Vikings 2011 Offseason

[Scott M]

Viking UFAs

QB Brett Favre

QB Tarvaris Jackson

RB Lorenzo Booker

FB Naufahu Tahi

OL Ryan Cook

WR Sidney Rice

WR Greg Lewis

WR Hank Baskett

K Ryan Longwell

DT Fred Evans

DT Pat Williams

DE Ray Edwards

DB Lito Shepard

DB Eric Frampton

DB Husain Abdullah

LB Ben Leber

LB Chad Greenway

LB Erin Henderson (Restricted)

I think it's time to cut the cord with Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams. Favre retires finally. I think it was in the press somewhere that Kleinsasser was going to retire. From the above list, Rice, Greenway, and Longwell are the priority. A few other guys can fit in if the price is right (Williams, Booker, E. Henderson). Leber and Edwards are going to make big bucks elsewhere.

Through the draft and free agency, they have to address the starting quarterback, safety, nab another linebacker, and retool the offensive line.

We're only a new coach, new team, and new stadium away from a super bowl...so basically we're an expansion team. j/k. In all seriousness, listening to Frazier on the radio, he talked about how some teams lose a lot of players like the Vikings will do in 2011 and they take years to recover. He thought that with some of the remaining talent they had, with a few additions, they should be competitive right away. Look at some of the teams that made the playoffs this year...there is plenty of remaining talent, they just need to be coached up, get some breaks, and they are right in it. It's the NFL, where with parity anything's possible, worst to first.

[JBMasterAngler]

1st and formost...bring Favre back for 1 more year! He has alot to prove after this disaster season! But for that to happen, we'll need to improve the o-line first.

[greebs]

he might have a lot to prove, but do you honestly think he's capable of proving anything other than reconfirming that there's a reason most nfl players who aren't a kicker have little success after age 40?

[zepman]

1st and formost...bring Favre back for 1 more year! He has alot to prove after this disaster season! But for that to happen, we'll need to improve the o-line first.

Favre is NOT coming back nor would we want him. After 20 years in the league and owning almost every q-back record there is....a super bowl champion and multiple time MVP....he has nothing to prove to us, his teammates, or himself.

It's time to move forward.

[FISHINGURU]

Longwell is far from a priority IMO, we need a kicker that can kick it past the 10 yard line. No reason to keep a kicker that can barely kick 50 yards and can't kick it into the endzones on kickoff.

I feel bad for any team that is gonna pay Edwards and Leber big bucks, they are both over rated pie stains. Leber is so smart and is almost there on every play, almost don't cut it. Edwards played on one of the best D-lines in football for a handful of years and could barely do anything.

It will be a failure if we don't sign Rice and Greenway, especially Greenway he's a stud and will be a corner stone to this defense for a long time. Rice he's good but injury prone, thing is with him is he already has alot of experience but he's still so young, we've had him since he was like 20.

I'd keep Cook around on the cheap, just because he can play so many positions. Same with Phat Pat, I'd resign him on the cheap but if he wants quality starter money I'd send him packing. Booker has been decent, we could get him for not much money, I like Erin he'd be good to keep around. Abdullah was the best safety we had all season which isn't saying much but he's young and unexperienced he might be worthy.

I'd of cut Junkson years ago so hopefully they let him go, he's beyond a pie stain.

I honestly don't think our team will be that bad with our losses, most of them you can't do any worse. There are alot of studs on the team that are young. We got the best RB in football, got some WR weapons with Rice and Percy. Defense is good, only reason they didn't do so well this year is because we blew goats on offense so much. Jared, Kevin, Greenway, EJ, Winfield, Griffen, Cook, they can get the job done. Hopefully the guys we lose will be replaced with even better talent.

Shouldn't be to hard to replace the guys we are saying let go, like I said you really can't do any worse.

[lawdog]

My assessment of needs:

1. QB -- #4 done. T-Junk, no good. Webb one game flash, game two reality check...

2. SAFETIES. Ours SUCK!!! Madieu Williams wants to make me throw something at the TV every game.

3. O-Line. Tired of watching McKinney turn around and watch his guy clobber our QB. Loadholt isn't much better and Sullivan is no Matt Birk!

4. Cornerback. Either need a health miracle for the guys we got or we need a new stand on the island shutdown corner.

5. LB's. I think EJ lost a step with that leg injury and Lieber is overrated. We need help here.

6. WR's. Barrien needs to go and we need a guy to be another deeep threat besides Sidney and let Harvin stay in the slot.

I'm not sure Frazier is the answer either as the D was mighty disappointing this year, but looks like he's the guy. Also, NEED the stadium situation resolved or they will be gone before the restructing pays off.

[FISHINGURU]

Need help at LB? Look no further then Posluzny!!

[JBMasterAngler]

I looked at a mock draft that shows the vikings picking Mike Pouncey with their #12 pick. Pouncey is a center from Florida...I like it!

[TR21HP]

Pouncey is a beast!I've seen him several times over the past two years and he always grades out really well. This would help the O line a lot!

[zepman]

Pouncey would be a good pick in the 20's...if they take him, and I hope they do...I sure hope they've traded down to get him and added another pick or two in the process.

