Can The Minnesota Vikings Win The NFC North in 2009?

Coming into the 2009 season, Vikings fans are as excited as they have always been. The uncontrollable eagerness to succeed has not changed in the slightest bit. What will the 2009 season bring for the Minnesota Vikings?

Minnesota was a good team last year that went through it's ups-and-downs, but most teams in the league suffer the same fate. The Vikings finished with a 10-6 record, good enough to get them into the playoffs.

In the first round, Minnesota was scheduled to face the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that ended the season on a hot streak.

The Vikings started the game out cold and could never really get their rhythm together. To make a long story short, Minnesota lost 26-14 in a disappointing effort.

After that, Minnesota's hopes of winning their first Super Bowl did not diminish. They still had a point to prove, and they intended on making it as soon as possible.

Coming into the off-season, many people expected the Vikings to make very little free-agency moves, like they normally do. Minnesota tried to make a run at wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but the Seattle Seahawks outbid them.

Minnesota instead decided to re-sign most of their own key free-agents. They re-signed Heath Farwell, Fred Evans, Naufahu Tahi, and others.

The Vikings opted not to re-sign Darren Sharper, and also let Matt Birk go to the Baltimore Ravens. Matt spent his entire career with the Vikings before signing with Baltimore.

The draft was soon to come after all of this turmoil. Minnesota was expected to either draft a right tackle or a wide receiver in the first round. In the end, the Vikings went with a wide receiver.

Draft Recap

1. Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver, Florida

This pick came as a surprise to me. I started making bets that the Vikings wouldn't pick Harvin. I'm glad I did not shake any hands on this deal. Minnesota made a great pick, though. Harvin will be a huge addition to the offense and the return game.

2. Phil Loadholt, Right Tackle, Oklahoma

Phil Loadholt played left tackle at Oklahoma, but Brad Childress expects Loadholt to move to the right tackle spot without any complications. Loadholt was a great pick in the second round.

3. Asher Allen, Cornerback, Georgia

With D.J. Moore available, I definitely thought the Vikings would take him. To my surprise, they decided to go with the former Georgia Bulldog, Asher Allen. I liked this pick because Allen will provide good depth, and could one day become a starter.

4. Jasper Brinkley, Middle Linebacker, South Carolina

Everybody knows the Vikings lack depth at linebacker. This pick made sense, and in my opinion, Brinkley was a steal in the fifth round.

5. Jamarca Sanford, Strong Safety, Ole Miss

Sanford was expected to go much earlier than what he did. This makes him a late-round steal. He will play behind last year's second-round-pick, Tyrell Johnson.

Minnesota had a great draft. All of these picks made sense and they will be of great value in the 2009 season. Expect all of these players to make some sort of impact in their NFL careers.

Obviously, the best pick was Percy Harvin. He should be a dynamic receiver and a great play-maker for the next years to come.

Some of the "experts" thought the Vikings didn't make the right moves to put themselves at the top of the NFC. They must think it's an easy thing to do.

Often times people overlook the Vikings and then are burned when they doubt them the very most. Do not be surprised by Minnesota next year. They have tremendous talent and will utilize it to the fullest.

Brett Favre

Shortly after the draft, the rumblings of Brett Favre returning to the NFL began to come up in conversations once again.

Favre was released from the New York Jets April 29, two months after he made his second public retirement. Not many people believed that Favre was once again "Done with the NFL".

Immediately after, reporters put out articles that Favre was contemplating a possible chance of living his dream. Playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

Childress had a meeting with Favre a week later to discuss whether Favre wanted to come back to the NFL to play again. Favre declined this chance, and decided he was definitely done playing.

The hope in the heart of Vikings fans was crushed. Most people thought he was true to his statement. I admit I was one of those people.

On May 8, it was reported that if Favre did not need major surgery on his shoulder, he would choose to sign with the Vikings. This report has since then been proven false.

Are these Favre's games, or is the public making up whatever they want just so that they can get a quick read? My gut tells me that it's the public.

The Brett Favre saga will continue until August. Somehow, someway, Favre will make his glamorous return that is supposed to "shock the world." Trust me, this time, not many people will be all that surprised.

