Minnesota Vikings:

2011 Record and Recap:

2011 Record- 3-13, 4th place in the NFC North

Recap-

The Vikings had a very poor season finishing with the 3rd worst record in the NFL last year. Their Donovan McNabb experiment worked about as well as it did for the Redskins the year before. That forced rookie Christian Ponder to the helm probably a bit earlier than the Vikings would have liked. That meant putting in a rookie to a situation with a poor offensive line and a weak receiving corps. It spelled disaster. Things were even worse due to the fact that star running back Adrian Peterson missed four games due to various injuries. Even without Peterson, Minnesota was able to maintain a strong rushing attack, but that was pretty much all it had going for them last year (with the notable exception of Jared Allen).

 Offseason Recap:

NFL Draft: OT Matt Kalil, SS Harrison Smith, CB Josh Robinson, WR Jarius Wright, FB/TE Rhett Ellison, WR Greg Childs, S Robert Blanton K Blair Walsh

Key Losses: QB Donovan McNabb, TE Visanthe Shiancoe, G Steve Hutchinson, G Anthony Herrera, DT Remi Ayodele, OLB Kenny Onatolu, ILB E.J. Henderson, CB Cedric Griffin, CB Benny Sapp, CB Asher Allen, S Jarrad Page, S Tyrell Johnson, S Husain Abdullah, K Ryan Longwell.

Key Additions: FB Lex Hilliard, WR Jerome Simpson, TE John Carlson, OT/G Geoff Schwartz, ILB Marvin Mitchell, CB Chris Carr

2012 Outlook:

Offense-

The Vikings offense revolves around Adrian Peterson, and while their star is a bit of a question mark after a late season knee injury, it appears that he will be ready for the start of the season. If not Toby Gerhart is more than capable of filling in. On most teams Gerhart would get a larger percentage of the workload (if not start), but with the Vikings he has mainly been an insurance policy. If Peterson can't go fully, the Vikings will have to count much more on Christian Ponder. The second-year quarterback played well at times last year, but finished slowly, with some calling for Joe Webb to step in as the starter. The reason for Ponder's decline was a hip injury, so he's closer to the 29-of-47, 381-yard, three-touchdown, two-interception quarterback (versus Denver) than the one who went 4-of-10 for 28 yards and a pick in the final week.

Ponder had poor protection last year, which was a recipe for disaster given how brittle he was at Florida State. That's why the Vikings did the right thing by choosing left tackle Matt Kalil over Morris Claiborne and Justin Blackmon in the 2012 NFL Draft. Kalil is a very athletic left tackle with perennial Pro Bowl potential. He was a no-brainer at No. 3 overall (or No. 4 after the Vikings moved down one spot). He'll shield Ponder's blind side much better than Charlie Johnson, who surrendered eight sacks.

Johnson will still start, but he'll move over to left guard to replace Steve Hutchinson. Losing Hutchinson will definitely hurt, as it will offset anything the Vikings gained out of obtaining Kalil. Another new player up front is right guard Geoff Schwartz, formerly of the Panthers. Schwartz was a reserve last year and didn't play, but he performed well in 2010. He'll be an upgrade over Anthony Herrera at right guard.

The rest of the offensive line is comprised of center John Sullivan and right tackle Phil Loadholt. Sullivan struggled early in his career, but has emerged as a terrific blocker. Loadholt, meanwhile, was guilty of 10 penalties and nine sacks in 2011, but blasted open massive running lanes.

Elsewhere on offense, the Vikings made moderate upgrades to their receiving corps. They signed Jerome Simpson, a great athlete who has never lived up to his potential despite that insane, acrobatic touchdown last year. Minnesota spent two mid-round selections on Arkansas wideouts Jarius Wright and Greg Childs. Both are pro-ready coming out of Bobby Petrino's offense. Tight end John Carlson was signed to a ridiculous $25 million deal, could be a decent 2nd receiving TE, but he's not much of a blocker.

Of course, Ponder will lean on Harvin most; the speedy receiver really stepped up in Peterson's absence. He caught at least six passes in six of his final eight games. It's also worth noting that Harvin played in every game last year, so his migraine issues are apparently resolved.

Offensive player to watch: TE Kyle Rudolph

-The Vikings are short on legitimate targets, which is where Rudolph could come in. He's got good hands and route running ability, and should become a favorite target of Ponder's especially inside the Red Zone. Rudolph should expect a big year in the Vikings offense that tries to feature the pass more.

Defense-

The Vikings have several Pro Bowl studs on defense. They also have numerous potential holes in their stop unit, occupied by unproven, young players. Minnesota's defense will depend on how these young players perform.

Two rookie safeties and one third-year cornerback could start in the secondary. The latter is Chris Cook, who played somewhat well last year before being suspended for felony domestic assault. He's been acquitted of the charges, so he was able to avoid suspension. Still, there's no telling if Cook will stay out of trouble, so Minnesota may need newly signed Chris Carr or third-round rookie corner Josh Robinson to step into the lineup without a moment's notice. Either one will be targeted often because Antonie Winfield is on the other side. Winfield still got it done at 34 when he played last year, but he has missed 17 games in the past three seasons.

The pair of rookie safeties are No. 30 overall pick Harrison Smith and fifth-rounder Robert Blanton. The smart and instinctive Smith has already been penciled into the lineup, while Blanton will push the second-year Mistral Raymond for the job. Raymond was an above-average player for the Vikings last year.

Minnesota will also have a pair of young players starting in the linebacking corps. Erin Henderson, slotted on the weak side, was on the field quite often last season, but was only asked to play two downs. He'll have a much bigger role in the wake of his brother, E.J., leaving without a contract. Jasper Brinkley, a 2009 fifth-rounder, will take E.J.'s spot. Brinkley has barely played since performing miserably in two starts as a rookie. He and Erin will be joined by stud strongside linebacker Chad Greenway, who signed a well-deserved 5-year, $41 million contract last September.

Of course, the Vikings' best defender is Jared Allen, who nearly broke Michael Strahan's single-season sack record last year. Allen tallied a whopping 22 sacks. His presence made things easier for left end Brian Robinson, who accumulated eight sacks of his own. Second-year Christian Ballard may push for playing time on early downs because he's really good in run support.

Defensive tackle Kevin Williams is another stud. He managed only five sacks in 2011, but constantly caused havoc in the interior. He's turning 32 in August, however, so he doesn't have many years left of top-level play. He'll once again start next to Letroy Guion, a marginal lineman who doesn't offer much in terms of a pass rush.

Defensive player to watch- S Harrison Smith

-The Vikings traded up for Smith to help stabilize their secondary. While overall it still has a ways to go, Smith could have a big impact, particularly if he can start shutting down some of the impressive pass catching TE's in the NFC North.   .

Overall:

The Vikings are rebuilding, but its going to be a long process and not an overnight fix. With Peterson likely not 100% to start the year, and serious questions throughout the Vikings receiver corps and secondary, it figures to be a rough year in Minnesota .The future is bright though and they just need to continue to develop around Christian Ponder on offense and shore up their back 7 on defense.    .

2012 Record Prediction: 4-12