Update 2: As you already know, the Vikings have signed QB Donovan McNabb to a contract (the length of which is still undisclosed) and have come to terms with free agent WR Michael Jenkins. Coach Leslie Frazier stated in an interview that barring unforeseen circumstances, he expects to roll with the current roster at the WR position.
Additionally, all of the Vikings draft picks, including Christian Ponder ($11M fully guaranteed), have been signed.
Update: It appears the Vikings have made a few more steps forward in the first day of free agency. Reports are the team has traded for quarterback Donovan McNabb to be the veteran presence in the huddle, and has agreed to terms with wideout Devin Aromashodu. Both players are expected to sign one year deals.
It won't, however, be easy. The NFC North has drastically improved in the past few years, and expecting to win it may be a bit too optimistic. In addition to featuring both of last years NFC Championship game teams - the Chicago Bears and Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers - the Detroit Lions are quietly stockpiling not only a talented roster, but one that is built to compete in the NFC North for years. Additionally, the Vikings are the only team without a sure answer at quarterback in a division that features some of the leagues young stars in Rodgers, Stafford and (sort of) Cutler. They do, however, have a potential long-term answer at the position in Christian Ponder. The issue is, in a quarterback driven league, Ponder may not be ready to lead a team to the playoffs at the NFL level. Worse yet, the Vikings stand to lose a lot to free agency, with top starters on both sides of the ball entering the market. Finally, gone are the magical days of uncapped football. Thus the Vikings, along with the rest of the league, will need to adhere to the new salary cap of $120 million, which may require some tricky salary maneuvering. Despite all of this, the if the Vikings make a few smart personell moves (some of which they've already done), they may still have a shot at not only returning to the playoffs, but at becoming a force in the NFC for years to come.
Heres what they need to do:
1. Franchise Tag LB Chad Greenway
This is one of the moves VP of Player Personel Rick Spielman has already made. And despite a bit of criticism, it was the right decision. Greenway is an essential part of the defense, and keeping him ensures they have a front 7 that consists of Greenway, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and EJ Henderson. More importantly, Greenway is willing to play under the franchise label (and at $10M, he should be) which is more important than you might think. Just last year Chargers wideout Vincent Jackson sat out much of the year due to his unwillingness to play without a long term contract. While Greenway has already said he would happily welcome a long-term offer, this gives the Vikings the leisure of dealing with other free agent issues and forget about losing their star linebacker. In the end, the Vikings will (and should) talk to Greenway and figure out a deal that will keep him in purple for multiple years... which should also lessen his cap hit in 2011.
2. Cut ties with unnecessary, overpaid players
While this may sound like common sense, the Vikings have a number of players under contract that simply are not worth the money, and more importantly the cap hit. The first of these money saving moves already happened when they cut ties with defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy earlier today. Despite the uncertainty of Pat Williams returning, this was the smart move. Cutting Kennedy will save the Vikings $2.5M in cap space this season for a player who only played in 11.5% of the defensive plays last year, and never really excelled in those opportunities. The money saved here could be used to bring Pat Williams back for another year while they let talented rookie Christian Ballard develop into a long-term replacement.
Next, the Vikings need to seriously consider cutting safety Madieu Williams. Although he was brought in a few years ago to strengthen one of the leagues worst passing defenses, Williams never lived up to expectations and has missed significant time due to injury. With some options in free agency, the ideal situation would be to bring in new talent and save nearly $3.5M against the cap by releasing Williams. Again, the money saved here could be used to bring in a long term upgrade that could help a defense that already has a number of talented players.
Another player the Vikings need to cut ties with is wideout Bernard Berrian. Berrian simply makes too much money for someone who is essentially an average 3rd receiver on the team. If they can move him via trade, they will... but it seems unlikely that a team would want to take on his contract. More likely, they will be forced to cut him, and save whatever money they can to try to re-sign Sidney Rice.
Across the board, there are numerous other players that the Vikings either have, or will consider cutting in order to save money (such as wideout Freddie Brown). If Spielman can figure out how to cut some of the excess, they may have a chance at landing a couple key free agents.