If Favre doesn't return, what will the Vikings do? Will they still be a legitimate contender in the NFC?

Offense

Quarterback

This has been a problem for the Vikings since Daunte Culpepper went out with an injury in 2005. Since then, this position has been filled by mainly average players at best.

Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte split time at quarterback last season, but neither of them had huge success. Jackson was hot down the stretch, though.

Minnesota brought in Sage Rosenfels from the Houston Texans for a fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft. Right off the bat Rosenfels was disrespected, and people thought the Vikings made an awful trade. I was one of the few that actually liked the trade Minnesota made.

Rosenfels has spent the majority of his career as a backup. He only started when the quarterback ahead of him went down with an injury. This happened in 2008 when Matt Schaub was hurt for several weeks.

Rosenfels won't blow you away with these career numbers. In his career, he has 30 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. Right away, you assume that he's an inaccurate quarterback that deserves to be a backup at best.

I'm going to give him the respect he deserves. Sure, he won't be a pro-bowler, but he's going to be a true leader for the offense next year.

Also on the roster is former second-round pick, Tarvaris Jackson. He is known as a quarterback that can't seem to lead a team to victory when the game is in clutch situations.

Coming out of college, Childress was very high on Jackson's skills and athleticism. He was even compared to current Eagles quarterback, Donovan McNabb. This might be the reason why Jackson is still on the roster.

Jackson has this year to prove himself. If he doesn't show what kind of quarterback he has the potential to be, Jackson will be gone quicker than he could say, "Pick-6!"

At the Vikings' third-string quarterback spot is John David Booty. Minnesota drafted Booty with their fifth-round pick in 2008.

He won't start anytime soon, but he will continue to work his way up to possibly one day starting for the Vikings. For now, JDB is strictly a project player and nothing more than that.


Running Back

The Vikings have been a great running team for the past three years. Minnesota ranked fifth in the league with 146.1 rushing yards per game in 2008.

Minnesota was one of the better running back tandems with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor.

Peterson is a great running back, and is considered by some to be the best running back in the entire league. He will be an MVP candidate for the 2009 season.

Minnesota selected Peterson with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft. They had the choice between Brady Quinn and Peterson, but they chose to go with the surprise pick, a running back from Oklahoma.

Peterson has made the Pro Bowl for the past two seasons, even winning the award for MVP in the Pro Bowl back after the 2007 season when he was a rookie.

To back-up Peterson is former 1,000-yard rusher, Taylor. He was signed in 2006 after being an average player with the Baltimore Ravens.

Taylor was expected to start for the Vikings in 2006, and he did so. He wracked up over 1,000 yards on the season. Still, Taylor didn't get the respect of all Vikings fans.

The Vikings did not select a running back in the draft, but they were expected to sign one after the draft was over. Minnesota signed the best running back available, Ian Johnson.

Johnson was a great player at Boise State, who is known for the infamous two-point-conversion in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. He also proposed to his girlfriend at the time right after the game.


Fullback

The Cincinnati Bengals tried to sign Naufahu Tahi, but the Vikings decided to re-sign him to a one-year-deal. Tahi isn't a great fullback, but for now, he will work.

Set to play the halfback position is Garrett Mills. He could become a Chris Cooley like player, but Mills needs to continue to work on his game before that can happen.


Wide Receiver

Last year, Minnesota picked up one of the best wide receivers of the free-agency market, Bernard Berrian. Berrian led the Vikings in receiving yards and catches last season.

In his first season with the Vikings, Berrian totaled seven touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards receiving. He impressed fans from the very beginning with his speed and ability to burn defenders.

Berrian could potentially be a candidate to make the Pro Bowl next season. If Minnesota can get the quarterback situation under control, Berrian will be able to adjust to a set signal caller.

As I mentioned earlier is the Vikings' 2009 first-round pick, Percy Harvin. Harvin was a great player at Florida. He both caught passes and even ran the ball on numerous occasions. He is a dynamic player for sure.

