With just over two weeks until the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings appear to have no idea what direction they are headed in the quarterback position. With Matt Cassel the presumed starter, the team has yet to dictate what direction they will head for the future. Christian Ponder is not the answer and the current set of rookies might not be ideal either. Could a certain Heisman winning Florida State quarterback emerge as a new favorite?
The best move Minnesota made this offseason was re-signing Cassel. While the veteran might not bring too much excitement to fans, he is a solid option to start in 2014 if no other option emerges which is a fear of general manager Rick Spielman. The Vikings have been assumed to take a quarterback in the first-round of this year's draft, but Spielman is not impressed with his options.
"Every one of these quarterbacks ... nothing is a sure thing," Spielman said. "There's no Andrew Luck, no Peyton Manning. It is such a mixed bag with each player -- every one of them has positives, every one of them has negatives. And if that's the way you end up feeling, why don't you just wait 'til later in the draft, and take someone with the first pick you're sure will help you right now?"
The Vikings have been paying close attention to the late-round options. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner has spent an extensive amount of time at the Pro Days of AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger. Getting one of them in a middle round frees up the Vikings to make other moves before acquiring a quarterback. Or the Vikings could hold off for one more season.
Fansided.com reports the Vikings could be a favorite to try and land Jameis Winston in 2015 if they are not thrilled on any current draft prospects. During the college football season, the 2014 quarterback draft class was looking very impressive until Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley opted to stay in school for another year. Now, three of the best prospects will not be entering the draft until 2015 which could be very favorable for Minnesota.
It is all speculation at this point. Spielman's doubts of the current quarterback class raises the question on whether or not Minnesota will take anyone. The chances are high they draft one rookie, but might keep the bigger picture in mind which includes the 2015 draft class.
