NFL Draft 2011: Should the Minnesota Vikings Select a Quarterback?

With rumors running rampant that the Minnesota Vikings are going after Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb as their preferred signal caller for 2011, it raises the question as to whether or not the Vikes should pursue a QB in the 2011 NFL Draft.

OK, there's probably no question the Vikings should identify their quarterback of the future—and that might come via this year's draft if they are having their doubts about last year's sixth round pick, Joe Webb. But I don't think they are. I think head coach Leslie Frazier is pleased with what he saw from Webb last season—just not enough to endorse him as the team's next starter at the position. Not yet anyway.

Enter McNabb. Or at least the possibility.

At 34-years-old, McNabb is clearly not going to be around for a long time, even though he offers the illusion of fresh legs when you consider who the Vikings had quarterbacking the team the past couple years. So he makes sense if the team is not looking to go down that rebuilding road just yet.

If they can still get a QB like Jake Locker or Ryan Mallett in the second round, however, it would not only give the team excellent depth at the most important position on the roster, it would also free up a shot at another team need with the 12th overall pick in the first round, like the defensive line or secondary.

The real question is whether the Minnesota Vikings are ready to win now with an experienced quarterback like McNabb. Is this team still a veteran quarterback away from a Super Bowl run? Would McNabb effectively assume the role of game manager for a team that's already built to win?

I have my doubts—about the team being presently built to win, that is.

As much as I like McNabb and as much as I like the idea of him fulfilling such a role, I think the Vikings would need a monster draft to field a team that's going to challenge Green Bay and Chicago (OK, even Detroit) in the NFC North in 2011.

That being said, if McNabb is released by the 'Skins and/or can be obtained for a reasonable price, he might still make sense amidst younger QBs, one of whom could be inserted into the starting lineup when the time is right. McNabb would be the mentor. And then the proverbial chips would fall where they may.