Harvin will likely be the No. 2 receiver behind Berrian if everything pans out the way it should. Harvin is an incredible athlete who will have a very successful career with the Vikings.

Likely to play in the slot position is Bobby Wade. Wade has played mainly in the slot during his two seasons with the Vikings.

Wade was one of the more important players on the Vikings offense. In 2007, he dropped a lot of easy balls, but he fixed this problem last year.

Do you remember Sidney Rice? He was the Vikings' second-round pick in 2007. He was expected to be a great player for Minnesota.

Rice has great size at 6'4", but injury problems have ruined his career. Expect Rice to come back in a big way next season.

Likely to battle it out for the last wide receiver spot are Glenn Holt, Aundrae Allison, Jaymar Johnson, and Darius Reynaud

I expect Holt to get the job because he was signed to be the kick returner for the Vikings. He hasn't been much of a factor in his career, but he definitely deserves a spot on Minnesota's roster.


Tight End

Visanthe Shiancoe really came into his own last year. He caught a total of 42 passes for 596 yards. Shiancoe also wracked up seven receiving touchdowns.

Right away I wrote him off as being a bust acquisition. He's shown me that he has learned the offense and has it down pat.

Shiancoe will continue to be a very important part of the offense next year. He's a great tight end who will only get better.

Playing the role of blocking tight end is Jim Kleinsasser. Minnesota re-signed Kleinsasser this off-season. This was a very smart move by the Vikings.

He provides great blocking and is a good locker-room player who can be a mentor to the future players on the Vikings offense to come.

Likely to make the third spot for tight ends is Jeff Dugan. He has never been a factor whatsoever for the Vikings, but he will likely be on the team for depth purposes only.


Offensive Line

Starting at left tackle next season will be Bryant McKinnie. He has run into some legal troubles, but he is still a force on the offensive line. His troubles could lead him to getting suspended for a few games, though.

McKinnie is 6'8", 335 pounds, and is a phenomenal blocker. He was the Vikings' first-round-selection back in 2002, and since then he has not disappointed.

Likely to back-up McKinnie at left tackle is former USC Trojan, Drew Radovich. He was injured for all of the 2008 season, but he should be 100 percent for next season.

To start at left guard is the best guard in the NFL, Steve Hutchinson. He has made the Pro Bowl in all three seasons that he's been with the Vikings. He has also started in 96 straight games.

The Vikings signed Hutchinson to a huge deal after his contract expired with the Seattle Seahawks. All Minnesota fans loved this signing. They knew the Vikings were getting a great offensive lineman.

Likely to back-up Hutch is former Wisconsin Badger, Andy Kemp. Kemp went un-drafted in this year's draft, but he was a great free-agent signing for the Vikings.

To start at center will likely be former Notre Dame star, John Sullivan.  He has only been in the league for one year, but the Vikings have high expectations for him already.

Sullivan is only 23, but he is a very intelligent player that will do his best to try and fill in Birk's shoes.

Looking to possibly challenge Sullivan for a starting job is Jon Cooper. Cooper went un-drafted also, but he was expected to be a sixth-to-seventh round draft pick. He could be the Vikings' starting center in 2009.

Likely to be the long-snapper for the Vikings is Cullen Loeffler. He is a five-year veteran from Texas.

Anthony Herrera will start for the Vikings at right guard. In my opinion, Herrera is vastly underrated.

He will continue to impress fans next year with his devoted effort despite the fact that he isn't appreciated by most.

Behind Herrera will be Artis Hicks. He spent all of last year playing at right tackle. Hicks was a failure at this spot which leads me to believe that he will move back to guard.

To start at right tackle should be former Oklahoma Sooner, Phil Loadholt. Minnesota spent a second-round pick on this monster.

Loadholt is 6'8", 330 pounds. He is a great blocker, but he doesn't have the greatest speed or first step.

Set to back-up Loadholt is Ryan Cook. He has been disappointing since the Vikings drafted him. Cook was a center when he played at New Mexico. He could find his way back there next year.


Defense

Defensive End

Likely to start at defensive end will be Ray Edwards. He had a disappointing season in 2008, but this was mainly due to his injuries.

