So if I were the Minnesota Vikings, here’s what I would do in April/May 2010.
Let’s assume Brett Favre decides to retire (for real this time). There are a few other roster fiddlings that need to occur. Trade DB Benny Sapp and WR Jaymar Johnson, cut SS Eric Frampton and P Chris Kluwe, and elevate TE Garrett Mills to the active roster. Then the draft comes, and the awesome starts.
ROUND 1: Tim Tebow, QB (Florida)
Some people say that Tim Tebow isn’t a first rounder. Well the Vikings have either the 31st or 32nd pick in the first round, so it’s practically a second round pick anyway. And we certainly want a quarterback… particularly a fast one. You see, we’re making a dual QB formation with Tarvaris Jackson and Tim Tebow in the backfield with Adrian Peterson. It doesn’t matter who receives the snap, they may lateral it to another back, or pass it downfield. This is going to give NFL defenses nightmares for years to come.
ROUND 2: Myron Lewis, CB (Vanderbilt)
After releasing Benny Sapp and with the inevitable retirement of Antoine Winfield looming in the near future, Minnesota needs a new star CB. Myron Lewis is just the fellow. He’s probably the best coverage corner in the draft. This season with Vanderbilt, he has 3 forced fumbles and 10 interceptions.
ROUND 3: John Jerry, LG (Ole Miss)
The Vikings only keep one guard on the roster for each side (left & right), and Anthony Herrera (6′2″, 315) is getting older and more expensive. Let’s draft John Jerry so that when Herrera’s current contract expires after the 2011 season, we will have a perfectly groomed and bigger (6′5″, 350) guard to replace him. Who knows, maybe Jerry will take Herrera’s starting job sooner, then we can trade him and get a draft pick.
ROUND 4: Kellen Heard, DT (Texas A&M)
One of the best features of Minnesota’s defense is our front seven. The Vikings run a 4-3 defense, so the role of defensive tackles are key. However, Pat Williams (6′3″, 317) has been in the league for 13 seasons already and his career is drawing to a close. This is the time to draft a similar-sized (6′6″, 345) tackle like Kellen Heard to begin the grooming process, during which time he can learn from Pat and bulk up.
ROUND 5: Carlos Singleton, WR (Memphis)
Minnesota’s receivers are very very very very good. But this year we traded Jaymar Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens for a 4th and a 7th round draft pick in 2011. As a result, we need a fourth receiver whose name (and image) will strike fear into the hearts of cornerbacks around the league just as much Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, and Percy Harvin. How about a receiver who is 6′8″ tall? Carlos Singleton will be a great target for quarterbacks Jackson and Tebow.
ROUND 6: A. J. Edds, OLB (Iowa)
I simply HAD to draft somebody off this awesome Iowa Hawkeyes team. Although Edds may not be their best linebacker, he’s still quite good, and will likely fall to the 6th or 7th round. After the 2010 season, the Vikings will lose OLB Ben Leber (his contract will expire). Whether this means elevating a current backup to the starting position (thereby making Edds the backup) or giving Edds the starting job outright, another young linebacker is needed to fill this gap. The defense must not falter and everything must transition smoothly.
ROUND 7: Tyler Sheehan (Bowling Green)
Hey Aaron, didn’t you just draft a QB in the first round? I sure did, but remember how we’re technically starting BOTH Jackson AND Tebow? Basically we have the two of them starting, and Sage Rosenfels backing them both up. Who then, is the “third”/”emergency” quarterback? Well here he is: Tyler Sheehan. Of course, it’s ridiculous to have four QB’s on your active roster when you only have 53 precious roster spots, so Sheehan can go on the practice squad. Maybe when Rosenfels retires he can be elevated, or if Sheehan sucks (which we will be able to find out with him on the practice squad) we can always draft a new rookie QB when that time comes.
Finally, a couple more things. The weakest part of the Vikings team is the punter. So I’ve decided (being Vikings owner and GM in my fantasy-dreamworld) to hire a special punters coach: Sean Landeta. I’m sure he’d love to come and serve as a sort of personal trainer to my “8th round draft pick,” which is basically me signing the sure-to-be-undrafted Towson punter Bill Shears (pictured below) after the draft.
With Landeta I figure Shears can increase his punting range to 70+ yards, and become one of the greatest directional punters the league has ever seen (something he is already good at as a Towson Tiger).
