VT Question of the Week: Where Can the Vikings Improve Most?
Austin Belisle
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I’d really be drinking the Purple Kool-Aid if I said the Vikings were a complete football team. Rick Spielman’s built a competitive and deep roster, but there are holes and deficiencies at a few key positions, including wide receiver, offensive line, and in the secondary. It’s easy to look at the Vikings and think, “Hey, they could make some noise in the playoffs,” but truthfully, they’re a year away.
And that’s okay. Every team’s goal each year is to win the Super Bowl, even if that’s not always a realistic aspiration. Sometimes, unforeseen obstacles like injuries and coaching changes can throw those plans off track. While the Vikings have shown they’re an improved bunch, there are still issues keeping them from moving into the league’s upper-echelon of contenders.
The coaching, across the board, is some of the best in the NFL. The defense, with elite speed at every level, should be aggressive for years to come. And Teddy Bridgewater, despite the criticism, has the chance to become the franchise’s first great quarterback in nearly a decade.
But that won’t happen unless the Vikings make some offseason improvements. To help me find out where Spielman and Zimmer should focus their attention, I asked the VT team to answer this week’s question:
Looking ahead, what position do the Vikings most need to improve this offseason?
Adam W.: Quarterback (Say what?!)
The question asks where the Vikings most need to improve. To me, improving doesn’t always mean making a drastic personnel change, and can just as easily mean development of an existing player.
The Vikings have a promising young quarterback that has led this team to dismal results in the passing game. My personal assessment is that these negative results are the accumulation of inexperience in the NFL, poor pass protection, questionable play calling, and inconsistent efforts from the receiving group. That isn’t letting Bridgewater off the hook, however, as these early-career offseasons are paramount to his development and ensuring he takes a leap this offseason is as important as anything.
Additionally, however, the Vikings offseason needs to largely focus on building an offense around this young signal caller. The Vikings should leave no stones unturned when it comes to improving the offensive line across the board, pouncing on opportunities that present themselves. They need to figure out if Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson have the potential for rebound seasons indoors in 2016. They should even monitor opportunities to upgrade at tight end, backup quarterback, and possibly even Offensive Coordinator.
I’m not suggesting the Vikings offense needs to be blown up and overhauled. They have a solid nucleus, most of which is young, but the most glaring shortcoming in 2015 has been the passing game. On top of that, the long-term priority simply must be developing and improving their franchise quarterback, because that is the facts of life in the modern day NFL.
Andy: Left Guard
Moving Fusco back to right guard seems like a logical move, with Mike Harris (if re-signed) kicked back to right tackle to compete with 2nd year mehhh TJ Clemmings and veteran Phil “coming off back-to-back season ending injuries” Loadholt if he returns. Fusco could also take over at center (his college position) if John Sullivan isn’t back and young bucks Zac Kerin or Nick Easton don’t step up. Other left guard options would be to throw Harris and/or Clemmings into the mix, grab one in free agency (Alex Boone is the only name that moves my needle), or look to the draft. Kansas State’s Cody Whitehair is a mauler that I’d love to see continue on in purple if he’s there at the back-end of the first round.
Either way, something needs to happen so that the spot isn’t a wasteland that allows quick pressure up in Teddy’s grill.
Adam P.: Right Tackle (No love for T.J. Clemmings)
This upcoming offseason will be head coach Mike Zimmer’s third with the team, and he will continue to try and construct his ideal roster. The team will have a bunch of needs to address in the offseason including backup quarterback, safety, and a second receiver to compliment Stefon Diggs among other things.
What this team needs to put a majority of their focus on this offseason is improving their offensive line, specifically at right tackle. If they want Teddy Bridgewater to be their franchise saving quarterback, then they need a capable line that can keep him on his feet for most of the game. Rookie right tackle T.J. Clemmings was thrown into the fire this season after starting right tackle Phil Loadholt suffered a season ending injury in the preseason. Given that he is a rookie, he has done an OK job at his position this season. But OK is not good enough for a team that would like to compete for a Super Bowl as soon as next year.
It might be a good idea for the Vikings and general manager Rick Spielman to invest one of their early round 2016 draft picks into a talented young right tackle. Clemmings would be better suited in a backup role for now, so they need to get someone in there with a higher skill level. They can also go the route of free agency if they choose. Current Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is scheduled to be a free agent after this season and Minnesota should put him right at the top of their list of offseason targets.
Ranked by Pro Football Focusas the NFL’s top right tackle, the 26-year-old Schwartz could provide a massive improvement on the right side of the Vikings offensive line. Earlier this season, Schwartz slowed down the vicious pass rush of Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and held Miller to just one quarterback pressure.
Minnesota wants this offense to eventually be centered around Bridgewater. If they want him to succeed, they need to find players that can protect him better, and that starts by improving at right tackle.
Carl: Left Guard (video bonus!)
After watching the Arizona game film, strong safety is no longer my biggest concern, as Anthony Harris looked good in his first NFL start. So, I now think the Vikings need to improve the most at left guard, where Brandon Fusco has struggled all season. Fusco looks slow and off balance far too often on tape, and the above video clip is just one example. Cody Whitehair from Kansas State is one guard prospect to keep an eye in the bottom of the first round.
Austin: Wide Receiver
Sometimes, it feels like Jarius Wright, Stefon Diggs, and Mike Wallace are the same player. They’re fast, undersized receivers who struggle to get open in man-to-man situations. In the red zone, the Vikings lack a big-bodied receiver like Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones who can haul in the corner fade or three-yard slant against press coverage. Neither of Minnesota’s top targets can fill that role, making wide receiver a position of need in 2016.
Wright is best-suited in the slot, and Stefon Diggs is a dangerous second option, much like Golden Tate in Detroit. But at split end, does the team trust Mike Wallace to deliver? He’s failed to capitalize on his deep speed, hauling in just two (red zone) touchdowns this season. His long reception of 25 yards goes against everything — straight-line speed, home run ability — that made him such an exciting addition this offseason. With a cap hit of $11.5 million next season, he may not be worth the long-term investment for Rick Spielman.
Who, then, do the Vikings pursue? Charles Johnson didn’t build on the hype he created in 2014, leaving Minnesota grasping for straws. Fortunately, the draft is loaded with talent at wide receiver. Leontee Carroo, Laquon Treadwell, and Josh Doctson are a few players to watch as draft season approaches.