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Randy Moss Elsa/Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 84 Randy Moss WR 87 Marcus Robinson WR 74 Bryant McKinnie LT 76 Chris Liwienski LG 78 Matt Birk C 71 David Dixon RG 75 Mike Rosenthal RT 40 Jim Kleinsasser HB 85 Jermaine Wiggins TE 11 Daunte Culpepper QB 23 Michael Bennett RB 8 Aaron Elling PK Defense No. Player Pos. 79 Kenny Mixon LE 99 Chris Hovan DT 93 Kevin Williams DT 95 Kenechi Udeze DE 55 Chris Claiborne OLB 56 E.J. Henderson MLB 54 Dontarrious Thomas OLB 26 Antoine Winfield CB 27 Brian Russell FS 21 Corey Chavous SS 29 Brian Williams CB 2 Darren Bennett P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 Kenechi Udeze DE USC 2 Dontarrious Thomas LB Auburn 3 Darrion Scott DE Ohio State 4 Nat Dorsey OT Georgia Tech 4 Mewelde Moore RB Tulane 5 Rod Davis LB Southern Miss 6 Deandre' Eiland S South Carolina 7 Jeff Dugan TE Maryland Outside the Huddle Changes Ted Cottrell is the Vikings' fifth defensive coordinator in six years. He replaces George O'Leary, who replaced Willie Shaw, who replaced Emmitt Thomas, who replaced Foge Fazio. Even more changes The Vikings have overhauled their roster to the point where only 15 players from their 2001 team remain on the 80-man roster entering training camp. Local hero Keenan Howry will face stiff competition for the punt return job from Blake Elliott, the Division III Player of the Year at nearby St. John's University. The Vikings signed Elliott as an undrafted free agent. Record breaker It might be difficult for Randy Moss to have a better statistical year than he had in 2003, when he became the first player in NFL history to average at least 100 yards and one touchdown per game over a 16-game season. Specialists The Vikings are looking for a new special teams captain after releasing Jack Brewer. Two candidates are Willie Offord and Rushen Jones, defensive backs by trade who played well on coverage units last year. 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "The Vikings believe [Culpepper] will make progress this season under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan." The Lie: "We're going to the playoffs. I'll tell you that right now." -- Mike Tice --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

The Minnesota Vikings figure they could go one of two ways in the aftermath of the heartbreaking defeat that ended their 2003 season. They could a) fall back into a morass of self-pity that would almost certainly scuttle their 2004 campaign, or b) use the shock of their loss at Arizona as impetus to break through as one of the NFL's top teams. With the memory of Cardinals receiver Nate Poole's dramatic touchdown catch in his mind's eye, head coach Mike Tice says the Vikings have chosen the latter route.

A productive offseason has strengthened a number of roster holes, and the NFL seems prepared for a strong return of the Vikings: Minnesota will play five nationally televised games, including two on Monday Night Football. "Hopefully the league knows something that we know," says Tice, "which is we feel we're on the cusp of doing great things here. We think we're very, very close."

Armed with a new contract, Daunte Culpepper made great strides in 2003 and was the NFC's Pro Bowl starter. Yet he is the first to admit there are areas he must improve on, most notably fumbles (16 in 2003) and game management.

Otherwise, his presence makes the Vikings the only team in the NFC North that can assert it has a reliable starter in place for the next five years. Culpepper is the league's second-best running quarterback after Michael Vick, and he has grown more sophisticated in his pass reads thanks to hours of classroom work with offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Scott Linehan.

Gus Frerotte is the perfect backup. He has a veteran's ability to enter a game at any moment, along with a rocket arm. Frerotte is also a strong in-game mentor for Culpepper.

The Vikings' one-back offense might have the deepest collection of runners in the NFL. If everyone stays healthy, Tice and Linehan will have a tough task getting everyone on the field.

Speedster Michael Bennett returns as the starter after a mostly lost year in 2003, thanks to a stress fracture in his foot and other injuries. The most physically gifted of the Vikings' runners, Bennett will have to show more consistency or he could be relegated to a rotation system.

Onterrio Smith has emerged as a legitimate every-down option to Bennett. He is a more rugged runner but does not have Bennett's breakaway speed. Tice has compared Smith to Leroy Hoard, who was Robert Smith's sturdy backup for the Vikings in the late 1990s.

Veteran Moe Williams can do everything from short-yardage to third-down pass receiving to every-down running if necessary. The Vikings also drafted Tulane scatback Mewelde Moore, whose receiving and playmaking ability will crowd this backfield further.

