Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The 2012/2013 season has been more than most Vikings fans could have ever hoped for after an abysmal 3-13 2011 season. There have been ups and downs throughout this season, and at one point or another we’ve all had some doubts about how this team would finish out the regular season and if our team would get a chance to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2009. Fortunately for our well-being and our dedication, the Vikings were able to squeeze their way into the playoffs after an improbable run of four-straight victories against quality opponents.

There’s no telling what could happen in the postseason and that’s what is most exciting about the playoffs – every team has a shot.

Regardless of how the Minnesota Vikings finish out what has already proved to be one of the more exciting seasons in recent memory, the following notes outline some things that ownership and leadership can do to help make the case for the upcoming season being the year of the Minnesota Vikings.

1) Determine the viability of Percy Harvin’s long-term future in Minnesota.

This one is a touchy subject for some as Harvin has quickly become a fan-favorite among Vikings fans. Recent reports have indicated a rocky relationship between Harvin, his coaches and his teammates. Other unconfirmed reports have indicated that while an MRI was negative and he was given the okay to play, Harvin refused and was subsequently placed on the Injured Reserve list – effectively ending his season.

While these reports could simply be a case of the media trying to stir things up (something that they’re surprisingly good at), the fact that so many similar accounts of instability between one the Vikings’ most explosive weapons and the coaching staff has to be concerning.

While the situation is certainly troubling for Vikings fans, it should be comforting to know that the Vikings hold a great deal of leverage in this situation. Harvin will be entering the final year in his contract and is owed a relatively light $1.55 million. This gives the Vikings the opportunity to do a couple of things. They can either extend his contract or cut ties with him completely by putting him up on the trading block.

With such a minimal value remaining on his contract and his extremely high upside, Harvin is an enticing proposition for teams hungry for wide receivers and kick returners. While I understand the love for Harvin coming from the fans (and I, myself, am a huge Harvin fan), I’m not sure if there’s any better way for the Vikings to secure a top-flight, true number one receiver without trading away Harvin. Unless the Vikings can extend Harvin’s contract and resolve their issues before the beginning of next season (as to avoid any unnecessary midseason drama), trading him away would make the most sense.

2) Add depth to the cornerback position through draft

Though the play of the cornerbacks has vastly improved over previous years, it’s been obvious how thin the Vikings are behind Chris Cook and Antoine Winfield. As much of a proponent as I am of Winfield’s abilities over the next couple years, he’s not going to last forever in this league. Other than Josh Robinson, Marcus Sherels and the aforementioned duo, the rest of this CB group is disposable this offseason. I like the choice by leadership to keep Marcus Sherels on the roster as a special teamer and a situational corner, but his size limits his ability to lineup against top-tier wide receivers in the NFL, so other options should be considered. With the Vikings’ poor track-record of bringing in veteran cornerbacks (apart from Winfield, of course), the best strategy to bolster the group is to build young and draft a cornerback.

3) Add a true number one wide receiver through free agency or a trade

I’m sure this sounds like a broken record at this point, but this is where I see Harvin being a huge asset. With a huge contract either on the way for Harvin or finding use from him on the trading block, the Vikings should expect and desire to use a sizeable portion of their available cap space on securing both a top-tier wide receiver (with emphasis on size) as well as adding depth to this underperforming group.

I actually like what I’ve seen from Jarius Wright thus far, and I think he has a place in this offense and while Devin Aromashodu and Michael Jenkins have both been underwhelming to say the least, I also think that they are serviceable members of the wide receiver corps. (albeit, lower on the depth chart than they are now). Best case scenario in my mind is picking up a player like Larry Fitzgerald through a trade of Harvin and adding another role-player like Dwayne Bowe should the cap space permit (Bowe might be available for a relatively fair market value come free agency).

Of course, these scenarios are assuming that the Vikings decide to part ways with Harvin in the first place and go all-in on rebuilding the wide receiver position, but as I said previously, it might be for the best.

Looking at the list of 2013 free agent wide receivers, it won’t necessarily require a trade to add depth and bring in a stud, but the Vikings will have to dedicate big money to secure a true number one receiver as well as pay for Harvin’s contract extension should they decide to retain his services.

I could list all my desires for wide receiver lineups that would probably never happen, but it is clear that this team’s number one necessity this offseason is to add talent that can get open for a young quarterback that is still developing. We’ve seen how effective some of the wide receivers have been like Jarius Wright and Michael Jenkins (as of late), and they can still play an important role. Regardless, no team is going to fear the Vikings passing game until we get a receiver that can burn a secondary regularly or at least out-muscle them downfield.