He has great size at 6'5", 270 pounds, but he just needs to find his rhythm with the defense. Edwards is still young and could potentially be a force on the defensive line next year.

To compete for the starting job is Brian Robison, a former defensive star at the University of Texas.

Robison has been respected by the Vikings fans ever since the team drafted him in 2007. He gives a tremendous effort every time he is in the game.

To battle for the third-strong spot are Otis Grigsby and Jayme Mitchell. They are both very young players that will provide great depth behind Robison and Edwards.

At right end will be one of the better defensive ends in the league, Jared Allen. He wracked up a total of 14.5 sacks last season, and he wasn't 100 percent in a few of those 16 games.

Allen was brought in for a first- and third-round pick last year from the Kansas City Chiefs. Minnesota desperately needed help at defensive end after Kenechi Udeze was diagnosed with leukemia.

To play, but very seldom, behind Allen will be Udeze, a former first-round pick out of USC. Udeze missed all of last season due to his on-going battle with leukemia.

Since then, Udeze has recovered and is now back and ready for the challenge of football to come his way. He should be an important part of the team next year.

If Minnesota decides to have six defensive ends, the likely sixth member will be Ellis Wyms. Wyms is an eight-year veteran from Mississippi State.


Defensive Tackle

To start at defensive tackle will be former first-round selection, Kevin Williams. Williams was a force on the Vikings defensive line last season. He recorded 8.5 sacks, and 60 tackles in 2008.

Williams was drafted in the first round in 2003 and has not disappointed the Vikings at all since they drafted him. He has 42.5 career sacks.

Williams will continue to dominate the opposing offensive line next year with his great size and surprising speed.

Backing the big-man up will be Fred Evans, a three-year player from Texas State. He totaled 16 tackles last season.

To battle out for the third spot will be Letroy Guion and Kenderick Allen. Guion was the Vikings fifth-round pick in 2008. He hardly played last season, though.


Nose Tackle

As usual, the starter at nose tackle will be "fat" Pat Williams. He is nearly 37, but he still has a lot of game left inside his BIG tank.

He made 44 tackles last season, but only had one sack. He has never been known for getting a lot of sacks. He only has 18.5 career sacks in 12 seasons.

Look for this to likely be his last season with the Vikings, though. Pat Williams will likely hang up the cleats after this next season.

Likely to back-up Pat Williams is Jimmy Kennedy. He was a first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams back in 2003. He has bounced around to several teams including the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears.

Kennedy is a very inconsistent player, but he should be stable enough for the Vikings to give him a roster spot in 2009.


Strongside Linebacker

To start at strongside linebacker will be former first-round pick from Iowa, Chad Greenway. He was the Vikings first-round selection back in 2006.

Greenway went down with a devastating injury prior to his rookie season in 2006. He didn't play in a single down all season long.

Now, Greenway is back and is one of the better linebackers in the NFC North. He had 115 tackles last year, and his numbers should continue to rise this next season.

Backing up Greenway will be the Vikings best special team player, Heath Farwell. He missed all of last season, but he will be back next season to make an impact on a Vikings special teams unit that was one of the worst in the league.

To possibly battle for the third spot will be Erin Henderson and David Herron. Henderson is the younger brother of Vikings star linebacker, E.J. Henderson.


Middle Linebacker

Back from injury to start at middle linebacker will be E.J. Henderson. He missed the majority of the 2008 season with an injury.

Henderson is a fantastic linebacker who was the second-round pick for the Vikings back in 2003. In 2001, at Maryland, he was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

It came as a shock to most that Henderson wasn't selected in the first round. Minnesota was very thankful to get such a stud in the second round.

Set to back-up Henderson is the Vikings' fifth-round pick in 2008, Jasper Brinkley. Brinkley was a phenomenal player at South Carolina. He was expected to go in the third or fourth round by some people.

He has tremendous size at 6'2", 265 pounds. Expect Jasper to have an impact somehow on the Vikings this coming season.


Weakside Linebacker

Ben Leber, as usual, will start at weakside linebacker. In my opinion, Leber isn't as respected for his abilities as the other Viking linebackers are. He has been devoted to the team since they signed him a few years ago.

