Minnesota Vikings plan to be aggressive this offseason

The Minnesota Vikings appear ready to be aggressive this offseason heading into the 2016 in order to make the team as good as possible for the future.

In the past, Rick Spielman has worked hard during the NFL Draft and free agency periods to bring in any players that could help the Minnesota Vikings. This aggressive style is one reason the team has one of the best young rosters in the National Football League.

While man of Spielman’s high-priced free agents haven’t paid dividends in recent years, there are still times when his bold moves have helped to make the roster stronger. For example, acquiring defensive tackle Linval Joseph may have been a fantastic signing, but the pickup of wide receivers Greg Jennings and Mike Wallace have yet to have the desired impact.

And while free agency is a great way to get players, Spielman really works his magic during the NFL Draft. He’s shown that he isn’t afraid to accumulate picks to be able to move around the draft at will. There are several players that the Minnesota Vikings have traded up to acquire in the past, including safety Harrison Smith, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and others.

Now, Rick Spielman may be the guy who pulls the trigger on the big deals, but he gets a lot of input from his team. Together, they know what they’re looking for and are communicating to make the list of targets for the team this offseason.

"“The communication between myself, the scouting department, the coaching department, I think has paid dividends over the past couple years,” Spielman said in an article on Fox Sports.com. “There’s a clear distinct trait we’re looking for in football players that fit what we’re doing from a scheme standpoint offensively and defensively.”"

Even the scheme part is up for debate at times. During the 2014 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings shocked many draftniks by selecting UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr with the ninth overall pick when many felt he didn’t fit the team’s defense. The Vikings and Barr have proven to know what they are doing, and Barr appears to be a cornerstone for the team’s linebacker group moving forward.

"“When there are players we feel strongly about, that we think can be potential unique players for us and building blocks for our future, and then and having a sense that maybe, we were higher in the second, but they’re potentially not going to get to you there, to be aggressive and go get the player you covet,” Spielman said."

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It will be interesting to see what kind of moves the Minnesota Vikings and Rick Spielman have in mind for the team this offseason. One thing to be certain about is that they won’t hesitate to go out and get a player that they really want, as history has shown that those kind of moves appear to be a solid way to continue building the franchise.

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