3. Hello Sidney Rice, Goodbye Ray Edwards
This, to me, is the most important part. The Vikings need to spend wisely this offseason, and nothing would be a better investment than locking up the best receiver the Vikings have had since Randy Moss in the late 90's. Although he is sure to have a lot of interest around the league (rumors are Seattle, who just signed former Viking QB Tavaris Jackson, are very interested) Rice is worth the money. Rice is just one (injured) season removed from his breakout year, in which he tallied 1,312 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. More importantly, Rice is a tall throw the ball up there and he'll find it receiver that could be incredibly beneficial to the growth of Christian Ponder. If they can keep him, the combination of Rice, Percy Harvin and one of numerous FA (A few rumors are circulating that the Vikings are in discussions with former Bears WR Devin Aromashodu) and rookie options (such as Emmanuel Arceneaux) will make a formidable receiving corps for quite some time.
On the other side of the ball, the Vikings need to cut ties with defensive end Ray Edwards. Besides never really fitting in with the team, Edwards is likely to demand a lot of interest (and thus big $) due to a weak free agent market at the position. More importantly, the Vikings have another in-house option who seems to be ready for the job in Brian Robison. Robison, while he may not have some of the explosiveness of Edwards, he looks to be more than capable, will be more consistant and, most importantly, come at a fraction of the price. In fact, some experts are predicting a breakout year for Robison, who will have significant help around him with Williams and Allen.
4. Sign Safety Eric Weddle
Of all the free agent options out there, Weddle might be the best fit for the Vikings. He would be a huge upgrade at the position and would likely come at a price that is at least reasonable for the Vikings to pay. Weddle was All-Pro last season with San Diego and is still one of the leagues most underrated players at the position despite two seasons of elite play. Weddle would immediately improve the Vikings secondary and would make the jobs of Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Brian Robison that much easier.
5. Bring in a Veteran QB
This, of course, has been a huge topic of discussion for Vikings fans. Do you roll the ball with Ponder and see what happens? Or do you bring in a Veteran to take the reigns as he develops? In my opinion, the Vikings need to bring someone in who can both start the season, and is willing to backup Ponder if and when the time comes. One potential option that has been discussed is Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton. If he comes cheap enough, which he should, I think Orton could be a great fit and might buy Ponder just enough time to acclimate to the NFL game. Another option, which is currently blowing up the Twittersphere is Donovan McNabb. While McNabb brings a better career resume, there are many questions as to what is left in the tank and how he would adapt to an unfamiliar offense. Nonetheless, it appears the Vikings are in serious trade discussions with Washington. Of course, there are other options such as Carson Palmer, if and when the Bengals will trade him, free agent Matt Hasselbeck, or simply just handing the offense over to Ponder.
6. Fix the Offensive Line
Minnesota's strength from just a few seasons ago was a serious weakness in 2010. While much of it was due to an injury to All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson, there are still multiple fixes that need to be made. First, new Offensive Line Coach Jeff Davidson will bring some much needed change to the system. More importantly, the Vikings are starting to quietly stockpile talented behemoth lineman such as DeMarcus Love and Phil Loadholt. With a year of experience, Loadholt should show significant improvement and be at least a decent option at right tackle in 2011. Inside, a healthy Steve Hutchinson will not only clear the way for Adrian Peterson, but will be a great leader and mentor for both the 6' 5'' Love (who could also play tackle if needed) and second year guard Chris DeGeare. With DeGeare ready to start at right guard, Anthony Herrera could potentially play center (which would be a big improvement over Sullivan) or be used as a utility lineman which will give the Vikings the depth they were desperately missing last year. This group will likely make or break the Vikings season, if they can put it together we may be looking at an entirely different Minnesota team from a year ago.
While climbing back into the ranks of the elite may be tough to do, with a bit of luck and some smart decision making, Minnesotans may have something to cheer about come January. Now if only they could get on that new stadium...
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