Mike Zimmer is at Winter Park today for his second interview with the Vikings. Since he is the only candidate known to be getting a second interview, we have to make the assumption that the 57-year-old defensive coordinator from the Bengals is the leader in the clubhouse for the job. If that's the case, we think it's a very solid hire. Zimmer has done well as a coordinator. He seems respected by his players. And his fiery style might play well in a locker room that perhaps could use a little shaking up.

That said ... the interesting thing about the timing on Zimmer's arrival is this: now that the Vikings have their guy here, there doesn't seem to be much of a hurry to make a hire.

Sure, in terms of rounding out a staff and starting to make key offseason decisions it's better to have someone in place sooner rather than later. But all of the coaching vacancies except one -- the Browns -- have been filled. Ken Whisenhunt is going to Tennessee. Jim Caldwell, it was just reported, will be the new Lions coach. Washington (Jay Gruden), Tampa Bay (Lovie Smith) and Houston (Bill O'Brien) made their picks earlier.

The Browns are reportedly interested in Broncos OC Adam Gase as their top choice, per that link above from NFL.com. That means the three guys linked strongly to the Vikings -- Zimmer, Todd Bowles and Dan Quinn -- are all likely available to them.

That doesn't guarantee any of those three would take the job, but it means that the thorough process that Rick Spielman wanted to conduct could be paying off with the best of both worlds: the chance to make a non-rushed, informed decision as well as the chance for the Vikings to have their pick of candidates. They could probably even wait until after this weekend's conference title games when candidates like Quinn and San Francisco's Greg Roman are freed up.