The expectations were high for the Minnesota Vikings heading into last season and missing the playoffs is not what many expected. With a lot of their core still intact, it's going to be key that the team makes the right moves this offseason and answer three key questions.
What to do with Anthony Barr?
Even though many believe that Anthony Barr had a down season last year because his stats weren't as impressive as years past, Barr finished the season with 55 tackles and three assists and at times he looked slow, but he is such an important piece of Mike Zimmer's defense.
Barr is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and the only real leverage the team has is putting the franchise tag on Barr.
There is no doubt going to be a team that offers him a lot of money this offseason and the big question is, how much are the Vikings going to be willing to offer? The Vikings already have a lot of big money guys on the defense and a lot of money invested in Kirk Cousins, so signing Barr to a long-term extension could really tighten up the cap space.
How will the offensive line improve?
Kirk Cousins didn't have much time to throw all season and a big reason was because of the offensive line struggles. There seems to be a new philosophy with the offensive line the team is going to use and there is a chance that three of the five starters could be new next season.
There is a lot of talk about the Vikings taking an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but Zimmer has been a guy who has taken the best player available and if that's the case it means that the team will probably need to get offensive linemen that can start through free agency.
If the team wants to get back into the playoffs and have a big season next year, the right guys need to be signed to make the offensive line better.
Who will be the third wide receiver?
The Vikings have Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen and they are one of the best wide receiver duos in the league. As good as they are, the Vikings need to find a third wide receiver because Laquon Treadwell is not the answer.
Last season, he finished with 200 yards and zero touchdowns, which is unacceptable for a first round wide receiver. The Vikings need to try to sign a solid veteran like Pierre Garcon to fill that role rather than going the route of the draft again.
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