[bucketmouth64]

Pouncey would be a good pick in the 20's...if they take him, and I hope they do...I sure hope they've traded down to get him and added another pick or two in the process.

+1 we need picks and a center, might be able to still get a good qb with right pick in first/second round with trades.

[FISHINGURU]

Sign Mankins, draft Pouncey, we be ballin'!!

[pike doctor]

Sign Mankins, draft Pouncey, we be ballin'!!

I have been saying to draft Pouncey all along and I was laughed at by most of you. Why on earth would we try to sign Mankins? We already have a pretty good LG. We need a better LT. Mankins is old and is going to be expensive. We need to get younger. In a perfect world we will trade down to around 20, pick up Pouncey and get some added value for the later in the draft. I dont think it is going to happen. It would be really nice to trade down our pick and bundle some players and get 2 first rounders(late) Pouncey and a LT. Maybe we could trade our first and second round picks to NE for their two first round picks. Trade McKinney and Berrian for an early second round pick and take a QB (Dalton-TCU). I make it sound so easy.

[FISHINGURU]

Actually Mankins was drafted as a tackle and the Patriots turned him into a LG so he can play guard or tackle. 28 years old is far from old when your talking about O-line. He will be pretty spendy but if you could have an Oline with Hutch,Mankins,and Pouncy it would be pretty mean. Another thing that will help is if our RB's could learn to block better.

You can drop a pie stain like Berrian and use that money for a guy like Mankins, even if it isn't Mankins but one of the other Oline guys that will be available. I'd do whatever it takes to build a stellar Oline, we'll need it for AP and whatever QB we get in here.

[zepman]

I wouldn't be suprised at all to hear the Vikings trying to deal Hutchinson for picks or players this off-season. He's been hurt the last two years...underperformed because of it...and carries a HUGE contract...especially for a guard. Hutchinson was/is every bit as responsible for our o-line sucking the way it has.

The Patriots have made a living (a very good one at that) out of moving players who have reached their peak and are on the decline...I think we've seen this happening to Hutch in the last few years. IMO, It wouldn't be a bad idea to move him while he still has some value.

Pouncey is projected as a better guard than center in the NFL anyway...he could replace Hutch. Now to find a center........

[bucketmouth64]

What do you all think of moving Kevin Williams to left defensive end and have Guion and Kennedy in the middle? I think Kevin is athletic and fast enough to make that type of move. I think he could do this if he knows this going into offseason, then he could train appropriately. This could make Edwards more tradeable.

[zepman]

It's certainly not a bad option to have. He'd have to lose some weight though. Williams is a BIG dude...310-315 lb'er. I sometimes forget how big he really is because he does move very well.

Guion and Kennedy both need more playing time...any way to get them on the field more would be o.k. with me.

[Scott K]

It looks as though the Vikings arent going to be contempt on sitting at the bottom of the division next year, and are going to go out and get some talent on this team and build a contender for next year. So far this has been an exciting off season.

[Driftless]

Junk

and

The Star caps

[koonie]

Pouncey would be a good pick in the 20's...if they take him, and I hope they do...I sure hope they've traded down to get him and added another pick or two in the process.

Ditto. Absolutely right!

[koonie]

It looks as though the Vikings arent going to be contempt on sitting at the bottom of the division next year, and are going to go out and get some talent on this team and build a contender for next year. So far this has been an exciting off season.

Nothing has happened yet. I wouldn't expect to much unless a c.b.a. is signed.

For those who want Mankins. He would be an upgrade in pass protection but he doesn't do a thing for our running game.

[klecker]

From PFT.

Although new Vikings coach Leslie Frazier has yet to part ways with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell or special-teams coordinator Brian Murphy, it’s just a matter of time.

Frazier has informed both men that they are free to look for other jobs.

“We’re trying to get some things done,” Frazier told Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com. “We’ll make some decisions here real soon.”

In other words, Frazier will soon be hiring a new offensive coordinator, and a new special-teams coordinator.

“One of the things I’m trying to do with all of our coaches, whether you’re on the offensive side, defensive side or special teams is just look at everything with an eye towards winning a championship in Minnesota,” Frazier said. “Whichever direction we go in any of those positions or coordinators — running backs, linebackers, defensive backs — I just want our fans to know that the point of it is that we’re working towards winning a championship with every decision, and that’s the whole goal of it.”

Bevell’s looming departure means that the Vikings will be ditching the West Coast offense. It also means that the chances of yet another Brett Favre return have plummeted to less than zero percent.

Former Broncos coach Josh McDaniels recently interviewed for the position of offensive coordinator, which would put the Vikings in play for Tim Tebow or, perhaps more likely, Kyle Orton.

[FISHINGURU]

For those who want Mankins. He would be an upgrade in pass protection but he doesn't do a thing for our running game.

Yeah I highly doubt that, I'll put money down he can run block way better then what we have right now except Hutch.

[koonie]

I'll take that bet any day.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

It also means that the chances of yet another Brett Favre return have plummeted to less than zero percent.

That's a beautiful thing to read right there!