Minnesota Vikings' 2015 Offseason To-Do List

The Minnesota Vikings (7-9) concluded their 2014 NFL season last weekend—finishing third in the NFC North division—with a win over the Chicago Bears (5-11). Since there will be no playoffs for Minnesota this season, the offseason has started a little bit earlier than the team and its fans would have hoped.

Around this time last year, general manager Rick Spielman and Vikings upper management were busy solving a number of important questions related to the future of their franchise. It has only been one season since the Vikings revamped their coaching staff, but it appears the team has the right personnel in place to get this team playing in January again.

Although Minnesota will not be cleaning house like the Bears or New York Jets, there are still plenty of issues to address this offseason in order to get this team ready for a more successful 2015 season.

Minnesota improved considerably last year, and a second consecutive successful offseason would go a long way towards achieving the lofty goals multiple Vikings players have already set for 2015.

Let's take a look at a few things that, at the very least, should be on the Vikings' to-do list this offseason.

Find Cordarrelle Patterson a Mentor

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After bursting onto the scene in electric fashion as a rookie in 2013, Cordarrelle Patterson was expected by many to break out in a big way this year. Instead, the former first-round draft selection took a massive step backward, and now many are questioning if he will ever become the No. 1 wide receiver the Vikings need him to be.

Patterson began the 2014 season in dynamic fashion, scoring a 67-yard rushing touchdown against the St. Louis Rams in a Vikings Week 1 victory. By season's end, however, Patterson had been benched in favor of Charles Johnson, who Minnesota signed in mid-September off the Cleveland Browns' practice squad.

There is no doubting Patterson's talent. He possesses an explosive, game-changing ability few other current players can match. However, he is still very raw and desperately needs to refine his fundamentals before he can become a consistent contributor to the Vikings at the wide receiver position.

One of the best ways to develop a raw talent is to have him mentored by a player who has had success in a similar position in the past, and it sounds like the Vikings have an offseason plan for Patterson.

As noted by Judd Zulgad of 1500 ESPN, Mike Zimmer revealed during his season-ending press conference that he has spoken with a mystery individual about working with Patterson this offseason.

It is unknown who this mystery individual is at this time, but Zulgad speculated about the possibility of it being former Vikings wide receiver and Hall of Famer Cris Carter due to his involvement with a number of wide receivers throughout the years.

Regardless of whether the person Zimmer spoke with is Carter, Randy Moss or someone else entirely, this is a brilliant course of action to take with Patterson.

Patterson needs guidance, and he needs it from someone who he can level with. Obviously offensive coordinator Norv Turner and wide receivers coach George Stewart know their fair share about developing wide receivers, but another strong influence certainly wouldn't hurt—especially if it is someone who Patterson can relate better with on a personal level.

Although Patterson's role was dramatically reduced by the end of the 2014 season, he still is expected to be a key cog in the Vikings' future. As a result, Patterson's development should be (and is) considered a top priority for Minnesota this offseason, and finding a proper mentor for him is an excellent place to start.

Re-Sign Tom Johnson

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Similar to every other NFL team, the Vikings will be forced to address a number of expiring contracts this offseason. Fourteen players who were a part of Minnesota's 2014 roster will become free agents this offseason, including backup quarterback Christian Ponder and long-time fullback Jerome Felton, according to Spotrac.

Among the team's impending free agents is defensive tackle Tom Johnson, who signed a one-year contract with Minnesota during the 2014 offseason.

Johnson wasn't a starter, but there is no doubting his importance to the success of the Vikings defensive line this season.

In a rotational role, Johnson tallied six quarterback sacks and 30 total pressures in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Additionally, Pro Football Focus ranked him the 23rd-best defensive tackle this season with a cumulative grade of plus 5.1.

According to Chris Tomasson of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Johnson is seeking a multi-year contract this offseason and said he "would love to" return to Minnesota, assuming an agreeable deal can be reached.

Given Johnson's success and starter Sharrif Floyd's issue remaining healthy this season, the Vikings would be wise to bring back the 30-year-old impending free agent.

Even when Linval Joseph and Floyd were both healthy, Johnson was on the field regularly for the Vikings—he only recorded fewer than 20 snaps three times in 16 games this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Simply, Johnson was an important member of the Vikings defense this season and bringing him back next season assures adequate depth at defensive tackle.

Other impending free agents the Vikings should consider re-signing: running back Matt Asiata, offensive lineman Joe Berger and linebacker Jasper Brinkley.

