The Minnesota Vikings have brought back Matt Cassel on a contract, but with a top 10 pick and a deep class of players to pick, the team could take a quarterback in the draft and names like Mettenberger, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr, AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray or David Fales could be in the mix for Minnesota and the team also could look at Chris Johnson as a backup option with Adrian Peterson.
The Minnesota Vikings are coming into the offseason with a number of big questions after going just 5-10-1 last season and if the team misses out on names like Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater in the draft, there is a good chance the team will look for a bridge over players they could have had like Michael Vick, Mark Sanchez, Josh McCown or Brandon Weeden.
Mike Zimmer takes over as the new head coach for the Vikings and he will be looking to put his stamp on the defense and some have wondered what he will do with the top 10 pick, as names like Manziel, Bridgewater and Bortles could be (but most likely won't) be available. The Vikings could be in position to pick one of the top defensive players past Jadeveon Clowney in Anthony Barr, Khalil Mack and Justin Gilbert, but with Matt Cassel opting out of his deal and Christian Ponder performing poorly last season, quarterback should be a main focus even with Cassel coming back after signing a two year contract.
The Vikings have a number of routes they can take with the quarterback position, as they are in position to trade up in the draft or wait for a QB at their first pick, they could look to the later rounds in the draft for names like AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger or Derek Carr, or they could use the free agent market to look for a veteran "bridge" quarterback that could take the team into next season while they develop a young quarterback to take over. Sanchez is likely getting released by the Jets and a new start could be perfect for him with a new team, while Vick is looking to be a starter somewhere and he likely would have an advantage over Ponder.
The Vikings have some free agents to worry about, including backup running back Toby Gerhart, who has been valuable behind Adrian Peterson and he likely will get some attention on the market. Matt Asiata showed some flashes last season, but he may not be ready for an increased role and ESPN.com suggests the team could look at a productive back like Bishop Sankey, who rushed for 1870 yards and 20 touchdowns last season for Washington. Gerhart had nearly 300 yards last season, including a memorable touchdown run against the Ravens in that wild game, while Asiata showed up at the end of the season and went for over 100 yards in one game and scored three touchdowns in another.
The team has some major decisions to make and quarterback will be at the center of the plans for Zimmer and company. Bortles or a player in the draft could be a less expensive option than Vick or Brandon Weeden would have been after he ended up on the market from the Browns.
