Minnesota Vikings: After the Draft, 10 Priorities for the Vikings Now
If you believe the communications coming out of Winter Park, the Vikings got their man.
Kevin Seifert, who covers the the NFC North for ESPN, indicated that Vikings vice-president of player personnel Rick Spielman called Christian Ponder "one of our top-rated quarterbacks" who was "right there in the mix" with other quarterbacks he evaluated.
I've been saying since the end of the 2010 season the Vikings needed to draft a quarterback with their first-round selection. Whether or not Ponder will develop into the next franchise quarterback the Vikings need will take a couple of years to determine. The last thing the Vikings can afford is a second coming of Tarvaris Jackson.
No doubt the Vikings needed to address their quarterback situation, or better stated—their lack of a quarterback situation in this year's draft.
With the draft behind them, unfortunately now with the NFL lockout in place there's very little that head coach Leslie Frazier and his crew can do to get ready for the 2011 season—provided there is one.
The Vikings still have a lot of unanswered questions and several needs left to address.
Here's looking forward to a 2011 NFL season and 10 things the Vikings still must do.
Re-sign Sidney Rice
1 of 11
For the 2010 season, the Minnesota Vikings were less than pleased with how Sidney Rice handled his hip injury he suffered in the 2009 NFC Championship game against the Saints.
The team would have preferred that he had surgery sooner rather than later in order to be ready for the 2010 season.
Rice chose to wait and wound up missing all but six games last season, catching only 17 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
According to WalterFootball.com, Rice is the third best free-agent wide receiver behind Santonio Holmes and Vincent Jackson.
Re-signing Rice should be one of the top priorities for the Vikings. His ability to stretch the field will be needed with a rookie quarterback leading the team.
In his three-plus seasons, Rice has averaged 14.6 yards per reception. Last season, only seven of the top 50 receivers in the NFL averaged more than that.
Reinforce the Offensive Line
2 of 11
There have been some concerns about the health of quarterback Christian Ponder whom the Vikings drafted with the 12th pick in the first round.
Ponder suffered a grade-three separation in his throwing shoulder during his junior season. If the Vikings intend to start the rookie quarterback this season they will need to provide better protection than they did for Brett Favre in 2010.
The Vikings offensive line ended the 2010 with guards Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera on injured reserve. Hutchinson suffered a broken thumb that limited him to only 11 games, while Herrera required reconstructive knee surgery after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament.
With two of their four sixth-round draft picks, the Vikings did add a couple of offensive linemen, DeMarcus Love from Arkansas and Brandon Fusco from Slippery Rock. Neither are expected to start in 2011.
With three starters over 30, the Vikings may need to look to sign a free agent to boost the offensive line.
On possible target could be Marshall Yanda from the Baltimore Ravens. The 26-year-old Yanda started all 16 games last season at right tackle but has also played some at guard.
Figure out What to Do with Chris Cook
3 of 11
A second-round draft choice in 2010, the Vikings were looking for Chris Cook to help their defensive backfield.
Slotted to start opposite veteran Antoine Winfield until Cedric Griffin fully recovered from tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament, Cook suffered a torn meniscus and missed the five games of the season.
Suffering from lingering knee pain and swelling throughout his rookie season, Cook was never fully healthy and played in only six games at cornerback. When he did play, he was not effective and was benched for his poor play.
This will be a make or break year for Cook. He needs to step up and shake off the being labeled injury prone.
.jpg?w=256 "Browns Football")
Sign a Veteran Cornerback
4 of 11
Even if Chris Cook is ready to contribute this season for the Minnesota Vikings, they need to upgrade their cornerback position.
Cedric Griffin has suffered ACL knee injuries to both of his knees—his left during the 2009 NFC Championship game and the right in Week 5 against the New York Jets.
After missing six games in 2009, Antoine Winfield returned to start and play all 16 games in 2010. Known as a sure tackler he finished second on the team behind linebacker Chad Greenway in tackles with 72.
Winfield will be 34 when the season starts. The Vikings need to find a way to improve their defensive backfield.
It would take a lot to sign the top free-agent cornerback on the market, Nnamdi Asomugha, but there are several other options available for the Vikings to pursue.
Johnathan Joseph from the Bengals, Antonio Cromartie from the Jets or Josh Wilson from the Ravens are free agents under the age of 28 that could step in and help the Vikings.
Joseph is a five-year veteran who has started 58 of 67 games he's played in with Cincinnati. He was the Bengals first-round draft choice in 2006.
Cromartie, another 2006 first-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers played last season in New York opposite Darelle Revis. In 2007, Croamartie made the Pro Bowl and was named First-Team All-Pro when he led the league with 10 interceptions.
Wilson, like Cromartie switched teams for the 2010 season. After three seasons in Seattle, he played for the Ravens in 2010. His three interceptions were the second most for Baltimore.
Dump a High-Priced Ineffective Offensive Lineman
5 of 11
The Minnesota Vikings will be shelling out almost $12 million for the left side of their offensive line in 2011.
Guard Steve Hutchinson will make $7 million and Bryant McKinnie is set to make $4.9 million.
Since joining the Vikings in 2006 Hutchinson has been a great addition to the Vikings offensive line. The problem is he will be 34 this season and after missing five games last season, time may be taking its toll on the 10-year veteran.
McKinnie, the Vikings first-round draft choice in 2002, has not performed as well as expected. The nine-year veteran has been named to only one Pro Bowl following the 2009 season. According to a story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, McKinnie played the 2010 season at 360 pounds, 25 pound heavier than his normal playing weight.
