sign him or I'm marching into those Eden Prairie offices demanding that they do so. I won't be alone. Kalil has had some issues since his very good rookie year of 2012. He improved this year but has to be a lot better. He's a good tackle but he has the natural talent to be a great tackle. Until he plays to his potential I don't see him getting that big contract that really good left tackles tend to get. The one thing that could really drive negotiations with Kalil is the fairly large, fifth-year option price tag that comes with his status as the fourth pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
4) Areas in need of improvement-draft and/or free agency
In my opinion these are the areas most in need of improvement:
-offensive line
-a big receiver
-safety
The Line:
When the Vikings offense was slowed (a frequent occurrence) it was often due to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater not having much time to throw. Sometimes that was due to him holding the ball a little too long. More often it was due to the offensive line. Adrian Peterson also encountered defenders in the backfield far too often. The Vikings lost center John Sullivan and right tackle Phil Loadholt for the season before the season even started. That prompted some juggling. Joe Berger stepped in at center and might have been an improvement over Sullivan. In fact, Berger and right guard Mike Harris might have been the best players on the line. Certainly the most consistent. Rookie T.J. Clemmings stepped in for Loadholt and had some rookie struggles. He also showed a lot of potential. He's going to be a big part of the Vikings line moving forward. Left guard Brandon Fusco had a really rough season after returning from the pectoral muscle tear that he suffered in 2014. He signed a contract extension before that 2014 season and figures to be in the plans in some way despite the rough season. Then there's left tackle Kalil. He just has to get better. Improving the offensive line for 2016 could come from reshuffling the players already on the roster. And whether Sullivan and Loadholt are part of that reshuffling is up in the air.
2015 Vikings offensive line
LT Matt Kalil
LG Brandon Fusco
C Joe Berger
RG Mike Harris
RT T.J. Clemmings
could become
LT Matt Kalil
LG T.J. Clemmings
C Brandon Fusco
RG Mike Harris
RT Phil Loadholt
just a thought
Whatever the Vikings do in the offseason improving the offensive line has to be a priority. The first step taken in reshaping the offensive line came yesterday. The Vikings didn't renew the contract of line coach Jeff Davidson. So, the linemen will have new position coach in 2016 as they try to improve on their play. The Vikings could pursue a lineman in free agency. A right tackle could be the player if they question Loadholt's ability to return from a torn achilles.
Receivers:
The Vikings have an interesting receiving group. I like all of their players. They just don't have one of those big, strong receivers that's so difficult to defend. Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson have some size but neither was a factor on offense all season. The future of both in Minnesota seems uncertain but they are under contract and neither contract is an obstacle. There are questions regarding the Vikings future of Mike Wallace. He's also under contract but it's a huge contract. His production didn't come close to that contract. Most Vikings fans would like to see him gone. I'd like to see him stay. At a renegotiated contract but I'd like to see him stay. I like the leadership and enthusiasm that he showed with a very young receiver group. He's also a very talented, fast receiver. The Vikings have to take advantage of that talent and speed. Any additions to the receiver position will likely come from the draft.
Safety:
The Vikings have to find a safety to line up next to Harrison Smith. That player could already be on the roster. Undrafted rookie Anthony Harris is at the top of my list of candidates. He showed some nice potential in some late season action. Despite being trucked by a Larry Fitzgerald block, he did a sold job in his first NFL action against the explosive Arizona Cardinals. If he can handle the receivers that the Cardinals can throw at him he'll be fine against the rest of the league. Third-year Antone Exum is probably the most physically talented of the contenders for the safety spot. His experience, study, and grasp of the defense has to catch up with his physical ability. Andrew Sendejo is a very good special teams player and is reliable on defense. It's just that he might already be at his ceiling as an every-down player. He's also a free agent. As with the receiver position, I think that any additions at safety will come from the draft.
I don't see the Vikings being too active in free agency. They will probably sign their own players and maybe a role player, or two, or three. Offensive line could be the one area in which they look for a starter.
The Vikings have the 23rd pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Right now, I'd guess a receiver or an offensive lineman is the position at that pick.
There's some very early thoughts on the Vikings 2016 offseason.
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