Minnesota Vikings: 5 Early Winners and Losers of the Offseason

With the Minnesota Vikings' OTAs wrapped up and the roster bloated with the NFL-maximum 90 players, there are still more questions than answers to who makes the final roster.

Coming off a franchise tying mark for the most losses in a season, there are plenty of positions yet to be won in training camp and through the first three exhibition games. Rick Spielman, in his first year as the Vikings general manager, has made plenty of moves to reshape the roster with more than half the players new to the franchise.

Spielman parted ways with eight starters from last season including both starting guards, Steve Hutchinson, now in Tennessee, and Anthony Herrera and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe from the offense.

Gone from the defense are cornerbacks Cedric Griffin, who signed a one-year deal with the Redskins, and Benny Sapp who started three games for the depleted Vikings secondary. Safety Husain Abdullah, who started nine games before suffering a concussion, and linebacker E.J. Henderson, who has been the mainstay at middle linebacker since 2004, are still unsigned and looking to find a team.

Nose tackle Remi Ayodele finds himself back in New Orleans after lasting only one season in Minnesota.

While these, and a few others released by the Vikings, are the clear losers this offseason, there are still some players whose road got a little tougher with some of the moves made.

At the same time there are some clear winners whose spots in the roster are as strong as they has ever been, whether through ascension of the depth chart because of the jettisoned players, or because the threat behind them has been trimmed back or removed altogether. 

Here are five winners and five losers this early in the 2012 season. 

Winner: Offensive Lineman Charlie Johnson

Let's start on the positive side with one of the winners.

Matt Miller, the lead NFL writer for Bleacher Report ranked Charlie Johnson dead last in the NFL for left tackles.

Johnson was signed as a free agent to provide some depth to the Vikings offense line in 2011. He was forced into the starting lineup after being asked to make the move to left tackle when the Vikings released starter Bryant McKinnie when he showed up to training camp out of shape and overweight. 

With the draft of USC left tackle Matt Kalil with the fourth pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Johnson has been relieved of the duty to protect Christian Ponder's blindside.

Instead, he makes the move to guard and will find himself between Kalil and center John Sullivan.

Johnson is no stranger to the position, having started all 16 games for the Colts at left guard in 2008.

With the release of both starting guards from last season, and little experience to back up the line, Johnson retains his starting job on the Vikings offensive line.

It is almost impossible for Johnson to be as bad as he was last season.

Loser: Safety Jamarca Sanford

After finishing 2011 with the worst pass-defense in the NFL by allowing 34 touchdown passes, the Vikings have made several moves to improve the safety position.

After only one season as a starter, Jamarca Sanford is on the bubble to be demoted back to being a special teams player, and Husain Abdullah, a two-year starter, is no longer with the team.

In a report from Tom Pelissero from 1500ESPN, Vikings first-round draft pick Harrison Smith got some reps with the starting defensive unit during last week's OTAs. Sanford was splitting time with second-year safety Mistral Raymond, the Vikings' sixth-round pick from last year.

The Vikings also used their fifth-round draft pick to select Smith's teammate, Robert Blanton, who is making the transition from cornerback to safety, will also get a long look during training camp.

Loser: Wide Receiver Stephen Burton

The Vikings roster currently has 12 wide receivers. The Vikings will most likely only keep six of them on the active roster.

Stephen Burton was the Vikings' last draft choice, taken 236th overall in the seventh round. The wide receiver from West Texas A&M spent most of the season on the practice squad, making his NFL debut in the final three games of the season.

He finished with two receptions for 38 yards.

If Burton had any plans on an expanded role in 2012, that task has gotten a lot tougher. In order to get promoted from the practice squad to the active roster last season it took the release of Bernard Berrian and an injury to Michael Jenkins.

This offseason, the Vikings signed free-agent Jerome Simpson and drafted Arkansas receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs in the fourth round, and also added several undrafted free agents. 

Winner: Tight End John Carlson

John Carlson has it pretty good. The four-year veteran from Notre Dame signed a five-year $25 million contract with his home-state team.

A second-round draft pick of Seattle in 2008, Carlson averaged 46 receptions for 506 yards and four touchdowns in his first three seasons as the Seahawks starting tight end.

He missed the entire 2011 season after requiring surgery to repair a torn labrum suffered last September.