Release the Incredible Disappearing Man—Bernard Berrian
6 of 11
When the Minnesota Vikings signed Bernard Berrian to a six-year, $42 million contract they were expected a lot more than 28 receptions and 252 yards—a measly nine yards per catch that he contributed in 2010.
The 9.0 yards per reception were the lowest in his seven-year career. In three years, with the Vikings Berrian has caught 11 touchdowns, that's $3.8 million per touchdown.
Signed through the 2013 season the Vikings cannot afford to pay for this lack of performance.
The only way Berrian remains with the Vikings is if they are unable to resign Sidney Rice.
Improve the Play of the Safeties
7 of 11
Madieu Williams has not played up to the six-year, $33.75 million contract he signed with the Vikings in 2008.
Williams, who started all 16 games in 2009 was limited to 13 starts in 14 games last season. Over the last two seasons, he only has one interception.
Williams, who will turn 30 this October, is the elder statesman of the Vikings safeties. Set to make $5.4 million in 2011, the Vikings may want to consider releasing Williams if he does not emerge out of training camp as the starter.
Husain Abdullah, a three-year veteran, started 15 games last season at strong safety. He is a free agent the Vikings should retain. Abdullah, along with linebacker E.J. Henderson, led the Vikings with three interceptions.
Tyrell Johnson, who started 15 games at strong safety in 2009, was limited to only seven games and two starts in 2010 in part due to a strained MCL in his left knee.
Jamarca Sanford will turn 26 in August. The two-year veteran started two games last season for the Vikings.
The combined careers of Abdullah, Johnson, and Sanford total eight seasons and 109 games—the problem is they only have five interceptions total.
Three possible options on the free agent market include Eric Weddle from San Diego, Michael Huff from Oakland and Donte Whitner from Buffalo.
Weddle is considered one of the top safeties in the NFL and might be too expensive for the Vikings.
Huff led the Raiders with three interceptions and started 15 games last season for Oakland.
Whitner, who has started 66 of 69 games over five seasons with the Bills will only be 26 when the 2011 season opens.
Re-sign Kicker Ryan Longwell
8 of 11
The Minnesota Vikings can lay the blame for kicker Ryan Longwell having his lowest scoring total in his 14-year career squarely on the ineffective offense and the equally ineffective defense.
Far too often the team found itself in a position to forgo a field goal, needing to score a touchdown. Last season, Longwell scored only 81 points on 17 field goals and 30 extra points. This was far below his career average of 113 points. In 2009, he had the best season in his career when he scored 132 points.
Longwell, who will be 37 for the 2011 season, will benefit from the kick-off being moved up to the 35-yard line next season.
In his career he has an 83.5 percent field goal accuracy—consistently ranking him among the best in the NFL.
Beef Up the Linebacker Corp
9 of 11
The Vikings need to upgrade at linebacker.
The Vikings used their franchise tag on linebacker Chad Greenway assuring that they will retain their leading tackler over the past three seasons.
E.J. Henderson was able to return to form in 2010 after suffering a broken leg in Week 13 against the Cardinals in 2009. He led the Vikings in 2010 with three interceptions.
The weak link is outside linebacker Ben Leber. Leber has been a very good linebacker for Minnesota, but the nine-year veteran turns 33 this December. It is unlikely that Minnesota will re-sign Leber for the 2011 season.
There are plenty of free agents available that could help the Vikings.
According to Rotoworld.com Leber is listed as the 10th best free-agent linebacker. Here are five possible linebackers, all under the age of 30, who are ranked ahead of him that the Vikings could consider.
Manny Lawson, a 27-year-old , five-year veteran has started every game the last two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers at left outside linebacker.
Rocky McIntosh has started for Washington the past four seasons on the right side of their linebacking corp. McIntosh will turn 29 this November.
James Anderson, a five-year veteran, started 15 games at outside linebacker for Carolina this past season. Anderson led the 2-14 Panthers with 98 tackles.
Stephen Nicholas started 11 games last season for the Atlanta Falcons and 13 of 16 games in 2009. The 28-year-old is a four-year veteran. According to KFFL.com the Lions are interested in signing Nicholas.
Quincy Black, a four-year veteran, has started 23 of 27 games for Tampa Bay the last two seasons. Black turned 28 in February this year.
Keep Percy Harvin Healthy
10 of 11
I don't want to take anything from Adrian Peterson, but Percy Harvin is Minnesota Vikings game-changer.
The versatile Harvin poses scoring threat from anywhere on the field having scored on kick returns, as a slot receiver and as a running back.
In the two seasons since coming into the league in 2009, Harvin has missed only three games due to migraines. However, the unpredictability of this malady presents a huge challenge for the Vikings coaching staff.
With Harvin in the lineup, it's the defensive coordinator of the opposing team that has headaches trying to figure out how to defend the 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Minnesota must do whatever it takes to help Harvin to remain on the field in 2011, unfortunately there may be nothing they can do.
In Conclusion...
11 of 11
There are still so many "opportunities" for the Vikings to improve upon over the 2010 season.
They seem to be so much further away from the NFC Championship-team of 2009 than the last-place team of 2010.
With the team once again looking for public funds to build them a new stadium, any improvement they can make would help to generate the buzz for the 2011 season.
The last thing the Vikings can afford is a prolonged labor dispute that delays the start of the season.
Once things get resolved and the wheeling and dealing cranks up, I hope head coach Leslie Frazier and the front office know what they need to do.
.jpg?w=480 "Browns Football")
.jpg?w=600 "4x All-Pro Justin Simmons Retires")
.jpg?w=600 "Tate's Quote on Jersey No. 👀")
.jpg?w=600 "Rams Leapfrogged Cards for Simpson")
.jpg?w=600 "Roseman on Trade Up for Lemon")