Quarterback
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
Cornerback
Safety
Wide Receiver
Special Teams
In no particular order those are the positions that need to be addressed three months from now. Yeah, even with 15 picks a year ago there are that many areas still in need. With the 14th pick atop the pile, Minnesota has 10 picks and considering history, will likely add a couple more to help expedite the retool.
It should go without saying that what they do with the 14th pick will affect the subsequent ones. After the 1-5 start it was 💯 to want them to swing for the fences in the form of a generational talent at QB. What we got was maybe the best coaching job that Zimmer has done since joining the team. That got them to 7-9.
It's the kind of positional weakness that was railed against for all those weeks but the big-picture was ignored by those in charge.
Enough about that though. With three months remaining until the chime sounds, the weakness of a middle pick could become less so. With five quarterbacks now widely-considered as first round options Minnesota may be able to capitalize on the slide of a player at a different position. It's not crazy to think that a top 10 talent could drop those extra spots because of Trey Lance, Mac Jones and Zach Wilson.
Or maybe one or two of the quarterbacks guys will still be on the board when the clock starts in Eagan.
In situation one Minnesota just needs to select the best player available. If I had my way that would be a defensive tackle/end.Yes, I know, offensive line is worse, specifically guard, but until proven otherwise, there isn't a Quentin Nelson who will be available at 14. So instead of reaching, add someone who can pressure the quarterback and make it easier for all the young corners on the roster.
In situation two Minnesota would at least have to consider the merits of trading down. With the debacle that was the Yannick trade, Rick may be motivated to recoup a second round pick to a team in need of or with the desire to have a young quarterback with rare upside.
Not long ago I would have jumped up and down that Minnesota fitting that billing.
Even with the way the first two months of the season went, I think Cousins showed enough for the team to not have to invest a one at that position. There is a particular sting to that fact since Minnesota's own Trey Lance could be considered a steal in the not-too-distant future. But he's not a "safe" option so the head coach would rather not have that kind of guy at such an integral role.
Those two months of losing football can't just be ignored either.
With two thirds and three fourths already in the hopper the Purple need address the position with someone with more than just clipboard-holding upside. Sean Mannion isn't that guy. How Jake Browning and Nate Stanley fared through the year's work isn't public knowledge but since neither of them got on the field it would be a leap to assume they have starter upside.
The pro-Cousins section of the fanbase will hate this but none of our current QBs are in the class of the four playing today. From Trevor Lawerence on down, no one knows if the next crop will have the same type of career that the playoff quarterbacks have had - Mitch Trubisky included. What we do know is that Cousins is good but he needs everything else to be as well for the team to succeed. That's fine, but what's the problem with aspiring for better?
Okay, let me get back on track
Of the non-first round players Kellen Mond is the guy that I'll be monitoring through the adjusted 2021 process. With the cost-saving decision to not have the combine this year, reality is that evaluations will be more difficult than ever. That's going to make Trey Lance's foray into the professional ranks even more difficult to gauge. Mond's advantage is more tape against the best in the nation than Lance, Wilson & Jones combined. TAMU never achieved at the highest level, but he improved every year in College Station and there's no reason to think he couldn't continue to do so. In Minnesota he could step into a Jalen Hurts kind of role right away and may even have the athletic ability to do some of what Taysom Hill does for New Orleans. Then, in the future, he may be able to take the wheel of the Telsa and run this electric offense to new heights. For the cost of a third round pick that's worth the risk!
But QB is just one position
Maybe you said something about the fact that wide receiver was included in the list of needs. Justin Jefferson & Adam Thielen will be a problem for defenses for several seasons to come. Beyond those two the position gets thin very quickly. I'm not ready to bury Olabisi Johnson yet and despite the fact that I'm beyond over hearing about his dad every time he does anything, Chad Beebe isn't castoff-worthy just yet either. But adding another player to the mix to compete for WR3 needs to happen.
It's well within reason that free agency could provide that player and several others who can compete to fill the holes. Until the announcements are made on the futures of Anthony Harris, Anthony Barr, Riley Reiff & Kyle Rudolph the free money is limited. Even if all those guys are let go the team won't be able to go on an unequaled spending spree. Which is why the focus of this and so much of the rest of the offseason talk centers around the draft.
There's plenty more to say, but this is just the first piece to the offseason coverage. Hopefully it proved to be a suitable, albeit brief, distraction on a day that could end with a nightmare championship matchup for Purple fans.
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