Throwback Thursday: All-Time Minnesota Vikings Team

Putting together an All-Time Green Bay Packers team last week got me thinking about about the best players in the history of the NFC North Teams. As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I didn't much care for many of those players on particular game days. As a football fan, I loved watching them play football on other game days. The Packers had their moment last week. This week, it's the most wonderful of the NFC North Teams. The Minnesota Vikings.

Offense

Quarterback
Fran Tarkenton

Running Back
Adrian Peterson

Fullback
Bill Brown

Receivers
Cris Carter
Randy Moss

Tight End
Steve Jordan

Offensive Tackles
Ron Yary
Gary Zimmerman

Offensive Guards
Randall McDaniel
Steve Hutchinson

Center
Mick Tingelhoff

Defense

Defensive Ends
Carl Eller
Chris Doleman

Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
John Randle

Linebackers
Chad Greenway
Scott Studwell
Matt Blair

Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Xavier Rhodes

Safeties
Paul Krause
Harrison Smith

***

Most of this team is pretty automatic. There's really no debate about the quarterback, running back, receivers, offensive line, and 3/4 of the defensive line.

Most painful omissions:
Chuck Foreman
Jared Allen
Joey Browner

Most difficult decision: Cornerback. Antoine Winfield is an easy choice. Bobby Bryant, Carl Lee, and Xavier Rhodes were in the internal debate for the other spot. Each is deserving. Perhaps I settled on Rhodes simply because he's the most physically gifted of the three.

Linebacker is the least impressive position group of the Vikings All-Time team. Each was a very good football player. Matt Blair was selected to 6 Pro Bowls. Chad Greenway and Scott Studwell were selected to 2 each. This is a solid group but hardly knocking down Canton's door.