Why the Vikings have not done enough in the 2022 offseason

The NFC is creeping away from the Minnesota Vikings

Starting with playoff teams from a season ago, the Vikings are falling behind a handful of really good teams. The Rams improved in free agency but lost a few key pieces in Von Miller and Andrew Whitworth. However, Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson were big signings to keep them near the top of the conference.

The Eagles, who were a wild card team last season, got immensely better by adding Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in the draft and trading for star wide receiver A.J. Brown. The Cowboys lost Amari Cooper and Randy Gregory but the rest of the roster is in place heading into 2022.

Green Bay and New Orleans improved their defenses to allow their offenses to take a slight step back without the team going under. Both teams should be dangerous in the NFC next season so long as they stay healthy.

As long as Tom Brady is in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers will be a tough team to beat when it matters. That can also be applied to Aaron Rodgers but the Vikings have handled their own against Green Bay lately.

If I had to stamp my claim right now, there are five teams in the NFC that are better than the Vikings – the Rams, Bucs, Packers, Eagles, and 49ers. There are also three more that are close calls – the Saints, Cardinals, and Cowboys. Minnesota lost to Arizona and Dallas (with a backup QB) last season.

For the Vikings to really make a run, they will have to make a statement against these teams in the regular season.

Making the playoffs does not make a team a contender, let me also make that clear. There are seven teams that make the playoffs, which is nearly half of the conference. Getting the sixth seed and getting eliminated in the first round does not put a team in the conversation.

After looking at the entirety of the offseason, the Detroit Lions have closed the gap on the Vikings more than the Vikings have closed it on the Rams or other contenders.

That does not mean the Lions are a better team than the Vikings but it just shows how the landscape of the NFC currently sits. The Vikings can be a good team and they have a very good shot at making the playoffs in 2022 but we need to realize that they are not in the same conversation as the best teams in the league.

Not to mention the Minnesota Vikings have a first-year head coach and general manager. They are going to have some hiccups along the way in 2022, and that is totally fine. We just need to temper our expectations a bit.