The advantages and disadvantages of the Vikings going for a rebuild right now

Pros And Cons Of Vikings Opting For A Rebuild Right Now

This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings must decide whether or not to rebuild.

The Minnesota Vikings must decide whether or not to rebuild this summer, with Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah taking charge.

The Vikings haven’t played in the NFC Championship Game since the Miracle in Minneapolis. Minnesota could never regularly assert itself as the best club in its division, despite being a playoff-caliber squad during the Mike Zimmer/Rick Spielman era. The Vikings must determine whether or not to join two opponents that are rebuilding.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the Vikings rebuilding now, under a new administration.

Minnesota Vikings: The Advantages of Rebuilding Right Now

There are a few things that will help the Vikings rebuild right now. The first is that they are in a precarious position due to the NFL pay cap in 2022.

Minnesota has a budget deficit of roughly $15 million. While the Vikings can go under the cap with a few roster tweaks, the new management team may choose to go light and see if it can rebuild the team from the ground up. After all, it’s the team they’re leading.

Another benefit is that both the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions are currently rebuilding. Even if the Vikings decide to rebuild, one of them will finish second to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. As a result, the rebuilding process will be accelerated, and Minnesota may not remain down for long because the Vikings could be the best of a slew of bad teams in the division.

Finally, they already have enough draft money to trade away marquee players such as Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, or Danielle Hunter. This spring, Minnesota possesses the No. 12 overall pick as well as two other picks in the top 100.

At the very least, O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah have enough ammunition to get to work and rebuild this team.

Minnesota Vikings: The Drawbacks of Rebuilding Right Now

Of course, aside from the apparent disadvantage of losing a lot of games, there are a few drawbacks to rebuilding now. The first is that there is no certainty that their efforts to reconstruct will succeed. The Vikings could be fired in year three of the O’Connell/Adofo-Mensah tenure if they are completely inept.

Although Adofo-Mensah may have more leeway in this regard, it is O’Connell’s responsibility to try to win games.

The second reason is that it could cause havoc with Justin Jefferson, the team’s most gifted player. The first-round pick’s third season after leaving LSU will be in 2022. While his fifth-year option will almost certainly be picked up, the Vikings have a history of alienating their top wide receivers under the Wilfs’ ownership. Jefferson will want to go if the Vikings are poor.

The third factor to consider when rebuilding is the fact that the whole NFC is in turmoil. How many teams are a lock to make the playoffs next year, excluding the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers if Aaron Rodgers returns?

Though each team’s competitive life cycle is unique, rebuilding appears to be popular in the NFC, so that is a concern.

Should the Minnesota Vikings go for a rebuild right now?

This is a close call, but the Vikings might be better off waiting to see how this season plays out before committing to a full rebuild. It will allow other NFC teams that are currently in one to be a year further along in the competitive life cycle than they are now.

If the Vikings continue to struggle without completely resetting the clock in 2022, all signs point to that happening in 2023.

In the end, this isn’t the place to look for the next franchise quarterback. The class of 2023 should be a million times better than this one. It may allow O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah ample time to figure out what they want in Cousins’ eventual replacement.

The Vikings are in for a stumbling year, but their core group of players deserves one last try at the NFC playoffs.

The Vikings can rebuild this summer, but in a year’s time, their efforts will be much more fruitful.