Closing in on the completion of the first 3 1/2 hours of free agency and, well, zzzzzzzzz.
Those of you in Purple haven't had much to smile about as receivers and cornerbacks -- the Vikings' top two needs -- have either flown off the board or have visits planned elsewhere. Meanwhile, amidst the giant splashes taking place, the Vikings have dropped two pebbles into the water: They locked up two of their own players -- agreeing to terms with a No. 2 defensive tackle (Letroy Guion) and announcing the signing of a No. 3 quarterback (Sage Rosenfels).
But let's not go crazy just yet. The Vikings never were a logical candidate to go bananas on Day 1. They have too many holes to fill and a youth movement that will take a few years to execute properly. Their big picture goes beyond three hours on Day 1 of free agency. To build lasting success, all the pieces have to fit together over years, not hours. They have to think about things like next year when the contracts for guys like Jared Allen and Percy Harvin expire.
This also is a marathon. Not a sprint. So we probably should wait to judge the Vikings at the end of the offseason and not three hours into it.
A year ago, one of the consensus "losers" through the first wave of free agency were the Giants. They were absolutely RIPPED for doing nothing but signing backup QB David Carr. And all the Giants did was win the Super Bowl while the Eagles went from free agency "Dream Team" to missing the playoffs entirely.
That's NOT to say the Vikings will do what the Giants did last year. It's just meant to point out that today's hoopla and pats on the back often don't translate into success in the fall.
Here are some other reasons to take a breath, unclench that jaw and firing off angry emails and tweets about the Vikings being so quiet on Day 1 of free agency:
- Considering the Vikings' current state of rebuilding, do you really want to give receiver Pierre Garcon $42.5 million over five years with $21.5 million guaranteed? That's a crazy deal and could come with future cap issues.
- Remember who signed Garcon and other receivers Eddie Royal and Josh Morgan. It's the Washington Redskins. If the league handed out trophies in April, the Redskins wouldn't know where to put all the hardware.
- The Vikings never were in the running for Vincent Jackson, who appears ready to sign with Tampa Bay. And, at 29, Jackson never would have been a good fit for when the Vikings are ready to compete for Super Bowls.
- The Vikings still have the No. 3 overall draft pick. And considering the top two picks are going to be quarterbacks, the Vikings will have their choice of the league's best rookie non-quarterback.
- Free agency goes on
foreverfor awhile. There will be some helpful players left after this initial wave ends.
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