Positive Outlook

We’ll have to wait and see what happens this offseason. A surprising amount of the Vikings’ future relies on the resolution of the situation with Percy Harvin and this should be the first order of business for Leslie Frazier and Rick Spielman. There’s a fairly flexible amount of cap space available for the Vikings, but they need to focus on solving whatever issues have arisen with their prized receiver. Either way, Vikings fans should look at the situation with Harvin as an incredible opportunity to better this team for years to come – whether he is used as a bargaining chip or is signed to a long-term deal. Here’s hoping for big things this postseason and for the positive future this franchise has ahead.

Follow Greg Jensen on Twitter – @JensenGregory

Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

After reports of the horrific incident taking place just outside of Arrowhead Stadium – near the training facility – today in Kansas City, it’s only natural for all of us to ask – why?

That’s a question that we may never actually get an answer to, and I, personally, don’t necessarily want to know why because it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m grieving in my own sense with the city of Kansas City and the NFL as a whole that a promising young man felt that the only way out was to take his own life. Of course the real tragedy lies in the murder of his girlfriend in front of his own mother while leaving a newborn to a world without parents.

This incident shocks us not only because of the heinous and appalling nature of the crime but mostly because it happened within an environment to which emotions and personal weaknesses are frowned upon. In the world of professional sports at their highest levels within the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, we are constantly exposed to the egotistical and flamboyant characters that come with all the fame and fortune. After all, these are the people that we as a society put on a pedestal as we pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to see play a game however many times a year.

I find nothing inherently wrong with the idea of society valuing professional sports as an important part of our culture while other people might view it as foolish or unimportant (but that’s a topic for another day).

It would be wrong to say that athletes that are a part of professional sports in America are anything less than blessed. They are blessed with some of the finest physical characteristics on Earth, instant fame and a following of millions of fans, and of course, they are blessed with financial stability or even financial excess.

As a society, with all of our problems associated with having too little money and not enough notoriety as individuals, many of us look at professional athletes with both money and fame with envy as well as the assumption that life is and will be good by default.

As kids, it was nearly impossible for us to look at professional athletes as anything short of superheroes. They’re living the dream by playing a game that they love in front of the whole world. Similarly, as adults, it’s hard for us to understand how anyone with so much money and a dream job can have any sort of complaints or negativity in their life.

With our fantasy football matchups, our betting habits and our sports-centric lifestyles, it’s very easy to forget that the names and numbers on the field/court/rink that we see actually have families, friends and life stories as unique as any of ours. Professional athletes as humans, have feelings of success, failure, concern, worry, anger, etc. that all of us share and are equally as powerless to resist the onset of such feelings.

Many criticized Vikings punter Chris Kluwe for his involvement in the gay marriage debate in Minnesota as he seemed to struggle on the field. Hundreds of people attacked him via Twitter for not focusing on what was at hand and to spend less time worrying about what most would say is an important issue. In the same light, others questioned quarterback Christian Ponder for who he dated as a reason for his poor on-field performance.

It’s situations like the Jovan Belcher incident that puts things like that in perspective. For about six months out of the year, young men from an infinite amount of different backgrounds prepare for and play a game that we all love. When they are not playing or practicing during their downtime or the offseason, they are faced with the same problems as every other person on this planet.

Personal lives and opinions are not things that are afforded to one specific group over another. These are the things that we as individuals share regardless of what we do for a living – yes, even professional athletes.

A while back, I had a short conversation on Twitter with former Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian as he explained his views on capitalism and other topics. He made an interesting statement (though hardly anything truly exceptional) when I questioned his opinions concerning the fact that he is a millionaire based on the lucrative contract he received from the Vikings over four years ago.

“A few dollars in the bank doesn’t [guarantee] anything,” said Berrian.

This is a certainty that I, as well as most of you, can understand. The reason it struck me is because through all of the nonsense of the 2011 season that the Vikings endured with Berrian as he appeared to have given up  and lost interest for the game, he still had the same heart and same realization that even the less fortunate of us are reminded of on a daily basis. The amount of money, power and the fame are all just a small part of what makes us.

So too with Jovan Belcher do we once again realize that through all the passion and intensity for the game of football – it is just that, a game. To some, this thought might infuriate or frustrate because to most of us on Sundays, we certainly don’t treat it like it’s just a game. To others like me, the idea that football is just a game played by ordinary people who bleed and feel just like me is why I love the game. To me, sport is the pinnacle of individual, human achievement as athletes fight through the same problems as me.

While I certainly don’t think it is wrong for anyone of any age to look up to professional athletes with any level of admiration, it should never lead us to expect any more or less humanity from these athletes.

