Notable Free Agents

DE- Jared Allen

LB- Erin Henderson

QB- Matt Cassel

QB- Josh Freeman

DT- Kevin Williams

RB- Toby Gerhart

CB- Chris Cook

LG- Charlie Johnson

2014 Draft Picks

Round 1 Pick 8

Round 2 Pick 40

Round 3 Pick 72

Round 3 Pick 96

Round 4 Pick 104

Round 5 Pick 136

Round 6 Pick 168

Round 7 Pick 200

Draft Prospects

Minnesota must look to improve their pass rush this offseason, and on that note expect them to target either Khalil Mack or Anthony Barrr should they be available at pick number eight. Alabama’s C.J. Mosley may be an option as well, though he would be a middle linebacker as opposed to an edge rusher. However the team’s biggest need may be under center, so if Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, or Blake Bortles are available expect Minnesota to hitch its wagon to one of those three budding stars.

Biggest Offseason Needs

Quarterback: Simply put, the Vikings will not succeed without at least a capable quarterback. Last season’s trio of Christian Ponder, Freeman and Cassel combined for a putrid average of just 214.2 yards per game in 2013, 23rd in the NFL. Minnesota must look to find an adequate signal-caller in a draft budding with talented quarterback prospects.

Linebacker: Yes, Chad Greenway is a stud at strongside linebacker, but the Vikings lack talent at both middle linebacker and weakside, leaving a major hole in an otherwise stalwart front seven.

Cornerback: With Cook likely to test free agency and a sophomore starter opposite his former position in Xavier Rhodes Minnesota would be wise to either resign Cook or find a suitable replacement as there is not much additional talent at corner currently on their roster.

Offensive Line: Matt Kalil is a benchmark left tackle and Brandon Fusco is a more than adequate guard, but with Johnson headed for free agency there is a hole in the starting ranks on Minnesota’s offensive line; A hole that may prevent star rusher Adrian Peterson from finding his own.

One Player Minnesota Should Target

Brent Grimes would more than fill the void at cornerback, while giving Rhodes time to develop against less than elite-level talent. Grimes was a top-10 corner last season, and would be a tremendous safety valve at the back of the Vikings’ defense.

One Player Minnesota Must Retain

The face of the Minnesota Vikings’ defense over the better part of a decade has been veteran pass-rusher Jared Allen. While the defensive end is certainly over the hill in terms of on-field production, Allen is still a more than capable pass-rusher and would be a boon for any professional defense. The only question here is if new head coach Mike Zimmer will bring his 3-4 defense with him from Cincinnati, in which case the Vikings would likely let Allen walk due to his presumed lack of coverage ability.

Players in Need of Extensions

Brandon Fusco has been a solidly affordable answer at right guard for the Vikings who should look to lock him up long term for the right price. Fusco is set to become a free agent next offseason, so Minnesota would be wise to take care of business early and resign Fusco before he gets a taste of the free market.

Letroy Guion has been quite effective next to veteran defensive tackle Kevin Williams after the latter’s brother Pat Williams signed with the Buffalo Bills. Should Williams elect to seek employment somewhere else, locking up Guion will be important as the relatively untested Sharrif Floyd would inherit a starting role in this scenario. However, this could all change once Zimmer implements his new scheme in which a nose-tackle will be much more important than a defensive tackle suited for a 4-3 set.

Overall Offseason Outlook

Minnesota is in a unique situation to the other teams drafting inside the top 10 not located in St. Louis in that the talent on the roster is there, it was the execution that is lacking. Put a consistent quarterback in purple and the trio of Cordarrelle Patterson Greg Jennings and Kyle Rudolph would be an above average offense even without the contributions of Adrian Peterson. Finding a capable quarterback should be of the utmost priority for Norv Turner’s new offense.

On the opposite side of the ball, Minnesota must improve talent at linebacker and at cornerback. There is plenty of talent at both of these positions in the upcoming draft, so expect the Vikings to stay mostly dormant in the free agency period unless they target an elite-level corner such as the aforementioned Grimes or Tennessee’s Alterraun Verner. As I mentioned previously, Mike Zimmer’s 3-4 will result in massive changes on the Vikings defense should he decide to utilize that formation, so personnel changes on that side of the ball will reflect a scheme change; something that is nearly impossible to predict at this stage.

If Zimmer elects to utilize the same 3-4 scheme he found success with in Cincinnati, the Vikings’ focus during the player acquisition periods will be on capable linebackers with versatility, and defensive linemen more suited to run-stopping than pass rushing. Regardless, I expect Minnesota to improve drastically under Zimmer and Turner during the 2014 offseason and beyond.