He replaces Visanthe Shiancoe, to whom the Vikings did not offer a contract. Shiancoe averaged 42 catches, 485 yards and five touchdowns over his five seasons in Minnesota.

Winner: Middle Linebacker Jasper Brinkley

With the release of E.J. Henderson, the reins of the Vikings defense have been turned over to Jasper Brinkley.

Brinkley, the Vikings' fifth-round draft pick in 2009, started the last four games at middle linebacker that season after Henderson suffered a broken leg in Week 13.

With Henderson's return in 2010, Brinkley was limited to a backup and special teams player.

In 2011, like tight end John Carlson, Brinkley missed the entire season with a hip injury. Still things are looking up for Brinkley when you see what the Vikings have behind him.

The roster currently has nine linebackers on it and besides Brinkley, Chad Greenway and Erin Henderson, the only player with any NFL experience is Marvin Mitchell.

The Vikings signed Mitchell as a free agent after playing four seasons in New Orleans and last season in Miami. Mainly a special teams player, Mitchell has only three starts on defense.

Loser: Tight End Kyle Rudolph

As is the case most times, when someone wins, someone else loses.

Kyle Rudolph worked his way into the starting lineup in 2011. He started eight games in his rookie season, finishing with 26 receptions for 249 yards and three touchdowns.

The problem is the Vikings didn't spend $25 million to sign fellow Notre Dame tight end John Carlson to play behind Rudolph. The second-year player, who should see plenty of action, will once again have to battle his way into the starting lineup.

Winner: Running Back Toby Gerhart

Toby Gerhart has a tremendous opportunity in front of him. 

Head coach Leslie Frazier has indicated that Gerhart would have an expanded role in 2012.

Even though Adrian Peterson has the lofty goal of making his return on the field in time for the Vikings opener against the Jaguars on September 9th, Gerhart will get the bulk of the carries early in the season.

Last season Gerhart had the opportunity to start five games for the Vikings. He finished the season with a 4.9 average with 531 yards, second only to Peterson's 970 rushing yards.

He added three touchdown catches, good enough for second on the team behind Percy Harvin's six touchdown receptions.

No doubt that once Peterson is completely recovered from his knee injury, Gerhart will be moved back to a support role, but until then it's good to know the Vikings still have a capable back to run the ball.

Loser: Wide Receiver Michael Jenkins

It's obvious from the Vikings moves this offseason that Michael Jenkins, who signed a three-year deal in 2011, is on his way out as a starter.

A three-game suspension for newly signed free agent Jerome Simpson is the only reason Jenkins will be a starter to open the season.

By Week 4 in Detroit the starting wide receivers will be Percy Harvin and Simpson.

Fourth-round draft pick Greg Childs and Devin Aromashodu will add some competition for Jenkins as the third receiver.

The nine-year veteran who spent the first eight seasons in Atlanta has never been the featured receiver in the offense, and that won't be the case in 2012.

Biggest Winner: Christian Ponder

The biggest winner this offseason has been Christian Ponder.

There are no washed up veterans named to be the starter and no labor disputes preventing him from participating in the full regime of OTAs.

Ponder will benefit from taking all of the reps with the first unit as the Vikings starting quarterback. With no quarterback controversy, and the experience of 11-year veteran Sage Rosenfels to call upon, Ponder is in position to make this his team.

Biggest Loser: Christian Ponder

As well as being the biggest winner this offseason, Christian Ponder is also the biggest loser.

Right now the entire hope of the Vikings turnaround is in his hands.

After finishing the 2011 season with a 2-8 record, and the lowest quarterback rating among Donovan McNabb (82.9), Joe Webb (74.6) and himself (70.1), the pressure will be on to get the Vikings back to winning—and quickly.

The Vikings addressed the needs of the offensive line by drafting the consensus best non-quarterback player in the draft, left tackle Matt Kalil.

The Vikings' receiving corp has been upgraded with the free-agent signings of John Carlson, a pass-catching tight end, and Jerome Simpson, a deep threat at wide receiver.

The Vikings also used two draft picks to select Arkansas wide receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs. 

Playing in the NFC North against opposing quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler will also lead to some unfavorable comparisons.

The Vikings are in the midst of rebuilding, and it will take time get the Vikings back on track, time that many fans may not be willing to give. Ponder will be the first player in the sights of those fans when the team stumbles.