Vikings fans are understandably concerned about their team's 0-3 start. It's important to note that each of their losses has been by single digits. It's not time to rip the roster down to the studs in Minnesota.
The front office should be looking to correct several of the key missteps they suffered through in the offseason. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his team did not cover themselves in glory. Most of the high-profile moves they made have failed to provide any positive results to date.
It might be too late for Minnesota to recover from their 0-3 start and make the playoffs but they should be working to better position their roster for the future. Addressing these three mistakes would be a good place for the Vikings to start.
No. 3 Vikings offseason regret: Paying Marcus Davenport big money
It's not too late for Davenport to make his one-year, $13 million salary pay off but he hasn't played a single snap for the Vikings on the year. That's been a real problem for a team that needs a dominant pass rush to win at a high level.
The good news for Minnesota is that he's questionable heading into the team's Week 4 matchup against the Panthers. Getting him back onto the field would provide Danielle Hunter with the sort of bookend at outside linebacker that can make this front seven ferocious on obvious passing downs.
Davenport looked like a reasonable gamble in free agency but his lack of availability has been a meaningful issue for defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his scheme. The front office could have chosen to draft an edge-rusher to fill that spot or use the money they paid Davenport to keep high-profile free agents of their own this offseason. Both look like superior plans to paying Davenport big money.
No. 2 Vikings offseason regret: Releasing Dalvin Cook
Letting Cook go for nothing was not a popular decision for the Vikings' fan base. The real sin was the front office's failure to replace him with another big-play threat in the offensive backfield.
Alexander Mattison is a decent player, but he doesn't possess the sort of speed required to frighten opposing defenses. His longest rush of the season through three weeks is a carry that only managed to travel 15 yards. He's much better suited to be a bruising battering ram that comes in to soften up opposing defenses rather than serving as a team's primary back.
The franchise hopes that either Ty Chandler or Cam Akers can fill that void at some point this season, but neither has contributed anything close to what Cook gave them last year through three games. Akers hasn't played since his recent arrival and Chandler only has seven carries through three games. The Vikings are putting way too much pressure on Mattison to prop up the team's rushing attack.
The easy solution in the offseason would have been to work to find a way to renegotiate Cook's contract and keep him in the fold. The other alternative would have been to spend a mid-round draft pick on a speedy back who would have been capable of contributing as a rookie. The front office did neither and they're paying the price for letting Cook go without a suitable replacement.
No. Vikings offseason regret: Failing to secure a long-term replacement for Kirk Couins
Quarterback Kirk Cousins is not the reason for his team's ugly 0-3 start. He's played pretty good football in all three losses. In fact, he's played well enough to be an attractive trade target for rivals that believe they're one quarterback away from Super Bowl contention.
The problem for Minnesota is that they've continued to trot Cousins out onto the field without a safety net. The front office should have thought long and hard about finding a long-term successor for Cousins this offseason. Spending a fifth-round pick on Jaren Hall does not qualify as a quality succession plan.
In fairness to the Minnesota front office, they did land a potential superstar in Round 1 in the form of wide receiver Jordan Addison. That pick should not have stopped them from considering a developmental thrower like WIll Levis once his draft freefall began. His presence on the roster could have allowed the Vikings to reasonably consider dealing Cousins for a great haul this season.
Instead, the Vikings will contiue to play Cousins as long as there's any hope of getting back into the playoff picture. Dealing him now would represent a complete throwaway of the current campaign. Ownership in Minnesota will not abide by that kind of capitulation. As a result, Cousins and the Vikings will keep trying to squeeze every win they can out of this season even if it's not in the best interest of the franchise.
