The Vikings' offseason was mild until word began to spread that they were interested in prying Brett Favre out of retirement. Speculation through May and June strongly suggested that Favre would indeed come back and suit up for Minnesota in 2009.
But in late July, Favre turned them down. The former Packer beat the Vikings one last time.
The Vikings chased Favre so that they could present a passing threat to offset any heavy defensive fronts their running game faces. Last year, Adrian Peterson was great in spite of many eight-in-the-box schemes lined up to stop him, but more was expected. With Favre under center, the Vikings would have had a legitimate threat to connect through the air, making it difficult for defenses to focus solely on Peterson in early-down situations.
Now, the onus on providing that passing threat falls on Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson was on the team last year when they won the NFC North and even started for them in their playoff loss to the Eagles. But he's been embattled for several years, which is why the team traded for Rosenfels and pursued Favre. In fact, Rosenfels is by far the more intriguing option as he's proven on a limited basis that he can move the offense down the field and connect on long gains. Perhaps the Vikings will pin their hopes to him and let him beat defenses deep much like they did last year with Gus Frerotte under center.
Sleeper ... Percy Harvin, WR
The Vikings seemingly did a lot of research on Harvin with the exclamation point being a personal huddle with him and head coach Brad Childress just days before the draft. When we see coaches spending extra time with a player before the draft, and then picking him, we can expect an accelerated growth curve. Harvin was a nifty receiver for the Gators even though he ran with the ball more often than he caught the ball. But his 1,304 total yards and 17 total touchdowns were too much for Childress to ignore, and he could easily reprise his role from Florida for the Vikings with a tweak to catch more than run (the Vikings do have Adrian Peterson after all). Considering that Harvin's transition might be smoother than most rookies, he might be a very big surprise.
Breakout ... Visanthe Shiancoe, TE
It's hard to quietly score seven touchdowns over the course of a season, but Shiancoe managed to do it. He also posted career-best stats as the Vikings leaned on him as a solid short-area target. Shiancoe should continue to be effective as he will draw single coverage against safeties and can out-muscle most of them. He'd also benefit from Favre taking over at quarterback as the future Hall of Famer has had a propensity for connecting with his tight end through the years. Best of all, Shiancoe is still a quiet name in Fantasy circles and might even go undrafted in some leagues. That's why you'll get excellent value for him as a late-round pick and a potential starter for your roster.
Bust ... Bernard Berrian, WR
Berrian's best yardage and touchdown totals came in his first season with the Vikings, and much of it can be accredited to Frerotte getting under center and being a human JUGS machine. Berrian averaged an insane 20.1 yards per catch and did so because he caught a lot of deep balls, including a 99-yard gem against his old team, the Bears, in Week 13. It remains to be seen if the deep-ball game will still exist in Minnesota with Rosenfels and Jackson sparring for reps this summer, potentially limiting Berrian's effectiveness. The addition of Harvin also means fewer passes being choreographed into Berrian's hands. Even though his 2008 totals weren't as eye-popping as the elite NFL receivers, he won't take the next step. If you get him, make sure he's your top reserve receiver and nothing more.
Training camp topics
It's a make-or-break season for Brad Childress as the head coach of the Vikings, which is probably yet another reason why he tried reaching out for Favre. After getting a taste of the postseason last year, the club wants a deeper run. With Peterson running the ball and Jared Allen providing the pass rush, the Vikings have a shot. They're boosted by playing 11 of 16 games indoors and facing off against weaker division rivals as well as the lesser defenses in the NFC West and AFC North (yes, that includes the Ravens and Steelers, but the Bengals and Browns should be soft).
In other words, there are no excuses for the Vikings.
There are some additional issues, the biggest of which being the availability of defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams for the start of the season. The 'Williams Wall' tested positive for a banned drug last year, appealed the process and avoided a suspension. They may not be so lucky to start this year. Even if they miss those first four games (the expected suspension), the team will only face one tough runner in Frank Gore over those four games. It's worth keeping your eyes and ears open to learn of the Williams' fate.
The Vikings offensive line also has some question marks after the team let center Matt Birk fly to the Ravens. They did a nice job in shoring up the right side of the line with the massive Phil Loadholt, but last year's sixth-round pick John Sullivan will get the first crack at replacing Birk -- if he's incapable of being a solid player, that could bring the whole offense down a notch.
With Favre in the rearview mirror, the biggest story of the summer focuses on the quarterbacks left on the Vikings. If Rosenfels can win the job, or if Jackson takes over with a renewed vigor and improved skills, the Vikings will be able to overpower many of their opponents. If neither passer can get the job done, then there will be more of the same offensive issues the team had in 2008, leaving all purple-clad fans to wonder about Favre, "What if ... ?"
Injury update ... Sidney Rice (Knee; expected to be ready for the start of training camp) ... Ray Edwards (Knee; expected to be ready for the start of training camp) ... Jayme Mitchell (Knee; questionable for the start of training camp).
Are you ready for the 2009 Fantasy season? If not, we're here for you. Send us an e-mail at DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com. We'll respond to as many as we can.
