Vikings Preseason Questions Pt. 1

There are a lot of unknowns for the Minnesota Vikings heading into preseason. The Vikings are the only team that made it to the playoffs last year that have an undecided quarterback battle. They have no idea what the resolution will be to the Williams case. There are also questions on the offensive line, but not who will start, just how will the two new guys perform? And what about the very important nickel corner spot? I’m going to try to answer all these questions and more in a two part series.

Who is going to start at QB?
During the offseason, the Vikings traded for Sage Rosenfels and are paying him $9 million over the next 3 years. Based on that, many people say it’s Rosenfels’ job to lose. I beg to differ, and so do a lot of media types around the Vikings. From everything I’ve heard and seen, the job is still wide open with a slight edge to Tarvaris Jackson. This year will be Jackson’s 4th season with the team, and he should have the edge considering he knows the system and the players better than Rosenfels. I’ve also seen a few videos of training camp so far this year, and Jackson looks pretty good with exception to his seemingly canny ability to get nicked up every year in training camp. That has to be the elephant in the room for the Vikings. If they go with Jackson, how long will he stay healthy? Do you start someone knowing that it’s highly probable he’ll get hurt and miss a few starts in the season? The Vikings are looking for consistency at the QB position. They want fewer turnovers and higher completion percentages than the past few years. I’m not sure which one fo these guys are going to be able to give them that, but a good camp and preseason for either will definitely give that guy the nod.

My personal opinion is that Jackson will win the job. Coach Brad Childress, or Chili as I like to call him, has been in love with Jackson since he drafted him. The Vikings moved up in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft just to pick Jackson, even though no other teams showed high interest in him. Jackson’s been given the start in games he shouldn’t have due to poor performances in previous games. It’s the games such as the one last year against the Arizona Cardinals that keep Chili and the Vikings hoping Jackson will turn out to be that quality QB they so desperately want. I’m just not so sure either of these guys is the answer at QB.

Are the Williams’ going to play the entire season?
As of right now, the outlook is bright for the Williams’. Judge Gary Larson put the state case on hold until a federal court decision is reached and said that a trial during the 2009 season was unlikely.

That’s great news for the Williams’ and the Vikings. The Vikings defense relies so heavily on the Williams’ wreaking havoc in the middle that 4 games without them would be devastating. You can read the full story here.

How will the offensive line be with two new starters?
All indications are that 2nd year center John Sullivan looks to be catching on very quickly. I’ve heard many teammates come onto the local sports radio station and comment on how smart he is. They’ve also said he’s very inquisitive and wants to know every intricacy of the center position. He has some big shoes to fill, though. Matt Birk was a Pro-Bowl center for years and it’s going to be tough to live up to that, but Sullivan is a smart kid out of Notre Dame. I’m confident he can not only play the position but play it well.

The other new offensive lineman is RT Phil Loadholt. The Vikings drafted him in the 2nd round this year and he looks like a typical book-end offensive tackle. What’s typical about that I have no idea because the guy’s a monster! The same teammates that have said Sullivan looks good have said that Loadholt looks great. He has all the natural qualities a guy needs to succeed as a tackle in the NFL. He also came from Oklahoma, which is one of the top 10 college programs in the nation for preparing players for the NFL. He’s ready and, although it hasn’t been officially stated, he has the starting job won already.

Look for part 2 of Vikings Preseason Questions very shortly!

Tags: Brad Childress, john sullivan, Kevin Williams, matt birk, NFL, Pat Williams, Phil Loadholt, Sage Rosenfels, Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings