The Gopher
02-26-2006, 11:53 AM
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With the offseason soon to be in full swing, i cannot help but speculate as to the possible moves the Vikings will make. With needs at RB, OG, LB, and Safety, The Vikings will look to use a considerable amount of their 23 million dollars in cap space to fill those holes with premier players.
Most of the time speculation is off, players end up in places you'd never expect. So i'll start with this disclaimer, I don't consider this a prediction, but instead I consider this my dream... the Best case scenario for the Vikings. Of course i'll be realistic in my views.
The Minnesota Vikings sign RB Jamal Lewis. Whaaaa? It's a dream off-season, with Shaun Alexander and Edge available, and I'm hoping for a coke dealer? Yes, call me crazy, but I think Lewis is the best fit for Minnesota at this point. The Vikings have a glut of small, inexperienced RB's on their roster right now, but lack a true power back. I believe Moore and Lewis would be a dual-threat backfield, Lewis getting 15-20 carries and Moore to be the change of pace/ 3rd down back. These two would be the perfect compliment, but the biggest hurdle may be Zygi Wilf. Wilf is looking to establish a good reputation for the Vikings & their character, and Lewis' previous legal troubles may make this signing impossible. Another problem may be the fact that Lewis wants a full-time job, and may not respond well to a split-duty backfield. Lewis would be a cost-effective signing, and would be a great addition to the Vikings. Other possibilities include Lendale White (Draft), Edgerin James (Colts), and Ahman Green (Packers)
The Minnesota Vikings sign LB Julian Peterson. The most attractive free agent linebacker on the market, Peterson should get a lot of interest from teams around the league, but i believe the Vikings have the dollar bills that can lure Julian to Minnesota (not to mention the killer boat parties). Peterson is the type of linebacker that will excel in the Tampa 2 (The Vikings latest scheme). He has the range to cover Tight ends and RB's, great instincts, and sideline to sideline speed. Signing Peterson would make the Vikings most glaring weakness one of it's strengths. The Vikings would likely line-up with Peterson and Newman on the outside, and either Sam Cowart or E.J. Henderson filling up the middle of the field. Some factors that could negatively affect the Vikings would be the inflated price tag he may come out with due to an extremely high expected demand. Other possibilities include Chad Greenway (Draft), Bobby Carpenter (Draft), Thomas Howard (Draft), Demeco Ryans (Draft).
The Minnesota Vikings Sign OG Steve Hutchinson. In a stunning turn of events, the Vikings will force the hand of the Seahawks, forcing them to choose between Hutchinson and Shaun Alexander by offering Hutchinson a contract with a huge bonus. The Hawks, while having the right to match an offer, may be put between a rock and a hard place if Hutch is given a strong offer from the Vikings. I believe that he will be let go if the Seahawks are forced to choose between him, and the regular season MVP Shaun Alexander. The Vikings O-line was less than spectacular last season, missing their leader, Matt Birk for the entire season. Coupled with the retirement of David Dixon, the Vikings had a gaping hole to fill. A rotation of Fowler, Withrow and Herrerra at center turned out unattractive results, and the Marcus Johnson experiment was marked with mental mistakes and far too many penalties. Mike Rosenthal, rewarded with a lucrative contract after a great 2004-5 season, was injured and ineffective this season, and will force the Vikings to re-evaluate that position as well. Other possibilities include McNiel (Draft), David Baas (Draft)
The Minnesota Vikings Draft S Micheal Huff. The Vikings are stunned when this play-making safety drop into their laps at 17, and jump at the opportunity to add him to the roster. With both Corey Chavous and his back-up Willie Offord being free agents this off-season, it may be best for the Vikings to go to the draft to upgrade the position. Huff was a play-maker at Texas, and playing in a talented secondary could have an excellent chance to excell as a rookie. Other possibilities include Ko Simpson (Draft), and Darnell Bing (Draft)
There it is, my dream. The Vikings go out and make three major signings that will make them an instant contender in a relatively weak NFC North. Along with drafting Huff, these three Free Agent signings would give the Vikings the inside track at knocking down the Bears from the top. Of course these wouldn't be the only signings, but these will be the only headlines the Vikings make. They will likely need to address Nickel corner due to Brian WIlliams' unhappiness with the Transition tag.
The Vikings will look to retain a lot of their free agents, but don't expect Micheal Bennett to be back in a Viking uniform. Key players the Vikings need to re-sign include: Newman, Cowart, Johnstone, Hill.
