With the final regular season game tomorrow, the Vikings will close up shop until the run-up to the draft. John Holler looks at the current roster and points to obvious areas of need that must be addressed before the start of the 2012 NFL season.
I agree with Holler that the very last position the Vikings need to address next year is quarterback: between the development of Christian Ponder (both positive and negative as the season wore on and the offensive line wore down), the brilliant flashes Joe Webb gave in relief of Ponder, and either Sage Rosenfels or another veteran as the third quarterback, the Vikings are set for the next few years.
The running back position is not as solid now as it was just last week, with the season-ending injury to Adrian Peterson. Toby Gerhart played well in his place (although Gerhart doesn’t have the speed of Peterson, this season he’s developed into a good all-round back). Lorenzo Booker didn’t do enough with his opportunities and I’d be surprised if he’s back with the team next season. Ryan D’Imperio is adequate as a fullback, but it wouldn’t be out of possibility for the Vikings to draft a fullback late for development.
At wide receiver, there’s Percy Harvin. That’s just about it . . . Michael Jenkins probably played well enough to stick with the team next year, but after that there are lots of jobs that could have new occupants next season. Devin Aromashodu was able to get open a bit more as the season went on, but he dropped too many catchable balls. Aromashodu and Greg Camarillo are both free agents this season, and may not be re-signed. A mid-to-high draft pick will probably go to shoring up the receiving corps.
Tight End used to be a position of great strength for the Vikings, but that is no longer true: Jim Kleinsasser announced he’s retiring at the end of the 2011 season, and Visanthe Shiancoe is a free agent. Kyle Rudolph is the only TE on the team right now who is guaranteed a spot in 2012.
The offensive line is one of the top areas of need that must be addressed this offseason. John Sullivan is the only player on the line who showed improvement over last season and that was recognized with a contract extension late in the year. Charlie Johnson is too often over-matched against speedy defensive ends and might be better suited to playing guard. Steve Hutchinson has had a great career, but he’s not the player he used to be. Phil Loadholt is the source of frustration because he could be a Pro-Bowl-calibre player but he keeps having regression issues (false starts, “Olé!” blocks, and getting beaten too easily by less talented defensive ends). Anthony Herrera is struggling with the cumulative effects of injuries and hasn’t been anywhere near as effective as he once was. I see the Vikings using at least a high and a mid-round pick on shoring up this unit.
The defensive line is still the best unit on the team, but they’re not as dominant as they used to be: partly because they’re having to help the defensive backfield too often. Jared Allen will be going to the Pro Bowl as the only Viking this season, and the honour is totally deserved. He’s been the most valuable defensive player for Minnesota all season. Kevin Williams has been injured for much of the season with a nagging foot issue and also served a two-game suspension to start the season. He only started to look like his normal self in the last four or five games. Brian Robison has more than adequately filled the spot left when Ray Edwards took his mouth and his attitude to Atlanta. Remi Ayodele has been the invisible man on the line, and may not have done enough to be back with the team next year. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Vikings used a late-round pick on a developmental nose tackle.
The linebacking corps has been good in run support, but generally overmatched in pass support, and again that’s partly because they’re having to help out the backfield too often. Chad Greenway signed a big contract early in the season and will definitely be back next year. E.J. Henderson and Erin Henderson are both free agents next year and it’s not clear if either or both of them will return.
Special teams have been solid for the Vikings for several years, and they’ve got their core players signed for next year: kicker Ryan Longwell, punter Chris Kluwe, and long-snapper Cullen Loeffler. No worries there.
And now we come to the area of greatest need: an entire defensive backfield. You could spend four or five high-to-midrange draft picks in this area and it would still be an area of concern. Here’s John Holler’s view:
Defensive backs — Where do you start? The best player of the group is 35 and injury prone. Cedric Griffin has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff and Chris Cook’s next football action might not be in the NFL. When training began, it looked as though the Vikings were set at cornerback. Now it looks like they may have none of the top three on the Mankato depth chart. Safety was improved simply with the subtraction of Madieu Williams, but with Husain Abdullah’s concussion count (four and counting) and numerous injury/performance questions, safety becomes an issue as well. The Vikings may have to pay through the teeth in free agency and commit one of their top few picks to the secondary just to get to a point where it’s not a glaring weakness going forward.
