Offseason Choices Ahead for the Minnesota Vikings

Despite Tuesdays surprising 24 - 14 over the Philadelphia Eagles, there is little doubt some big changes are coming to the Minnesota Vikings.  With multiple aging stars, no coach and no answer at quarterback, Vice President of Player Personell Rick Spielman has some important decisions to make before the start of the 2011 season.  If the Purple plan to win with their current core of stars (AP, Sidney Rice, Pat Williams, Chad Greenway...), time is running out.  Here's a few things they need to do:



1.  Find a coach
The Vikings win yesterday may have just gotten Frazier the job, but is it the right decision? After all, Gruden, Cowher, Dungy are all reported to be looking to get back into the NFL next season... but can the Vikings land any of them?  Cowher supposedly has supposedly narrowed his decision to 2 or 3 teams that don't include the Vikings and its hard to imagine Gruden coming to a team without a true quarterback.  Dungy, with his ties to Minnesota, seems to be the only chance... and that still seems like a long shot.

2. Fix the offensive line
After being one of the their strong points in 2009, the Vikings O-line was decimated by injuries this season.  Guards Ryan Cook and All-Pro Steve Hutchinson both missed significant time after strong starts. If both can make full recoveries, and if Phil Loadhoalt and Bryant Mckinnie can continue to anchor the outside, the only position left to fill is center.  Although they still have John Sullivan under contract next year, the solution may already be elsewhere on the roster.  If Cook can transition back to center (a position he has experience with), rookie guard Chris Degeare, could fill in at right guard.  Degeare, a fifth round pick out of Wake Forest, played well in Cooks absence, and has the size and talent to help clear the middle for Adrian Peterson for years to come.

3. Open up the checkbook - but not for everyone
The Vikings will be glad to be rid of Brett Favre's $20 million contract, but they'll need that money to help keep Chad Greenway and Sidney Rice around.  Greenway is without a doubt one of their best defensive playmakers and is just entering the prime of his career.  Keeping the linebacking core of Greenway and E.J. Henderson in tact will give the Vikings a strong defensive base to build around.

Similarly, losing Sidney Rice would cause irreparable damage to the offense.  Not only would the passing attack rely solely on Percy Harvin (who has proven to be more effective when playing in the slot), but defenses would be able to focus entirely on the running game, making it that much harder for AP to be effective.

It's finally time to say goodbye to Pat Williams.  Already the oldest defensive player in the league, it's no doubt big Pat is on the decline.  At 38 and 320 pounds, there is only so long he can remain remotely effective.  Jimmy Kennedy and Letroy Guion have proven themselves a capable 1-2 punch next to Kevin Williams, and come at a much cheaper price.

4. Find a quarterback
As if you didn't already know, the Vikings need to find a solution at quarterback.  Although Joe Webb had a fantastic debut, it is way to early to say he is the answer.  With a mid-range first round pick, the draft also seems like an unlikely answer for next season.  There are, however, a couple veteran quarterbacks on the market.  Most notably, Carson Palmer and Donavan McNabb will likely be hitting the open market coming off subpar seasons, and thus may be more affordable.  Even if the Vikings take a QB in Aprils draft, both Palmer and McNabb are still capable of leading the team for a couple of years until he is ready.

If the Vikings can address these four main needs, there may be hope for a rebound season in 2011.