The signing of free agent Marcus Robinson will give Randy Moss his most accomplished counterpart since Cris Carter left after the 2001 season. If he can stay healthy, Robinson figures to benefit mightily from the attention defenses give Moss and could have a monster season.

Robinson's arrival allows the Vikings to use Nate Burleson as the No. 3 receiver, where he is more suited, and to pick their spots with No. 4 receiver Kelly Campbell, a speedy playmaker who wears down if he plays too much.

Moss, meanwhile, had to curtail his typical offseason workout routine because of plantar fasciitis in his foot. He was still sore after two months of rest, and the Vikings are crossing their fingers he will be 100 percent by training camp. Moss is now the unquestioned foundation, if not leader, of this team, and as a six-year veteran, he must curtail the mental lapses that marred an otherwise record-breaking season in 2003.

Three of the five starters are locked in for the foreseeable future: left tackle Bryant McKinnie, left guard Chris Liwienski and center Matt Birk. With a full season now under his belt, McKinnie might be ready to break out as star this season. Birk returned to the Pro Bowl, and Liwienski graded out as the Vikings' most consistent lineman last season.

The right side is another story. The Vikings are hoping to squeeze another year out of 35-year old David Dixon at right guard. He had a surprisingly strong season in 2003, but the Vikings will have guard-tackle Lewis Kelly in reserve should Dixon falter. Right tackle Mike Rosenthal struggled at times last season and is in the final year of his contract. Mammoth tackle Nat Dorsey, a rookie project, could replace Rosenthal at some point.

The Vikings have made it a priority to rebuild this unit during the past two years, and it now projects as the team's strength.

Kevin Williams, last year's first-round draft choice, emerged as a monster during the latter half of 2003 and could develop into one of the NFL's best tackles this season. His strength on double teams and quickness in the pass rush are astounding.

Williams' presence will only help Chris Hovan, who overhauled his body during the offseason following a difficult 2003. He lost 10 pounds to return to his ideal playing weight of 295 pounds and began working with a martial arts guru to enhance his quickness.

Kenny Mixon will work the entire season at left end, where he is most effective as a run-stopper. The Vikings ensured themselves of that move by drafting Kenechi Udeze to play at right end. If his shoulder remains healthy, Udeze could be a 10-sack man in 2004.

A strong group of reserves will also fight for playing time. Nick Rogers and Lance Johnstone figure as situational pass rushers, while rookie Darrion Scott will fight for playing time at tackle and end.

This group could be an Achilles' heel if several young players don't develop -- and fast. Chris Claiborne is the only returning starter, and his history of injuries and conditioning issues make it difficult to project him for a 16-game season.

The Vikings will need his veteran influence, however, with second-year player E.J. Henderson taking over at middle linebacker and either rookie Dontarrious Thomas or second-year man Mike Nattiel starting at the other outside spot. Henderson will be the key to this unit. The former Butkus Award winner apprenticed under Greg Biekert in 2003.

With potentially two new starters, depth is scarce. Rookie Rod Davis figures to be Henderson's backup, and the Vikings will give oft-injured Raonall Smith one more opportunity to earn playing time this summer.

A year ago, the Vikings thought they had found their shutdown corner in Denard Walker. This year, they have anointed free-agent pickup Antoine Winfield with that title. Walker has been released, leaving Winfield and Brian Williams as the strongest pair of starting cornerbacks the team has had in recent memory.

Safeties Corey Chavous and Brian Russell combined for 17 interceptions in 2003, but the Vikings are hoping for more consistency from Russell. He always seems around the ball but had a tendency to miss tackles and overthink his assignments. Chavous is the group's veteran leader, along with nickel back Ken Irvin. Veteran Tyrone Carter has returned to back up both safety spots.

After two years of personnel indecision, the Vikings appear finally to have settled on a pair of kickers. Darren Bennett has been brought in as the punter, and playing several games inside domes this season should be a boon to him. Placekicker Aaron Elling was solid in his debut last season and is backed heavily by Tice.

Missing the playoffs in 2001 and 2002 was not unexpected. Falling short in 2003 was a shock, especially considering the Vikings' 6–0 start. Given the talent on their roster and their relatively weak NFC North opponents, the Vikings should be considered the favorites to win the division. They should win at least one playoff game as well; if not, major organizational changes could be on the way.

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