What to Do? Vikings Wrestle With Offseason Decisions

Well, it's that time of year again, when fans of teams who have lost in the NFL playoffs begin their annual pilgrimage (in their minds of course) to Wishful Land; the place where they play GM, owner, or Shaman. I, with conflicting emotions, therefore journey into that realm of wishing for this and wishing for that when it comes to my team, the Minnesota Vikings.

Ever since that first Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970, I have remained a steadfast fan of the purple and gold from the land of 10,000 lakes, although I confess that I have never been there. I’ve always wanted to go there, but then again, I have always imagined myself waking up next to Sandra Bullock a time or two. A-hem, that was several years ago though.

I guess that I am a product of being a fair-weather fan, but it's hard to criticize a young 'un of six years old and seeing his first game as being a fair-weather fan. My loyalty to the Vikings has been steadfast despite the team’s ups and downs. We pine for the glory days of the 1970s, but must also realize it is a different time and game.

Now, I realize many fans take exception to those (me) stepping into a role I will never fill, and with negligible (although I beg to differ) knowledge of what is happening inside the Viking locker room, because there is no way I could have a pulse on what is going on up there. I agree, but this is not about résumés or insider information.

No, this is about me. I am a fan, therefore I dream. Please indulge me as I get to the point, eventually.

Sometimes there are teams that you just can't beat—for the Vikings it seems to be the Eagles. By my recall, in this new century basically, we have been beaten (2000, 2004 [playoff], 2007, and now 2008/9 [playoff]) by the Eagles. I think Saints and Cardinals fans can commiserate with me on this when I say those teams found it nearly impossible to beat the Vikings, especially in the playoffs.

Anyhow, all is water under the bridge. To scribble the cliché, “It is what it is.” The Vikings look to next year while the Eagles look to next week. So, as we ponder the offseason, let's see if I can do my best imitation of Karnack the Magnificent from Johnny Carson fame.

Immediate needs for the Vikings are as follows: QB, No. 2 WR, DB, C, RT. I will address the QB situation today because it is the most crucial position on offense, perhaps your whole team.

I have been in Tarvaris Jackson’s (TJack) corner ever since they drafted the kid. You always want to see your QBs succeed because they, in great part, dictate the general direction of your franchise. Blow it on the selection, and you spend the next five years recovering—or as in Detroit’s case, 10. In today’s game it is even more important for QBs to develop more quickly or come in ready to go (Flacco, Ryan).

TJack has played well in spurts, and those in his camp will say, look at Eli Manning, or Alex Smith, etc. Good point, but neither Eli nor Alex was blessed with great teams (No. 4 and No. 1 overall explains their organizations at the time of their draft).

TJack was safely taken in the second round (although trading up caused consternation to some) and is basically blessed with one of the most gifted backs in the league, one of the top five O-lines, and a stalwart defense. For every Alex Smith, there’s a Matt Ryan. For every Kyle Boller, there’s a Joe Flacco.

Minnesota must address this position with an emphatic hand. Free agency is always an option at this point, but the choices are few, and the ones with any viability are old (Garcia, Warner, Collins). Do you bring in that UFA to bridge the gap between now and the QB you draft this year? Or do you try your patience with TJack one more year? They are in a tough place.

Many in Minnesota have called for Brad Childress to be fired. They say he lacks imagination or the head coaching gravitas. Perhaps that is true, but you cannot argue with a steadily improving record (6-10, 8-8, 10-6). At that rate he will win 12 games next year, but I don’t want to jinx him. I’ll settle for another division title and a playoff victory.

But Childress has a pressing problem. By moving up in the second round to draft Jackson, he has basically hitched his wagon to him and will forever be linked to that decision. The failure of Jackson is, in essence, the failure of Childress. Did he take a kid who is in over his head? Did he gamble on an un-winnable hand? The jury is clearly out, but Childress now has a problem child, so to speak, and it’s time for tough love.

If you bring in Garcia, TJack knows he is going to sit another year (barring a Garcia injury, which is more prevalent in older players). Will he do that? He’s under contract, so it seems he will have no choice, but the taste in his mouth will sour even more with that prospect.

Let’s say Minnesota stands pat and tries to show support for TJack next season. Well, they tried that this year, and it lasted two games. What if he is the guy and they go 8-8 (again, barring injuries that would help to stem the criticism)?

Here is what I think will happen. I say Childress will say, “We believe in TJack, but whomever we bring in, it will be an open QB competition.” Cute, and nothing like putting people on eggshells. It seems to work more often than not, but I believe TJack is in a fragile state of mind of which he might not ever recover.

However, it is hard to believe that you could bring in a Jeff Garcia and say, “Jeff, the position is not yours—you will have to earn it.” I think Jeff will say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Other than the three QBs mentioned above, the rest are all scrubs and not worth the Vikings' time.

So, what is the other scenario? Viking fans believe they have a team that has about a 3-4 year window for great success, so do you scrub TJack and draft a QB with the 22nd position in this year’s draft, thinking this one will do it for you? There are not a lot of Tom Bradys out there, and even your great ones took a few years to get it done.

So, who will be there though? Most of the Top Guns, if you will, could easily return to college, and the few seniors who are out there would be questionable picks.

The other scenario could be that Minnesota sticks with TJack, takes their chances, and should they falter, the following draft of possibly a class of QBs that could rival 1983 emerges in 2010. That’s a lot to absorb, so let’s stick in the present.

If you have several top-notch QBs declare for the draft, there is a good possibility they could draft one. At 22, or somewhere close to that, one of those QBs could be available and the Vikings could snatch him up. Put the new draftee in a competition with TJack and see what happens.

Flacco beat out Smith and Boller, so if you have a special one, he could do it, but if he doesn’t, you at least have a semi-competent QB in TJack who knows the system.

So, the questions are many, the answers are few. My ideal situation would be for the Vikings to get Garcia and draft a QB in the first round (if a few of the big guns declare). My preferences are McCoy and Bradford because they bring a toughness to the position, and they have tremendous ability.

Then again, I thought that Gradkowski (holy Toledo), struggling in Cleveland with the rest of that organization, and David Greene (Georgia), recently signed to back up the backup Sorgi in Indy, would be good NFL players, but what do I know? I am a fan, therefore I dream.

Talk to you next time, and until then, make every day a day to improve yourself.