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[Note From Adam: This is part two of my position-by-position breakdown of this Vikings roster. Part one, The Passers, can be found by clicking here.]
The Vikings running game was not unsuccessful in 2011, as they ranked fourth in the league, despite numerous challenges such as struggles along the offensive line and injuries to their running backs. The position of running back, however, suddenly has a number of question marks that need to be discussed this offseason.
Let’s take a closer look.
Rick Spielman spent Wednesday discussing his plans to make the Vikings roster younger in age, and he also signed a couple of guys of the street that fit that description.
The Vikings signed offensive tackle Jose Valdez (6’ 5” – 315) who went undrafted in 2009. He has spent some time since then on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad, so it would be seem likely that Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave had some input with this signing.
They also signed tight end Daniel Hardy (6’ 4” – 249) who was a seventh round selection for Tampa Bay last year, who broke his arm while playing for Idaho his senior season. Hardy didn’t make it past the final cuts in Tampa, and spent some time on the New Orleans practice squad.
Both players were signed to futures contracts.
A long drawn out process that featured a handful of candidates (and no, I’m not talking about the GOP race to the White House) has finally come to an end, with the Vikings hiring former Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams as their new Defensive Coordinator.
After 10 years in Indianapolis, Williams is widely expected to officially join the Vikings shortly, in time to go to Mobile, Alabama and coach the North squad at the Senior Bowl.
Last year’s Defensive Coordinator, Fred Pagac, will return to be Minnesota’s linebackers coach. He occupied this position for four years prior to 2011.
Mike Singletary, also interviewed as a candidate for the Coordinator position, will remain with the Vikings as an Assistant Head Coach.
Brendan Daly will replace Karl Dunbar as the defensive line coach. Daly has held that position in St. Louis for the last three seasons, and previous to that was an assistant defensive line coach for the Vikings.
The Vikings defense is unlikely to experience much in the way of a scheme change, as Leslie Frazier has managed to maintain a staff that supports his preference of running a Cover-2 defense.
[Note From Adam: This is the first segment of a position-by-position breakdown of the Vikings roster, how they fared in 2011, and where they might be headed in 2012. I will include the contract status for key players, possible Draft and free agency targets, and my predictions for how things will play out this offseason.]
Since the Vikings still have an unsettled coaching situation on the defensive side of the football, I thought it best to get started on these segments by first addressing the offense.
For the first time in years, the Vikings lack a will-he-won’t-he situation and have a fairly set depth chart at the quarterback position. That isn’t to say the position is an area of strength, but we all pretty much know who we will be seeing in 2012.
Let’s take a closer look.
Perhaps the Chicago Bears are also tired of the Vikings long, drawn out search for a new Defensive Coordinator.
Jeremy Fowly of Vikings Now reports that the Bears denied a Vikings request to interview their defensive backs coach, Jon Hoke, for their currently vacant Defensive Coordinator position.
Hoke has a Tampa-2 background which is yet another indication that Leslie Frazier would like to continue to employ a 4-3 defense and that Mike Singletary is unlikely to get the gig.
Us hardcore fans tend to become jaded from time to time, something in which we are particularly vulnerable to following a miserable season like this one, but it is always nice to know that the men occupying the uniforms we choose to root for can have a great impact on a life at just the right time.
I won’t get into it too much, but I encourage everyone here to read the simple yet heartwarming story of Eli Burgett, as presented by the Pioneer Press.
Put one extra notch in the win column for the Vikings this year, as they did right by me in this one.
If the story inspires you to give a little extra this January, please consider visiting my “Highlighted Charities” page and signing up as a member of Vikings Territory’s official Donors Choose Giving Page.
Yet another name has surfaced in the Vikings somewhat bizarre effort to fill the role of Defensive Coordinator.
Here is what we know so far: Fred Pagac is out, but may return as the linebackers coach. Raheem Morris and Mel Tucker were interviewed, but accepted other jobs. Steve Spagnuolo may have the Vikings interested, but he is likely to return to Philadelphia after being dismissed by the Rams. Finally, Mike Singletary is thought to be a candidate and things could get interesting since Pagac was offered his job with the linebackers.
Phew!
Okay, onto the new news.
According to Jason LaConfora’s Twitter account, the Vikings are expected to interview Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams on Tuesday morning. After all, an organization that promotes a guy to General Manager after a 3-13 season would logically be interested in a guy that coached for an organization that just went 2-14.
Williams has worked with Leslie Frazier in the past, having been with the Colts for 10 years, and as Judd Zulgad points out he has a lot of similarities to former Vikings coordinator Mike Tomlin. Williams is a Tampa-2 guy, which is something that is likely to sit well with Frazier and his vision for his defense.
This search for a Defensive Coordinator is bordering on goofy, as the Vikings seem to be having trouble convincing candidates to join a coach that will enter 2012 on the hot seat in coaching a team that may or may not have a place in which they can, you know, play football.
It is an understandable challenge.
However, I can’t help but wonder if one or more other things aren’t at play here.
First, if Mike Singletary were a serious candidate for this job, why is Frazier continuing to bring in candidates now that Singletary’s previous position has been offered to Pagac? If I had to guess, I would say Singletary and his 3-4 scheme is not the direction that Frazier wants to go, and that he is doing his buddy a solid by trying to put out there into the universe the idea that Singletary is actually coveted by at least one NFL team.
Secondly, I can’t help but wonder if Frazier is purposely not pulling the trigger because he actually wants to talk to a coach that is still a part of a team that is alive in the playoffs. Perhaps Frazier expected this guy’s team to already have lost their playoff game and that he would now be available for an interview? Perhaps this guy’s defense recently held the 2012 Super Bowl Champion Packers to 388 yards and 20 points while employing a 4-3 defense?
Perhaps.
Why else would it be taking so long for Frazier to fill a position that has unofficially, at least for practical reasons, been vacant for nearly two months now?
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