Leber totaled 64 tackles along with a forced fumble and two interceptions last season. He is only 30, and still has a lot of game left in him, although some say that he doesn't.

Who will back-up Leber at weakside linebacker? My gut tells me that it'll be Napolean Harris, even though he does not normally play at that position. I think he could adapt well to it, though.

He filled in nicely for Henderson at middle linebacker, but I doubt he stays there next year, especially after they drafted Brinkley. Nonetheless, Harris had a total of 32 tackles last season.


Cornerback

There are two starting cornerbacks on every team, of course, so technically Antoine Winfield isn't the only starter, but he is the best cornerback on the Vikings squad.

Winfield made the Pro Bowl last year after one of his best seasons of his entire career. Many disrespect Winfield because of his size and how he has started to age. He is still a tremendous cornerback.

Hopefully, Minnesota can find a way to re-sign this guy as soon as possible. The Vikings defense would be nowhere near as good without his services.

At the second cornerback spot will be Cedric Griffin, one of the more improved players on the Vikings team from last year.

Griffin still has a lot to prove, but he is still young and has a lot of time to show how good of a player that he really is. He was the second-round pick for the Vikes back in 2006.

Behind both Winfield and Griffin will be Asher Allen. The Vikings spent a third-round pick on Asher in the 2009 draft. As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely loved this pick.

Allen is a very under-rated player who will fit in nicely, and should become a great player eventually with the likes of Winfield to mentor him throughout his career.

Also behind Griffin and Winfield is Charles Gordon. Minnesota re-signed Gordon this off-season. I felt that it was a smart move as far as depth purposes go. He can also return punts and kicks.

The fifth cornerback behind these four should be Karl Paymah. The Vikings signed Paymah after his contract expired with the Broncos this off-season. He should be a good addition to the team.

Minnesota doesn't often keep six cornerbacks on the roster, but with the talent they have now, they must do so. The last spot will go down to either Benny Sapp, Marcus McCauley, or De'Von Hall.


Free Safety

The Vikings brought in Madieu Williams after his contract expired with the Bengals after the 2007 season.

He missed a few games last year, but still managed to get 42 tackles and two interceptions.

Madieu is a five-year veteran from Maryland where he was a teammate of E.J. Henderson.

Behind Madieu will be un-drafted rookie, Colt Anderson. The Vikings chomped at the bit to sign Anderson after nobody drafted him at all. They knew he was a special player that they needed to have.

Childress apparently really likes this kid, so that must mean that he is a fairly talented football player.

Behind both Williams and Anderson should be Eric Frampton. Frampton is a two-year player from Washington State University.


Strong Safety

To step in and start for Darren Sharper for the first time is Tyrell Johnson. Minnesota spent a second-round pick on Tyrell back in 2008. He had seven starts and appeared in all 16 games this past season.

I wrote an article about him, titled, "Why Tyrell Johnson will be the future of the Vikings secondary". That will tell you all about the kind of player that Tyrell is.

Backing up Johnson will be the Vikings' seventh-round pick in this year's draft, Jamarca Sanford. He was a great player at the University of Ole Miss.

I believe Sanford was a steal for where Minnesota got him at in the draft. He will be a great depth player for his first few seasons.


Special Teams

Kicker

As usual, Minnesota's kicker will be Ryan Longwell. Longwell is one of the most accurate kickers in the entire league. He made 29 out of 34 field goals last year. He will continue to have impressive numbers in the 2009 season.


Punter

Chris Kluwe has slowly became one of the better punters in the entire league. He often makes punts that land the opposing team within the first 20 yards of Vikings' territory. He might not be the most important part, but he is a contributor anyways.


Long Snapper

Likely to be the long snapper for the Vikings is center, Cullen Loeffler.


Early Predicted Record for the 2009 Season

Minnesota lost two good players, but they made up for them with good draft choices and also great depth behind those two spots. Look for the Vikings to be one of the better teams in the entire NFC next season.

2009 predicted finish: 11-5, first place NFC North, third seed in NFC