The Minnesota Vikings have a new head coach and some major questions at quarterback for 2014 and some options could be a trade with Christian Ponder for Kirk Cousins or Ryan Mallett, as well as free agent Matt Cassel and potential FA Brandon Weeden as the new starter for Adrian Peterson next season.
The Vikings are coming into 2014 with a top 10 pick and a new leader at the helm and after trade rumors popped up last year for Peterson, the team is looking to have a bounce back year in the NFC North. According to Pro Football Talk, the Vikings could bring back Matt Cassel as the starter after he opted out of his deal, as he feels he can be paid starter money this season. Cassel stepped in for Christian Ponder, who could be done in Minnesota and started six games and played in nine, passing for nearly 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns and he could be an option for this season and next season while the Vikings draft and develop a player like Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater.
Cassel was going to make just $3.7 million next season and he felt it would be smart to see what he can get on the open market and if the Vikings let him go, he easily could end up starting somewhere else, including Oakland, Tampa Bay or Cleveland. The top of the draft has some talented quarterbacks, but for those teams out of reach and wanting to draft at other positions, a player like Cassel could be attractive for a year or two, as he nearly led the Patriots to the playoffs when Tom Brady was injured years ago.
Ponder has not won over the Vikings and after being a top 10 pick, he could end up somewhere else and with names like Ryan Mallett and Kirk Cousins hitting the trade market potentially, the Vikings could get in on that. The team is in a slight rebuilding mode after the way they played last season and with Leslie Frazier out, Mike Zimmer will look to put his stamp on the team and he brought in Norv Turner to run the offense, as he is more of a defensive minded coach after being coordinator for the Bengals.
Mallett has been mentioned in trade rumors over the past two years and now could be the time when the team finally pulls the trigger on it. Another option would be Cousins, as there have been rumors that the Redskins could trade him for a draft pick and this comes as Jay Gruden takes over and with the entire controversy surrounding Robert Griffin last season, it might be best to get a new backup in there. Mallett is coming into the final year of his contract and that could make things interesting and the Patriots originally drafted him thinking that they would trade him eventually.
Ponder was not the answer last season and his time could be up and now the Vikings are heading into 2014 looking for a new starter.