The Minnesota Vikings are coming into training camp this offseason with three quarterbacks competing with Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater and Christian Ponder and while Cassel has the inside track, Bridgewater could establish himself and that may lead to a trade with Ponder in the future, while star Adrian Peterson could want out through a trade if the team rebuilds over the next two seasons.
The Vikings feel good about their quarterback situation, as head coach Mike Zimmer said all three have talent and could factor into what the team does in 2014. The Vikings brought in Norv Turner to serve as offensive coordinator this season and the new offense could be beneficial to Ponder and Bridgewater as they try to compete with Cassel. Zimmer had praise for Ponder despite the team not picking up his fifth year option in 2015 and while that could lead to a trade at some point, the Vikings have not gone down that road yet. The Texans and a couple other teams could be interested in Ponder and the demand for backup QB trades could heat up if there are injuries early in the season.
The Vikings are coming into the season after going just 5-10-1 last year and they now have three players competing at quarterback in Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater and Christian Ponder. Head coach Mike Zimmer said there would be competition and he also added that Bridgewater will get first team reps this offseason. Matt Cassel signed a two year deal and he likely will have the inside edge, while Christian Ponder will also get the chance to factor into things as a backup. Last season Cassel played in all five of the wins and had 1,807 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Ponder had 1,648 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Vikings opted to not take a quarterback with their first pick in the draft, opting to trade with the Cleveland Browns to take Anthony Barr at number nine. The Vikings made the Browns think they were going to take Justin Gilbert at that pick and while everyone thought the selection would be Johnny Manziel, both teams ended up taking QBs later, with Johnny Football going at 22 and then Bridgewater getting picked at number 32 after the Vikings traded back into the first round. The team also added guard David Yankey later in the draft from Stanford and he should be able to help solidify the offensive line in 2014.
The Vikings have a tough schedule next season and things will be even tougher having to play at the University of Minnesota football stadium at TCF Bank Stadium, which is outside and will last for the next two years while the new stadium is built for the franchise. According to ESPN.com, the team has some tough history to fight, as they are just 6-28-1 over their last 35 games outside and that could make things very tough over the next two years. Head coach Mike Zimmer said that the team is not worried about changing their style or gameplans while playing outside and that the past record doesn't reflect how the team will play over the next two seasons.
