Minnesota Vikings had 5th best offseason via USA Today
By Adam Carlson
USA Today ranked the NFL teams based on their offseason acquisitions and draft picks and believe the Minnesota Vikings did the fifth best in the league.
The Minnesota Vikings may not have made a lot of flashy moves this offseason, but the things they did do were noticeable. They made upgrading the offensive line a priority this offseason, picking up guys like San Francisco 49ers guard Alex Boone and Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith as well as bringing back Joe Berger and Mike Harris while restructuring the deal of Phil Loadholt.
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Other positions were addressed in free agency as well, including the signing of safety Michael Griffin and linebackers Emmanuel Lamur and Travis Lewis. While those may not sound like big signings, each of these guys have the potential to contribute in different ways, with competition at each of their positions for playing time and a roster spot.
The media loves ranking things, so the folks over at USA Today decided to rank the teams in the NFL based on their acquisitions and departures this offseason, including free agency and the 2016 NFL Draft, and explain why they listed them in this order.
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USA Today’s Nate Davis ranked the Minnesota Vikings as #6, behind only the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, and Oakland Raiders. Here is what he had to say about the team’s moves:
"“They didn’t make much noise and that’s OK. New G Alex Boone should be a boon to RB Adrian Peterson while departed WR Mike Wallace won’t be missed, especially with highly touted first-round WR Laquon Treadwell inbound. Overall, the Vikes quietly added depth to solidify a roster that should be ready to defend the NFC North crown.”"
Next: Minnesota Vikings 2016 NFL Draft class
Hopefully Davis is right and the Minnesota Vikings can take these newly acquire players and continue developing the young roster into a hungry team of contenders. As fans know, head coach Mike Zimmer likes when his players win the NFC North championship, but the main goal of the franchise will always be the Super Bowl.