The 3 Burning Needs and How the Vikings Can Fix Them
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent about $300 million in free agency. The roster, on paper, is the best the Vikings franchise has had in quite some time, although the uncertainty at the quarterback position with the unknown QB1 still limits the expectations for the upcoming season, at least from a national perspective.
The 3 Burning Needs and How the Vikings Can Fix Them
Still, Adofo-Mensah isn’t done, as he needs another 24 players to fill out his offseason roster. Three of those are needed at key depth spots.
1. Quarterback
Minnesota currently employs two passers. Last year’s top-ten pick, J.J. McCarthy, is expected to handle the starting role after missing his rookie season, and journeyman Brett Rypien returned for season two in the Twin Cities.
However, Rypien was QB3 last year and should return to that spot on the depth chart. Having a signal-caller with four career touchdowns and nine interceptions as the primary backup for an unproven QB1 who’s coming off a significant injury is a recipe for disaster.
How to Fix It: The Vikings should sign one of the veterans on the market, who can still win them a few games with a loaded roster if McCarthy was forced to sit on the sidelines for one reason or another. Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill come to mind. Tyler Huntley, recently with the Dolphins and most notably with the Ravens, could be an under-the-radar candidate.
Due to the comp pick formula, the Vikings will likely wait until after the draft to address the need.
2. Tight End
At tight end, the Vikings are pretty much in a comparable situation. Starter T.J. Hockenson returns and will hopefully step up his game a little in his first full season post-ACL tear. Elite blocker Josh Oliver will be his wingman.
But that’s it. The Vikings have only two tight ends on the roster, and that number should climb to at least five before training camp. Johnny Mundt, Kevin O’Connell’s favorite student, dipped for Jacksonville, and practice squad guy Nick Muse was snatched by the Eagles during the playoffs.
How to Fix It: The Vikings should sign a veteran free agent who can give them some reliable depth. A year ago, Robert Tonyan was hired to be a depth guy and compete for snaps. He appeared in five games but didn’t catch a pass. C.J. Uzomah and Jordan Akins are two names to watch. Gerald Everett and Mo Alie-Cox have come with more oomph.
In addition to that, using one of the four draft choices for a tight end makes sense to bring youth to the position room. Oliver is in the final year of his contract, and Hockenson will turn 28 in the summer.
3. Interior Offensive Line
Minnesota has acquired two starting interior offensive linemen. Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, both former Colts, will replace Ed Ingram/Dalton Risner as right guard and Garrett Bradbury as center. Those three usurped players are gone, and so is veteran backup Dan Feeney.
If my math is right, that makes four notable departures and only two arrivals. O’Connell recently noted that second-year lineman Michael Jurgens could compete with Blake Brandel for the left guard spot. The only other interior blocker on the roster is Henry Byrd. The Vikings are at least one prominent backup short.
How to Fix It: In the draft. The Vikings should spend either the 24th overall pick or the third-rounder to acquire an offensive lineman. That rookie could compete with Brandel to start immediately and ideally be a future option at center, considering Kelly’s age of 31 (32 in May) and his injury history.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.