Revamp Offensive Line

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To say the Vikings offensive line was a disappointment in 2014 would be an understatement. While the team did deal with significant injuries to right tackle Phil Loadholt and right guard Brandon Fusco, the overall performance of Minnesota's offensive line this season was abysmal.

The Vikings offensive line—as a collective unit—ranked last in sacks allowed (36), 28th in total pressures allowed (198) and recorded the worst pass-blocking efficiency (74.1) in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Minnesota is expected to bring back Sullivan, Loadholt and Fusco as starters next season, but the same cannot necessarily be said about the left side of the Vikings offensive line.

Although left tackle Matt Kalil played much better during the last month of the 2014 season, there is no guarantee his job is safe for 2015. As for left guard Charlie Johnson—who is a strong candidate to be released this offseason—his tenure as a starter for the Vikings is almost certainly over.

Revamping the offensive line is certainly a complicated issue, but there are a number of routes the Vikings could take this offseason.

The Vikings do have talent already within the organization in Antonio Richardson and David Yankey, but it is very possible neither player will be ready to play next season. Richardson underwent his second knee surgery this season and strength is a concern for Yankey.

Additionally, there are a number of viable options in free agency this season, including guard Mike Iupati and tackle Michael Roos.

Finally, the Vikings could add offensive line depth through the NFL draft this coming May. In fact, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller currently has Minnesota selecting Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley with the 11th overall pick in his latest mock draft.

It remains to be seen how the Vikings will handle their offensive line issues this offseason, but keeping quarterback Teddy Bridgewater protected has been and will continue to be a top priority. Based on production this season, it would be a shock if Minnesota trots out the same front five in 2015 as it did in 2014.

Extend Harrison Smith’s Contract

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The Vikings defense improved dramatically in 2014, and a lot of this can be attributed to the Pro Bowl-caliber play of free safety Harrison Smith.

Minnesota selected Smith during the first round of 2012 draft to improve a lackluster secondary, and he proved up to the challenge this season.

Smith, who is under contract through the 2015 season, had a breakout season in his third year with the Vikings. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded him (plus 17.9) as the second-best safety in 2014, behind only San Diego's Eric Weddle.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, he finished the 2014 season with 93 combined tackles, three sacks, five interceptions, nine pass defenses, one forced fumble and a defensive touchdown.

Simply, the former Notre Dame standout has become arguably the team's biggest asset on defense and locking him up long-term has quickly become a necessity.

Chris Tomasson of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press recently reported that Smith has expressed interested in signing a long-term deal with the Vikings and the team would be wise to take him up on his kind offer:

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From last night, Harrison Smith wants to stay long-term with Vikings. Eligible this offseason for extension. http://t.co/G90IG5nPvX

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 24, 2014"

While winning next season is the team's goal, consistently winning beyond 2015 is far more important, and extending Smith is key to making this happen.

As I have previously stated, Smith has earned a big contract extension, and it is time for the Vikings to reward him with one.

Figure Out Adrian Peterson Situation

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It is finally time to address the elephant in the room: Adrian Peterson.

As we all know, Peterson spent the majority of the 2014 season suspended for his role in a domestic violence incident involving his four-year-old son. Consequently, Minnesota's superstar running back spent more time in courtrooms than on the football field this year.

While Peterson is technically suspended indefinitely, there (almost certainly) will come a time when he is reinstated by the NFL and will be eligible to play for the Vikings once again.

Assuming Peterson doesn't elect to retire—which is actually something he said he has considered—the Vikings will be forced to make a decision on what to do with the 2012 MVP award winner at some point this offseason.

Plenty of rumors have circulated concerning Peterson's future. There has been speculation that Minnesota may be planning to trade or even release Peterson. Most recently, however, Zimmer stated he would like to see No. 28 playing for the Vikings in 2015—if he is able to get his life in order:

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#Vikings coach Mike Zimmer would welcome Adrian Peterson back "if he gets his life in order." http://t.co/WOr7QZZR9C

— Brian Murphy (@murphPPress) December 30, 2014"

If Minnesota does elect to bring back its franchise running back, he will return with a massive $15.4 million salary cap hit in 2015, according to Spotrac. Assuming Peterson is willing, the Vikings could restructure his contract, which would make retaining him much easier.

In the event the Vikings do decide to move on from Peterson, subsequent offseason decisions—such as re-signing Asiata or drafting a running back—will inevitably follow.

Determining what to do with Peterson is arguably the most important thing on Minnesota's offseason "to-do list," and making a final decision sooner rather than later will allow the organization more time to prepare for the ensuing consequences.