The most glaring one on the team is at wide receiver.  We need a true #1 guy and let Sidney Rice compliment him and Bobby Wade play the slot where he does well.  I believe that if by some miracle we could trade for Larry Fitzgerald, we should do such.  He would be that perfect #1 giving Rice the perfect compliment on the opposite side and Tarvaris Jackson more options down field.

Going consistently down field to more than one quality receiver will pull that safety from the box, and open the door for the fiercest two headed runningback monster in the league.  Resign the old Pro Bowl vet Tony Richardson to lead the way blocking and with his leadership.  Then compliment that with an already vastly improving offensive line, and the offense should be as “kick ass” as coach Childress dreams about.

T-Jack will be and should be the starter coming into the 2008 season.  The improvement over the last 6 games was steady and profound, especially in the way he almost single handedly rallied a team that had given up in the Denver game to tie it up.  Unless the Vikes make an unlikely trade for the other Childress progeny, Donovan McNabb, there is no reason to hinder Tarvaris’ growth behind some “just adequate” veteran.  That being said, except for the play of Brooks Bollinger off the bench, he and Kelly Holcomb’s chances at starting and winning games was pathetic.  As a #2 or #3 backup Bollinger should do fine and he is still young and could improve whereas Holcomb needs to move on and make room for a long term prospect or a better veteran in the latter parts of his career.

On the defensive side of the ball, the deficiencies are almost just as glaring in two areas, and both play directly into the Vikings ability to stop the pass.  With outstanding play from the middle and run stopping on the edges, the defense has gone back to back as league leaders against the rush, and are so stout that teams forgo even to attempt a serious running effort knowing that it is most likely futile.

This has lead to an aerial assault that has placed improving play of the young corners [Griffin and McCauley] in the spotlight.   Because we’ve had to rely on the rookie and second year player so much of the season with Winfield’s injury problems, they were taken advantage of with not much help.  Darren Sharper and Dwight Smith are both aging.  Smith will most likely be released as direct result of his off field problems, so safety will need to be a spot of emphasis in the draft, at least for depth.

The other half of the aerial assault comes from lack of a consistent and ever present pass rush.  Though rookie Brian Robison did well in the rotation, and Ray Edwards was having a very improved season prior to his suspension in the starting role for psychologically and physically recovering Erasmus James, it was not enough pressure from the right side to matter much.  Kenechi Udeze has proven to be a good run stopper but has not developed into the pass rushing threat he was in college.  We need both, the good run stoppers we have and either someone to teach them to be sack creating nightmares or add someone, especially on the right side, to the rotation that can be.

Then can someone please tell me why we haven’t resigned Heath Farwell?  Of all the special team specialists, Longwell, Kluwe, and Loeffler included, he is a tackling ace and needs locked up for a long time.  If the Vikes are waiting to see what the market sets as a value, they will be setting themselves up for loss and disappointment when some team like the Patriots steals him from under our noses.  Sign him now.

The key will be able to hit the target areas in free agency, then draft best players available for depth.  The Vikings have a good mixture of youth and high quality aged veterans, many Pro Bowlers themselves, which should continue the trend of growth and proficiency in the Childress system and ultimately increase dramatically the number of victories and get the Purple back in the playoffs… where they belong.
 

Skol Vikings!