Minnesota Vikings
The Adrian Peterson era is over in Minnesota. Instead of the future Hall of Famer acting as the face of the franchise, it’s all going to be about collective effort from the Vikings moving forward. That’s a good thing. The talent is there. The potential for domination on defense is there. The coaching is there. And yes, Sam Bradford provides stability at quarterback.
Remember, Minnesota started last season winning its first five games before ultimately finishing the year at .500. The team’s downward trajectory was primarily due to what had to be considered a historically bad rushing attack.
Sans an injured Peterson, Minnesota finished dead last in the league in rushing at 75.3 yards per game. All said, this unit put up less than 100 yards on the ground in all but two games.
This won’t be an issue in 2017. Not only did the Vikings sign Pro Bowl running back Latavius Murray from Oakland, they doubled down with stud youngster Dalvin Cook in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. That’s a mighty nice tandem to help create balance for Bradford in the passing game.
GM Rick Spielman and Co. surely didn’t stop there. They signed former Arizona Cardinals first-round pick Michael Floyd to a dirt-cheap one-year contract. Floyd might have off-field issues he’s dealing with after a DUI arrest last year, but he’s going to act as a tremendous possession receiver for Bradford. It’s pretty much the perfect complement to go with rising youngster Stefon Diggs.
What makes Minnesota’s offense a bit more scary than last season is the fact that it retooled a disastrous line. The team will have two new starting tackles in Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers. That’s a dramatic upgrade over the likes of Matt Kalil and T.J. Clemmings.
But as with Houston, it all starts on defense here. Minnesota is absolutely stacked with young talent ready to break through. Defensive ends Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter (20.5 sacks combined in 2016) are already there. Linebackers Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr will be Pro Bowler performers here soon.
And in the defensive secondary, the talent is absolutely off the charts. Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith have already proven themselves to be All-Pro caliber players. Add in Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes, and there’s a lot to like there.
We fully expect Minnesota to challenge Aaron Rodgers and the Packers for the NFC North title. In fact, it would not be a surprise to see Mike Zimmer’s squad leapfrog its bitter divisional rival. That’s how good the Vikings will be in 2017.