7 Biggest Concerns for the Minnesota Vikings Heading into 2011 Season:
The 2011 NFL draft is over and the free agency market is being held captive by a situation that requires more understanding than elementary applications in Physics, but be that as it may, the Vikings still have some serious situations that need to be addressed before the kickoff of the 2011 NFL season.
By now, most fans are no strangers to some of these issues. But there are some other ancillary issues that could wind up elevating to serious status if not taken care of soon.
Today I want to quickly run through what the Vikings organization and team is facing, as the 2011 season draws nearer.
The Secondary
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We'll begin with the secondary.
The secondary is a tricky situation in the sense that they were burdened with injuries nearly all season long, with the backups didn’t exactly setting the world on fire.
Starter Cedric Griffin is set to return in full health this year, but two ACL injuries simply make the guy compromised and risky.
Chris Cook is an admirable player, and could compete for a starting job this season, but needs to be better than average to be effective.
Frank Walker and Lito Sheppard are not the guys the Vikings hoped they be, and the depth chart is shaky, but interestingly capable.
For a defense that is as aggressive as the Vikings are, the secondary is crucial in a variety of ways.
They need the corners to be far better than average in man-to-man situations created by the various blitz packages the Vikings run.
The safeties need to do a far better job at playing a supporting role than they did in 2010, lest experience another year of embarrassment.
And the position is already dangerously thin.
Husain Abdullah didn’t do all that bad of a job, but he’ll need to be better in 2011 while Jamarca Sanford showed signs of promise late in the season..
But Madieu Williams was just downright horrible and will need to vastly improve this season to be effective in the Vikings journey towards the postseason.
Bernard Berrian, Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie:
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Real easy here:
Bernard Berrian was originally brought in to become the deep-ball threat the Vikings needed at the time, and he has literally become quite the opposite.
Phil Loadholt struggled heavily in his first year and only slightly improved last year, leaving the Vikings with some questions as to whether or not he can rise above mediocrity.
Bryant McKinnie must show himself, and this organization, his head is completely in the game for an entire season to utilize what he is capable of.
With Berrian, the consensus is he will not play in purple this year, and hopefully, the organization realizes he is more of a liability than an asset.
Loadholt has the world in front of him when it comes to opportunities to improve and elevate his level, but if he does not, the Vikings have yet another liability on their hands.
McKinnie is anyone’s guess, and he just needs to settle down and get with the program.
Some pundits believe the Vikings' deal for Brian Robison was supposed to be a message to McKinney, so perhaps it will start a fire underneath him once and for all.
Any other solution or outcome with these three players will be nothing more than detrimental to the team as a whole.
The Offensive Line
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We already specifically highlighted two members of the O-Line in Loadholt and McKinney, but to be honest, this entire line was pushed around far more than they should’ve been in 2010.
Anthony Herrera and John Sullivan were actually worse than Loadholt and McKinnie.
The only bright spot was, as usual, Steve Hutchinson.
These guys are not your garden variety of O-lineman, and they should’ve been man-handled as much as they were in 2010.
But hopefully a discriminating 2010 season will lend favor to a rebirth of sorts in 2011.
And with a new quarterback in town—one who could wind up taking over the starting job, sooner than later—the time for improvement is now.
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Sidney Rice
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The most glaring issue offensively, of course, is Sidney Rice.
Rice has the talent and the skill set to be a solid offensive weapon, but there are also concerns about him in general.
Some feel that he is too often of an injured player to garner a hefty—long-term—contract.
Some feel that he hasn’t exactly mentally committed himself to this organization, and is just looking for a contract that is well above his actual worth.
But whatever way the Vikings sway, it will have to be come soon simply because the Vikings would be wise to know where exactly they stand, before the summer months hit.
And if Rice goes, that will be two receivers the Vikings will have to replace, assuming the rumors are true that Berrian will probably not be back in one way or another this year.
Free Agency Solutions
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This is an interesting situation for the Vikings indeed.
They need a QB, a WR and an elite corner, and it just so happens all three are available:
WR Vince Jackson, CB Nnamdi Asomugha and a plethora of QBs to choose from.
The clock is seemingly ticking with Asomugha, as he has expressed interest already in Green Bay and the New York Jets.
Vince Jackson is a player the Vikings have been interested in for a long time and have already tried their hand to acquire him, but to no avail.
Quarterbacks Marc Bulger, Kyle Orton, Donovan McNabb and Vince Young have been the primary forward focus of the media for the past couple of months, and despite the stories constantly changing in regards to all four of them, one cannot simply rule out any of these candidates just yet.
But the window of opportunity is closing fast with all of these position players, and if the Vikings do not make a decision on whom to go for soon, they may be left out in the cold wallowing over the lost opportunities.
In my opinion, I say the team makes a strong push for Jackson.
Christian Ponder
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Ponder already has enough talent, I think that is clear.
And it was that level of talent that not only attracted the Vikings’ brass, but also has fans wondering if this kid can in fact come in and assume the starting job.
But how the Vikings handle Ponder could be crucial to his career and the team’s future with Ponder himself.
Ponder does have a concerning injury history, and the Vikings have an offensive line that has many people nervous already.
The two simply do not bode well.
If the organization notices improvement up front, they could be inclined to get Ponder’s feet wet early, but again, this is a crucial aspect of this team that garner significant attention from nearly everyone involved.
Getting to the Postseason
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Getting to the postseason is more crucial than perhaps many think for the Vikings.
Why?
This is a team that still has plenty of weapons to make a run, and the fact of the matter is, the Vikings certainly have something to prove from last year.
The 2010 season was not only one of the more deflating to come over the years, but it was an inaccurate representation of what this team is relly capable of.
The importance, here, is to show themselves—more than anyone else—that holds true.
The previous slides highlight all of the necessary tools this team needs to make that quest easier, but there is still a chance some of those aspects improve from a year ago, lending a greater sense of ease in that journey towards the postseason.
If the Vikings do not make the playoffs, one can assume they make take a few step backwards in the years to come, even with the talent they currently have.
A happenstance that the Vikings can ill-afford.
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