Between now and the start of the new league year in March, TGS is providing brief summaries looking ahead at the offseason from the perspective of each NFL team. In this edition, we look at the Minnesota Vikings.
2016 record: 8-8 — 3rd place, NFC North
What’s new? They’re facing big questions at quarterback, where Sam Bradford had a good-not-great season in place of Teddy Bridgewater, who continues to fight back from a major knee injury.
Projected salary cap space: $21 million — Only eight teams are projected to have less money to spend.
Key in-house free agents: CB Terence Newman, CB Captain Munnerlyn, OT Matt Kalil, OT Andre Smith, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, LB Chad Greenway
Newman is their best corner, but he’s 39. Munnerlyn is superb, but he’s a slot guy who might be overpaid elsewhere. Kalil and Smith are their bookend tackles, but both were hurt virtually all of last year and neither was very reliable before that. Patterson is a talented enigma and Greenway is 34. In other words, few of these guys seem worth it.
Key needs: Cornerback if they lose Newman and/or Munnerlyn, offensive tackle, wide receiver, linebacker and running back if they lose Adrian Peterson.
Draft breakdown: They’ll have either the No. 14 or No. 15 overall pick (to be determined by a coin flip at the Combine), and they have two third-round and two fourth-round selections.
Other potential priorities: They have to figure out if Bridgewater can play. But before that, they have to either release Peterson or sign him to a more cap-friendly deal.
Outlook: They’re in a good draft spot and have some cash, but they also have some major questions at key positions. Gonna have to be a perfect offseason for them to compete in a major way in 2017.
