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Tuesday, June 4
Can Randy Moss emerge as more of a team leader for the Vikings? There is no stopping Moss on anything he wants to do. He's perhaps the most talent player at a position in the sport. The question is whether he wants to take the responsibility as a leader? So far so good. He has been a regular in the offseason program. He gets to the headquarters early and gets in his workouts.
The plan is for him to have 40 to 50 percent of the pass attempts thrown in his direction. With Cris Carter retired, the leadership roles on this team fall upon Moss and Daunte Culpepper. They are friends, but at times they are more like battling brothers who argue often. Unless he suffers an injury, Moss should catch more than 100 passes. If he's that busy and that successful, he should be more of a positive role model in the locker room than the past season.
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Despite the training camp death of offensive lineman Korey Stringer and the offseason retirement of running back Robert Smith, the Vikings rolled through last preseason without a loss and appeared poised for another playoff run. However, Minnesota stumbled out of the gates with a loss to the lowly Panthers (Carolina's only win of the season) and never got its season back on track, finishing in disarray at 5-11.
Head coach Dennis Green was ousted before Minnesota's final game of the season against Baltimore, with offensive line coach Mike Tice taking over for the loss to the Ravens. Tice was subsequently given a three-year deal to be the Vikings new head coach. One of the first orders of business for Tice, noted for being tough but fair, will be to get a consistent effort from star wide receiver Randy Moss every week. Arguably the most talented player in the NFL, Moss struggled last season on and off the field, making ill-advised comments about playing hard only when he wants to and getting into a number of sideline shouting matches.
With the departure of Cris Carter, Moss has been thrust into more of a leadership role for Minnesota, one Tice will have to convince him to embrace fully. Tice has already made it known that Moss will not receive preferential treatment. However, the new coach has also stated that he wants 40 to 50 percent of the team's passes going to Moss, something his star receiver certainly won't complain about.
Defensively, the Vikings underwent a major facelift. The signing of Kenny Mixon (Miami) and Lorenzo Bromell (Miami) gives the defensive line two new starting defensive ends. They'll join defensive tackles Chris Hovan and Fred Robbins to give the Vikings a young and talented defensive line. In the secondary, cornerback Corey Chavous (Arizona) and safety Ronnie Bradford (Atlanta) were signed as free agents. Chavous lacks great speed, however, he has good size (6-1) and is a student of the game. Linebacker Henri Crockett was also signed from Atlanta and will immediately be Minnesota's starting middle linebacker.
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VIKINGS AT A GLANCE
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| Randy Moss caught 80
passes last season. |
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2001 record: 5-11
Team rank: Defense (27th); offense (9th)
Vikings team news |
Offensively, the biggest move the Vikings made was re-signing Pro Bowl tight end Byron Chamberlain. Coming off a career year (54 receptions), the departure of Carter means that Chamberlain will be an even bigger part of the offense this season. Receiver D'Wayne Bates (Chicago) was added and barring any more additions, is penciled in to start opposite Moss.
For a complete list of all the players Minnesota has signed and lost so far this offseason, click here.
How they drafted
While the Vikings apparently were hot for North Carolina defensive tackle Ryan Sims, they had to be extremely happy with the selection of offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie. With the death of Stringer before last season, the Vikings' offensive line struggled. McKinnie should step right in and be a fixture at left tackle for years to come. Second-round pick Raonall Smith (OLB) was considered a reach by many, as was third-round pick Willie Offord (DB). However, both could end up winning starting jobs. Word out of minicamp is that Smith could challenge Lemanski Hall for the starting weakside linebacker job and Offord could start at strong safety.
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Fantasy Focus
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The Vikings are expected to throw to Randy Moss at least 40 percent of their passes. This means even more double and triple teams, so the receiver opposite Moss will benefit. That lucky wideout could be Derrick Alexander. He's likely to sign with the Vikings and 1,000 yards and 10 TDs isn't out of the question. Although he's known for poor practice habits, Alexander is fast enough to run by single coverage. His potential to succeed overrides his bust factor, making him worth a mid-round flyer in fantasy drafts. Click here for more fantasy football news.
-- Roger Rotter, Fantasy editor
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For a complete list of Minnesota's draft picks, click here.
Unfinished business
As of this writing, the Vikings are hot in pursuit of wide receiver Derrick Alexander, who was released by the Chiefs. With the departure of Carter, the Vikings would like to add another receiver to pair with Moss. Alexander, who has already visited the Vikings and is set to make New England and Tampa Bay his next two stops, is big (6-2) boasts an impressive career average of 17.0 yards per catch. However, he's also brittle and is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career (27 receptions). The feeling is that Alexander will be a good complement to Moss and will provide matchup problems for opposing defenses. Other receivers the Vikings might look at include Antonio Freeman and Keenan McCardell.
Outlook for 2002
The Vikings figure to be better than they were last season, however, expecting too much more is unrealistic. With offensive weapons like Moss and Culpepper, Minnesota is still a team to be feared. However, even with all the additions, the defense is still a huge question mark as is the running game. Playing in a division with Green Bay and Chicago, the Vikings will have a hard time finishing above third place.
Peter Lawrence-Riddell is the NFL editor for ESPN.com.
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