The Minnesota Vikings season came to a disappointing end Saturday night, after getting dominated by the San Francisco 49ers 27-10. It seemed as if the Vikings found their rhythm after beating the Saints in overtime, but the 49ers proved to be the better team.
The 2019 season had its ups and downs but ultimately ended in disappointment fashion. Getting routed in the playoffs after an emotional victory the week before is becoming all too familiar with the Vikings.
Getting dominated in the playoffs is something that will never become an easy pill to swallow, but what lies ahead should worry Vikings fans more than the loss to the 49ers.
The 2020 offseason is going to be a memorable one for the Vikings, and it has already begun with the loss of their offensive coordinator. Kevin Stefanski didn’t have his best play-calling day in San Francisco, but he has taken the head coaching position for the Cleveland Browns.
Sources: The #Browns are planning to hire #Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach. Runner-up last year, winner this year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2020
The addition of Gary Kubiak was a big one for the Vikings in the 2019 offseason, but the Vikings now have to find another offensive play-caller to pair up with the former Super Bowl-winning head coach.
Not only are the Vikings going to have to find a replacement for the man who has been in the Vikings system since 2006, but they have quite a few roster spots that need some help.
The secondary has been a big question mark for the Vikings this entire season, and that will likely continue heading into the 2020 season. Current members of the secondary that are set to become free agents include Anthony Harris, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Jayron Kearse and Andrew Sendejo. Three of the five were regular starters for the Vikings, so the secondary could be seeing some new faces next season.
Out of this group, Anthony Harris should be toward the top of the Vikings priorities this offseason. Harris was tied for the most interceptions in 2019, and also ranked as the highest-graded safety in PFF’s system.
The tricky part about having so many free agents comes down to the Vikings cap issues heading into the offseason. The Vikings have the least amount of cap space among NFL teams, so it will be interesting to see how active they are when free agency opens up on March 18.
The secondary has free agent problems and a big question mark with where the team stands with Xavier Rhodes, but the Vikings have free agents all across the board. Everson Griffen, Dan Bailey, Britton Colquitt, Eric Wilson and C.J. Ham are just a few more names, and there are several other backups with the chance to leave Minnesota.
The Vikings have cap space issues and a lot of starters set to become free agents, but these are not the only issues that need to be addressed. Whether it be in the draft or in free agency, the Vikings are going to need to upgrade in a few different areas.
The interior of the offensive line and defensive line, the secondary and the wide receiver three positions should all be addressed this offseason. The 49ers are a prime example of what a team can look like when the trenches are flat out dominated. The Vikings don’t have that on either side of the ball, and will more than likely continue to get pushed around if they don’t address the issue in 2020.
Kirk Cousins proved this season that he has the ability to win in the big moment. The stats have always been good for Cousins, but he still has a ton of narratives that follow him around. He won his first career playoff game this season, put up great stats and should probably get a contract extension moving forward.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that the Vikings had Sean Mannion as their backup quarterback, a position that should get addressed in the 2020 draft. The Vikings have had their troubles when it comes to drafting quarterbacks, but this should be the season they address the issue.
Cousins has proven that he can be the guy, but that shouldn’t stop the team from trying to find his successor for down the road. Drafting a quarterback to sit behind Cousins for a few years should be a priority for the Vikings. They wouldn’t need to use an early pick, but the idea of getting a younger quarterback to learn the system from the sidelines could lead to finding the next franchise quarterback.
After a discouraging loss in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the last thing Vikings fans want to hear is how difficult of an offseason is up ahead for the team. However, the Vikings are in for an interesting offseason with multiple free agents, little to no cap space, various positions needing attention and at least one big coaching change.