With the offseason soon to be in full swing, i cannot help but speculate as to the possible moves the Vikings will make. With needs at RB, OG, LB, and Safety, The Vikings will look to use a considerable amount of their 23 million dollars in cap space to fill those holes with premier players.
Most of the time speculation is off, players end up in places you'd never expect. So i'll start with this disclaimer, I don't consider this a prediction, but instead I consider this my dream... the Best case scenario for the Vikings. Of course i'll be realistic in my views.
The Minnesota Vikings sign RB Jamal Lewis. Whaaaa? It's a dream off-season, with Shaun Alexander and Edge available, and I'm hoping for a coke dealer? Yes, call me crazy, but I think Lewis is the best fit for Minnesota at this point. The Vikings have a glut of small, inexperienced RB's on their roster right now, but lack a true power back. I believe Moore and Lewis would be a dual-threat backfield, Lewis getting 15-20 carries and Moore to be the change of pace/ 3rd down back. These two would be the perfect compliment, but the biggest hurdle may be Zygi Wilf. Wilf is looking to establish a good reputation for the Vikings & their character, and Lewis' previous legal troubles may make this signing impossible. Another problem may be the fact that Lewis wants a full-time job, and may not respond well to a split-duty backfield. Lewis would be a cost-effective signing, and would be a great addition to the Vikings. Other possibilities include Lendale White (Draft), Edgerin James (Colts), and Ahman Green (Packers)
The Minnesota Vikings sign LB Julian Peterson. The most attractive free agent linebacker on the market, Peterson should get a lot of interest from teams around the league, but i believe the Vikings have the dollar bills that can lure Julian to Minnesota (not to mention the killer boat parties). Peterson is the type of linebacker that will excel in the Tampa 2 (The Vikings latest scheme). He has the range to cover Tight ends and RB's, great instincts, and sideline to sideline speed. Signing Peterson would make the Vikings most glaring weakness one of it's strengths. The Vikings would likely line-up with Peterson and Newman on the outside, and either Sam Cowart or E.J. Henderson filling up the middle of the field. Some factors that could negatively affect the Vikings would be the inflated price tag he may come out with due to an extremely high expected demand. Other possibilities include Chad Greenway (Draft), Bobby Carpenter (Draft), Thomas Howard (Draft), Demeco Ryans (Draft).
The Minnesota Vikings Sign OG Steve Hutchinson. In a stunning turn of events, the Vikings will force the hand of the Seahawks, forcing them to choose between Hutchinson and Shaun Alexander by offering Hutchinson a contract with a huge bonus. The Hawks, while having the right to match an offer, may be put between a rock and a hard place if Hutch is given a strong offer from the Vikings. I believe that he will be let go if the Seahawks are forced to choose between him, and the regular season MVP Shaun Alexander. The Vikings O-line was less than spectacular last season, missing their leader, Matt Birk for the entire season. Coupled with the retirement of David Dixon, the Vikings had a gaping hole to fill. A rotation of Fowler, Withrow and Herrerra at center turned out unattractive results, and the Marcus Johnson experiment was marked with mental mistakes and far too many penalties. Mike Rosenthal, rewarded with a lucrative contract after a great 2004-5 season, was injured and ineffective this season, and will force the Vikings to re-evaluate that position as well. Other possibilities include McNiel (Draft), David Baas (Draft)
The Minnesota Vikings Draft S Micheal Huff. The Vikings are stunned when this play-making safety drop into their laps at 17, and jump at the opportunity to add him to the roster. With both Corey Chavous and his back-up Willie Offord being free agents this off-season, it may be best for the Vikings to go to the draft to upgrade the position. Huff was a play-maker at Texas, and playing in a talented secondary could have an excellent chance to excell as a rookie. Other possibilities include Ko Simpson (Draft), and Darnell Bing (Draft)
There it is, my dream. The Vikings go out and make three major signings that will make them an instant contender in a relatively weak NFC North. Along with drafting Huff, these three Free Agent signings would give the Vikings the inside track at knocking down the Bears from the top. Of course these wouldn't be the only signings, but these will be the only headlines the Vikings make. They will likely need to address Nickel corner due to Brian WIlliams' unhappiness with the Transition tag.
The Vikings will look to retain a lot of their free agents, but don't expect Micheal Bennett to be back in a Viking uniform. Key players the Vikings need to re-sign include: Newman, Cowart, Johnstone, Hill.