Though I think that athletes should be held to higher standards due to their responsibility to the youth among the fan base, it would be completely wrong for any of us to expect that any athlete can’t have real problems in their life and that all they may need is a little bit of understanding and compassion from those around them.

Unfortunately, this Jovan Belcher incident is a situation that brings us back down to Earth when it comes to expectations for our professional athletes. Too often do we forget that the players that we follow are made up of much more than just a group of statistics and highlight reels.

The occurrence in Kansas City isn’t the first instance of a suicidal professional athlete with the whole world in front of them, and I am almost certain it won’t be the last. However the lesson of this nightmare should be one for sports fans and non-fans alike. No matter the job, no matter the perks and no matter the situation, sometimes all people need – even the most fortunate of us – is help even when society tells us that money and fame will make it all better.

Keep in mind as you’re watching football this Sunday that the players running around on the field making or missing plays are only as human as they can be and face the same problems that all of us encounter once they exit the stadium.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends, teammates and family of Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins.

Follow Greg Jensen on Twitter – @JensenGregory

Have you figured out which team I’m talking about?

Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

This is the 2011 Minnesota Vikings. Yes, our beloved Vikings had perhaps one of the most miserable seasons out of any team in the NFL in 2011. Coming off a 6-10 record in 2010, the Vikings didn’t immediately look to start fresh with quarterback Christian Ponder, but rather put their faith in veteran QB, Donovan McNabb. We all know how that ended.

By the end of the 2011 season, things were much worse off than had ever been predicted for the 2010 or 2011 season. Our franchise running back, our long snapper, two of our wide receivers, and our best cornerback had been placed on injured reserve for various reasons – one of which was obviously the ACL and MCL tear of Adrian Peterson.

Why do I bring up such a painful and frustrating season? If you’ve lived under a rock for the past few months, you wouldn’t have realized that the Minnesota Vikings are currently sitting at 6-5 with a shot at a wild card spot.

Most would look at that record and immediately jump on the fact that not only is 6-5 not very impressive, but it’s going to take some big wins late in the season to even have a shot at a playoff spot. True. Compared to the heavyweights of the AFC and NFC, a 6-5 record isn’t anything to be comfortable with, however, where most of the fan base is disappointed with the team’s performance over the past few weeks, I look at that record with a lot of excitement.

After the Vikings’ loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears, our playoff hopes have dimmed – however minimally. The week 13 game against the slumping Green Bay Packers can only be considered a “must-win” as other wild card contenders share the 6-5 record of the Vikings and do not face the schedule that the Vikings are forced to endure.

If we look at this season from the “win now” mentality that sweeps the NFL for one reason or another, a lot of pressure is on the Vikings to perform immediately or enjoy another “wasted” season. If we take a step back and simply remember that this team had three wins for the entire 2011 season, things should be much more promising. I haven’t been this excited for playoff contention for several years.

This team was absolutely ravaged by injuries and bad luck in 2011. While the Vikings hadn’t yet lost Adrian Peterson to a vicious injury at this point last season, it should really give you hope that regardless of what happens this season, things are looking up for this team. The 2012 draft, training camp, and regular season were never about this season. This is about building for the future and creating a viable long-term plan for success for a decade rather than trying to find success a couple seasons at a time.

With all this said, I couldn’t be more excited for the matchup between the Packers and Vikings this week, and I honestly think that it’s still too early to discount this team from anything. I am absolutely thrilled with the idea that the Minnesota Vikings are contending for a playoff spot for the first time in two years after being eliminated from contention with a 2-9 record in week 12 this time last year.

Christian Ponder, Joe Webb or whoever you want to see in the quarterback spot for the Vikings – it shouldn’t matter right now. Joe Webb isn’t the long-term answer and Christian Ponder is too young to make a fair judgment. Whatever argument you want to make, just take the fact that we’re still very much in the hunt for a playoff spot. Get excited for this. Three weeks from now, we might find ourselves still in the hunt, or we could all be longing for a time that we still had a chance to compete for a wild card spot.

It’s week 12 with our Minnesota Vikings much more alive than just a year ago. Our team is young, our running back has returned to form after a terrible injury, and we have a lot to look forward to with some great young talent all over the field. Perhaps we’re all spoiled by the winning ways of our franchise over the decades that we’ve forgotten what it takes to build a long-term winning team. Maybe that’s why there is so much frustration within the fan base. Growing pains are just that – painful.

We will face ups and downs as this team continues to mature and players will come and go as well. Regardless of the quarterback situation or whatever controversies which plague so many fans, you can’t deny that this team is markedly better than the week 12 team from 2011. Enjoy this feeling, Vikings fans – it’s not over yet.

Follow Greg Jensen – @JensenGregory