Grading the Strength of Every Unit Heading into Minnesota Vikings Camp

The Minnesota Vikings finished the 2011 season with the 31st scoring defense, and the 28th passing offense. To say that the Vikings have plenty of opportunities to improve would be an understatement. 

After finishing 3-13, the worst record since 1984, matching the most losses in a season for the franchise, the only positional unit to grade out better than a C was the defensive line. Defensive end Jared Allen was the main reason for the success of the defensive line. Allen set the Vikings single-season sack record with 22. At the other end of the defensive line, Brian Robison added another eight sacks, giving the Vikings the most sacks by a Vikings duo since 1989.

It was glaringly apparent that the Vikings needed to improve the offensive line, find an outside receiver to stretch the field, upgrade the depth in the defensive backfield and get healthy at some key positions.

The Vikings used their 10 draft picks and signed several free agents to address these needs. The roster currently has 89 players to battle for 53 spots on the final roster.

I have no doubt that the Vikings will be a better team in 2012. Keep in mind that while they will be better, that means winning between five and seven games. Based on that prediction don't expect a lot of high marks for Vikings—at least not yet.

Here's a very early look at the pre-training camp grades for each positional unit.   

Offensive Line

The addition of Matt Kalil provides an instant upgrade to left tackle.

Whether or not that will be enough to improve the Vikings offensive line is a huge question mark.

Gone are both starting guards from last season, Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera. On one hand, the Vikings released 40 percent of the offensive line. On the other, Hutchinson had not started all 16 games since 2009, and Herrera since 2008.

Penciled in to replace them are Charlie Johnson and Geoff Schwartz.

Johnson makes the move from left tackle, the position he played all 16 games last season for the Vikings, and all but five games for the Colts over the previous two seasons. In 2008 he started all 16 games at left guard for the Colts, who finished 12-4. That year quarterback Peyton Manning was only sacked 14 times all season.

Schwartz comes to the Vikings from Carolina. Before a hip injury caused him to miss the entire 2011 season, he started all 16 games for the Panthers in 2010 at right guard.

The only holdovers from last season are right tackle Phil Loadholt and center John Sullivan.

According to a report on Rotoworld.com, Sullivan graded out as the second best center in the league through 14 games last season.

That leaves Loadholt, the Vikings second-round draft pick in 2009, who has started 47 of 48 games since joining the Vikings.

With so much turnover it's tough to determine an accurate grade.

Grade: C+

If the line got a D after last season, then the preseason grade for this unit is a C+. There's definitely an improvement, but time will tell how much. 

Wide Receivers

There's no question who's the leader of the Vikings receiving corp—Percy Harvin.

Harvin led the Vikings in 2011 with 87 receptions for 967 yards and six touchdowns.

Second on the team was Michael Jenkins, who the Vikings signed before the season from Atlanta. He finished with only 38 catches in 11 games—an indication that the Vikings receiving corp was not that good.

The Vikings addressed the position by drafting teammates Greg Childs and Jarius Wright from the University of Arkansas, both in the fourth round.

As a sophomore Childs led the Razorbacks in receptions with 48, and Wright was second with 41.

A torn patella tendon limited Childs during his junior and senior seasons. He only had 21 catches last season, with no touchdowns. The Vikings are counting on him being completely recovered and ready to produce at the next level.

As a senior, Wright led the Razorbacks with 66 receptions for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns. The problem is he plays the same position as Harvin. Wright will most likely have the best chance to make the team, taking over kick returns from Harvin.

The Vikings also added free-agent wide receiver Jerome Simpson from Cincinnati. Simpson must serve a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy after more than two pounds of marijuana were sent to his home in Kentucky while playing for the Bengals.

The 2008 second-round draft choice caught 50 passes for 725 yards and four touchdowns last season in 14 starts.

While the Vikings roster currently has 12 wide receivers listed, the last receiver to make the team will most likely be Devin Aromashodu. The Vikings re-signed him to a one-year deal worth $700,000.

Grade: B-

The Vikings desperately need an upgrade at receiver. The best bet will be Simpson when he returns from his suspension.

Tight Ends

Gone are Visanthe Shiancoe (free agent) and Jim Kleinsasser (retired).

In their place are free agent John Carlson and fourth-round draft pick Rhett Ellison.

The Vikings paid a hefty price of $25 million for five years to the former Seahawk, who did not play in 2011 due to a shoulder injury. 

The signing was also curious based on the fact the Vikings had Kyle Rudolph, who they drafted in the second round out of Notre Dame last season.

Perhaps they are trying to replicate the success the Patriots had with tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, both of whom the Patriots drafted in 2010. Gronkowski had 90 catches for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Hernandez caught 79 passes for 910 yards and seven touchdowns.

If the Vikings can get anywhere near that kind of production from Carlson and Rudolph, it will be a fun offense to watch.

Ellison was selected between Arkansas receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs with one of the Vikings three draft picks in the fourth round.

How well quarterback Christian Ponder will be able to distribute the a ball between the tight ends will be a key for the Vikings in 2012. 

Grade: C

There's just not enough to go on here for any better than that.

