Minnesota Vikings: 5 Things They Need to Do Right Now

The word on the street is the NFL and its owners and the players association are close to reaching an agreement that will end the lockout. For the Minnesota Vikings and their fans this is great news and cannot happen to soon.

If the Vikings are to have any chance at reversing the slide they took in 2010 they need to get everyone signed and ready for training camp as soon as the lockout is lifted.

With a new coaching staff and a new starting quarterback, there can not be too many reps before the season begins.

While hope springs eternal, the outlook for this fall hinges on what the Vikings can get done quickly in order to be ready for the season opener on September 11th in San Diego.

Here are the first five things the Vikings should do.

Find a Decent Veteran Quarterback

The key for the Minnesota Vikings is to find a veteran quarterback with some life still left in his arm, but without the expectation to start.

Great examples that the Vikings have signed in the past who have stepped up and contributed include Gus Frerotte, Jeff George, and most notably Randall Cunningham.

If the Vikings run into any problems signing Christian Ponder this will become even more important as Joe Webb is not the answer until Ponder is ready to go.

One possible free-agent quarterback the Vikings could sign would be 35 year old Marc Bulger who played for the Ravens last season backing up Joe Flacco. In his career Bulger has thrown 122 touchdowns over eight seasons and has a 84.4 passer rating.  

Beef Up the Defensive Secondary

The Vikings are going to need Chris Cook to step up and contribute this year. Cook only played in six games last season due to meniscus tears in both knees. According to Pro-Football Reference.com defended just two passes in six games and made 15 tackles. 

Cedric Griffin will be attempting to come back from his second torn ACL injury in consecutive years. Griffin only played in two games last season and will need to prove he is ready to take back his starting corner back position.

Because of the injuries to Cook and Griffin, Asher Allen made 11 starts in 2010. Allen's best role may be that of the nickle back. 

Antoine Winfield will be 34 this year, and while he still shows flashes of brilliance (reference the Philadelphia game last December), and he is still a sure tackler, his best days are behind him.

As for the Vikings safeties, Hussain Abdullah took a step in the right direction and tied for the team lead in interceptions with three. 

If the Vikings did draft a couple of corner backs in the draft, Brandon Burton out of Utah was drafted in the fifth round and Mistral Raymond in the sixth. Don't look for either to make a huge impact in 2011.   

Bolster the Offensive Line

The Vikings offensive line showed its age last season. Guards Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera and left tackle Bryant McKinnie are all over 30.

An injured thumb limited Hutchinson to 11 games, and a torn left ACL limited Herrera to ten games. This pressed Ryan Cook and rookie Chris DeGeare into more action than the Vikings may have liked. 

With the shuffling of the offensive line the Vikings offense dropped precipitously from the previous season.

Ranked second in points scored and fifth in yards for 2009 as Minnesota went 12-4, the offense dropped to 29th in points and 23rd in yards in 2010, dropping to last place in the NFC North with a 6-10 record.

The Vikings used their first sixth-round draft pick on DeMarcus Love, a 6-4 315 pound offensive tackle. With a healthy Hutchinson and Herrera it may not not be enough to overcome the age of the Vikings offensive line.

Sign a Wide Receiver or Two

The Minnesota Vikings receiving corp for 2011 right now consists of Percy Harvin—period.

Sure the Vikings still have Bernard Berrian, the invisible man who can go games without being seen, but if they do not re-sign Sidney Rice they are going to be hurting.

Harvin led the Vikings with 71 receptions in 14 games. The next closest receiver was Visanthe Shiancoe with 47. Berrian, who also played in 14 games had only 28 receptions, and no touchdowns.

The Vikings did add a wide receiver from the draft, but if anyone thinks that seventh-round draft pick Stephen Burton from West Texas A&M is the answer, they probably are hoping for the return of Brett Favre and Randy Moss.   

According to Walterfootball.com, Rice is the third best free agent wide receiver available. A quick scan at the rest of the top 10 tells me that vice-president of player personnel, Rick Spielman and head coach Leslie Frazier need to do everything the can to get Rice back into the fold. 

Sign Their Draft Picks—Quickly

The Vikings hope to have several key contributors from this year's draft—none bigger than first-rounder Christian Ponder.

Due to the lock out, a lot of time has been lost in OTA and mini-camps that cannot be made up. While the Vikings are in the same boat as every other team in the NFL, they are the only team in the NFC North whose quarterback situation is relying on a rookie. Any delays in getting Ponder signed so he can start training camp on time will have a detrimental impact on the Vikings. 

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The last thing the Minnesota Vikings need is another Brett Favre distraction!