Vikings Offseason Appraised

Charles Robinson contemplates the underlying reasons for both the Randy Moss trade and the Vikings' bipolar win-loss records in the past two years:

On a team that had an offense burning rocket fuel, an emotionally comatose defense was dangling along for the ride. By the end of the season, the Vikings would give up 395 points (26th in the NFL) and backpedal into the playoffs as the worst defensive team, at least statistically, in the postseason. It should sound familiar. Had Minnesota not been knocked out of the playoffs on the final play of the 2003 regular season, it would have earned the same title of Worst Playoff Defense.

There's a pattern in there — start 2003 and 2004 a collective 11-1 on the strength of the offense, then finish a collective 6-14 on the failures of the defense.

At the end of both the 2003 and 2004 seasons, it was hard to remember that the Vikings were at the very top of the league for the first six weeks in both years. Memories are remarkably short in the NFL: it's not just cornerbacks who need to forget the immediate past.

Realizing the lack of defensive leadership was no small revelation, but it came at a tremendous price. In 2004, Minnesota's defensive shortcomings wasted quite possibly the third-best statistical performance by a quarterback in the history of the league. Beyond Dan Marino in 1984 and Peyton Manning last season, you would be hard pressed to find a year better than Daunte Culpepper's in 2004: 41 total touchdowns against 11 interceptions, 5,123 total yards (4,717 passing, 406 rushing) and a 69-percent completion rate.

Complement those numbers with a solid defense and the Vikings might have been measuring their place in history with Roman numerals rather than watching the Eagles do it in their place. It's a hard lesson to learn, but one that apparently has been taken to heart.

Note the boldface above. In spite of that, as late as the final game of the regular season, knuckleheaded fans were still baying for Culpepper to be benched and Gus Frerotte started in his place. Football fans can be incredibly dense.

Within the division, though, few signings have been more important than the Vikings' nabbing of cornerback Fred Smoot and Sharper — two players who will make Minnesota's defense grow exponentially in aggression. Paired with cornerback Antoine Winfield, Smoot and Sharper give the Vikings something they've never had: the ability to play consistent man coverage, while piling defenders into the middle of the field and designing more blitz packages.

That's a scheme that should only enhance blossoming defensive ends Kevin Williams, Lance Johnstone and Kenechi Udeze. Add the acquisitions of nose tackle Pat Williams and linebackers Sam Cowart and Napoleon Harris, and Minnesota finally has some strong personalities to propel the team.

That has been perhaps the biggest surprise of the off-season so far: that someone finally got a big enough crowbar to open up Red McCombs' wallet and sign some good defensive players. Make no mistake: these guys aren't superstars . . . they're just far more capable as a group than anyone Minnesota has put on the defensive side of the ball since before John Randle left.

The Vikings are already targeting an impact replacement for Moss, eyeing USC's Mike Williams or Michigan's Braylon Edwards with the No. 7 pick in the draft (or a possible trade into the top four, if necessary). Minnesota also could stand pat and take one of the marquee running backs, then address the receiver position with the No. 18 overall pick. All are luxury scenarios now that Tice has addressed what he felt was the true virus – a lack of fortitude.

The draft is going to be more interesting than any for the past few years: the Vikings have plenty of options and enough money in hand to do some good things. I don't see them taking a running back — although both Onterrio Smith's and Michael Bennett's names keep coming up in trade rumours — I think Mewelde Moore is a good running back and might be "the guy" if he's given a chance (especially paired with Moe Williams as the third-down back).

I don't follow US college football, so I know nothing about the current draft prospects, but with the Vikings having two first-round picks, they should certainly be able to improve in even more areas. I just have nightmare flashbacks to the last time the Vikings had a second pick in the first round. The notorious Underwood fiasco. Shudder.