Chicago Bears: The Achilles heel of each NFC North team

Putting all of your eggs in a rookie’s basket is dangerous

The Minnesota Vikings experienced a large amount of turnover this offseason. Losing stalwarts like Stefon Diggs, Everson Griffin, Linval Joseph, and Xavier Rhodes. While turning the page on some of these players might’ve been the right move, it’s nearly impossible to replace that much production in one offseason.

With all of the holes they had to fill, Minnesota was surprisingly passive in free agency. Most of their newly acquired talent was obtained through the draft. This emphasis on younger talent seemed to imply that the Vikings were focused on the future. Unfortunately, building for the future usually comes at the expense of the here and now.

History has shown us that rookies generally struggle in their first year. Especially, when they are thrown to the fire. A shortened offseason is only going to make their transition that much harder. That said, It would be naive to assume that these rookies are going to seamlessly replace all of the departed veterans. They are going to have some hiccups.

Minnesota is also relying on a couple of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year players to take the next step in their development. However, the odds of them all panning out are unlikely. Some might have already reached their ceiling.

There is no doubt the Vikings’ future looks bright but expecting multiple unknown commodities to make an immediate impact is a gamble. Particularly, in a season with additional elements of uncertainty.