The fun, excitement and buildup to the NFL Draft has come and gone. It is time to assess how the Minnesota Vikings look after the draft with two months until training camp gets underway. There are certain things that have to be looked at concerning the Vikings looking forward.
The team made several moves in signing undrafted free agents including former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, who made headlines wanting to put an union in. The Vikings also signed Eastern Illinois wide receiver Erik Lora, who was Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite target. Colter is going to be looked at as a wide receiver at the pro level and likely would have to make a huge impression to break the 53-man roster. Here is Colter rushing from the quarterback position during his time at Northwestern.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw9LF2qQ_nw
Lora is in a similar boat even though he had 31 touchdown catches over the last two years. The system that he played in with the Panthers isn’t the same as the Vikings but if one of the two is going to make the team, it is Lora. He seems to have a nose for the football which is what every NFL team desires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj1C6W-SzCM
The team’s ten draft picks will get looked at a lot with the upcoming rookie camp but the player that will garner the most attention is quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He isn’t going to be starting from day one with Matt Cassel there but needs to show some things to the coaches. Bridgewater is someone that is going to be depended on starting late in 2014 and especially beginning in 2015. He needs to begin his pro career with a strong start and maybe he can hit the field sooner than expected.
This is obviously a very important season for the Vikings during their first year outside at TCF Bank Stadium. The NFC North has improved offensively to a point where it is going to be up to Minnesota to keep up on the scoreboard. The moves that the team made in the draft and with their undrafted free agents are a great start. It’s now time to see what these players can do on the field even in a rookie camp scenario. Mike Zimmer has a tall task ahead of him if he wants to get this team to the playoffs in the next two to three years.