Running Backs

Right now the most important running back for the Vikings might be Toby Gerhart.

That's because the Vikings roster only contains five running backs, and after Adrian Peterson, who is recovering from an ACL/MCL injury to his left knee, and Gerhart, only Lex Hilliard has any NFL experience.

Since being drafted in the sixth round by the Dolphins in 2008, Hilliard has only 39 carries for 139 yards over three seasons in Miami.

While Peterson is pushing hard to be ready by Week 1, when the Vikings host the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 9th, the Vikings would be wise to ease him in slowly. They need to ensure that he is completely healed before piling the Vikings entire running game on him.

Gerhart did a fantastic job filling in for Peterson in 2011. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 109 attempts for a total of 531 yards last season.

Grade: B

While the Vikings can boast the best running back in the NFL before he blew out his knee, Peterson will need to prove he is as good as ever, and ready to contribute another 1,000-yard rushing season.

Quarterback

For any Vikings fans who are looking forward to the competition for the starting quarterback position—forget about it.

Christian Ponder is the starter, Joe Webb is the backup and Sage Rosenfels is the third-string emergency quarterback.

Don't even bring up the argument that Webb is more athletic and had a higher passer rating in 2011. The Vikings are of the mindset that you do not use a first-round draft choice on a quarterback to have him sit on the bench.

Ponder will benefit from being able to participate in the team's OTA's and experience a full mini camp, but he is still only in his second year in the league. 

Sam Bradford was 1-9 for the Rams in his second year, and it wasn't until his third season that Matt Stafford led the Lions to the playoffs.

Grade: C

Expect a few more growing pains this season as Ponder continues to find his groove with the Vikings. There will be an improvement.

Defensive Line

Time to switch to the defensive side of the ball.

Jared Allen leads the strongest unit on the entire roster—the defensive line. This includes the performance of the now departed Remi Ayodele, who contributed only 1.5 sacks and four tackles last season.

Allen set the Vikings single-season record for sacks with 22, surpassing Chris Doleman's mark of 21 set in 1989.

Brian Robison added eight sacks of his own and back-up defensive end Everson Griffen added another four.

Defensive tackle Kevin Williams, who opened last season with a two-game suspension, is the Vikings' longest tenured player, ready for his 10th season in the NFL.

The other defensive tackle position will be filled by one or more of the trio, Letroy Guion, Fred Evans and Christian Ballard.

Grade: B+

Still the strongest unit on the roster.

Linebackers

The Vikings starting linebackers will have another new face for the second consecutive season.

Last year, Erin Henderson replaced Ben Leber at outside linebacker. For 2012 Jasper Brinkley is set to takeover for E.J. Henderson at middle linebacker.

Erin Henderson finished with 44 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first year as a starter.

Brinkley, a fifth-round draft choice of the Vikings in 2009, started four games for the Vikings in his rookie season. He finished with 22 tackles in the most extensive action he has seen.

Last year Brinkley missed the entire season after having hip surgery in September.

The most consistent part of the Vikings linebackers has been Chad Greenway. Since his second year as a starter in 2008 he has led the Vikings in tackles every season. 

The Vikings are going to need some depth at linebacker. There are nine linebackers on the roster, but only Henderson, Brinkley and Greenway have any starting experience.

Don't expect seventh-round draft choice Audie Cole from N.C. State to provide that depth. 

Grade: C

The Vikings better hope their starting linebackers stay healthy.

Cornerbacks

The Vikings passing defense was last in the NFL last season, allowing a league-high 32 touchdown passes.

Antoine Winfield was limited to only five games after breaking his collar bone and Chris Cook was limited to only six games after being suspended by the team after being charged with domestic assault.

That left an ineffective Cedric Griffin, who was attempting a return from two knee injuries within 10 months, and Benny Sapp, who was released after Week 1 by Miami and was available for the Vikings to sign for the last seven games of the season.

The Vikings signed free agents Chris Carr from Baltimore, who started all 16 games for the Ravens in 2010, and Zack Bowman, a four-year veteran from Chicago.

They also drafted cornerback Josh Robinson from Central Florida in the third round. According to WalterFootball.com, Robinson was the sixth-best cornerback in the draft.

The Vikings are throwing a lot of players at the position, with 11 on the roster, in hopes that someone sticks.

Grade: C

A healthy Winfield will help to improve the Vikings worst position on the field, but to just a passing grade.

Safeties

The Vikings moved up from the third pick in Round 2 of the draft in order to select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith in the first round. In the fifth round they drafted his teammate, Robert Blanton, a cornerback for the Irish who will make the switch to safety.  

Smith moves to the top of the depth chart for the Vikings, which includes last year's starter Jamarca Sanford, the Vikings seventh round pick in 2009.

Of the Vikings six safeties on the roster, Sanford has the most experience with 18 starts in his three seasons. Mistral Raymond, a rookie sixth-round draft choice of the Vikings last year, is second with the five starts. Raymond filled in for Husain Abdullah, who only played nine games last season, after suffering a concussion.

Even with so little experience on the roster, the talent level of the position has to be better than last season.

Grade: C

With at least either one rookie, or a second-year player back there at safety, there will be some mistakes made.