The Minnesota Vikings may have inked Matt Cassel to a new contract, but their quarterback search is far from over. The team is considered one of the franchises likely to draft a rookie in hopes they become a starter sooner rather than later. However, re-signing Cassel changes the urgency of when they should draft such a player.
According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the Vikings appear highly interested in former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron. The quarterback recently held his Pro Day in Tuscaloosa and general manager Rick Spielman, coach Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator Norv Turner all came down to see him. McCarron is a system quarterback and would excel under the eye of Turner, but is certainly not a first-round option.
The Vikings will draft No. 8 overall and that is far to high to grab McCarron, a player not expected to be thought about until at least the third round. While draft experts like ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believe the Vikings will use that pick on a quarterback, the commitment to Cassel shows they might be considering a later round option instead, not totally sold on the reported top prospects. One person who believes McCarron could be the next franchise quarterback for the Vikings or any team for that matter is coach Nick Saban.
"I think anybody that doesn't take A.J. in one of those earlier rounds is going to make a huge mistake, because I think he's going to be a very, very good player," Saban said, via PFT.com. "First of all, he has all the athletic talent to make all the throws that he needs to make at the next level. . . . Guys who can make quick decisions, process the information and throw the ball accurately are the guys that usually end up being pretty good NFL quarterbacks."
The Vikings still have a lot of decisions to make before they think about who they intend on drafting. The team must first decide the future of Christian Ponder. Earlier in the offseason, Spielman guaranteed Ponder would be back with the team come 2014, but the Vikings are still dangling him as trade bait.
Could the quarterback rotation next year consist of Cassel, Ponder and McCarron? It certainly is not a bad option to work with, although certain fans are likely hoping Johnny Manziel falls to No. 8. Turner and company seem very intrigued by McCarron so this is a story to watch for the future.
