Don Pierson

Going to training camp without a single proven quarterback or receiver means Vikings' coach Brad Childress must have a long-term contract. The Vikings have the makings of decent offensive and defensive lines, certainly a start, and they drafted Adrian Peterson to run the football, but most successful teams rely on quarterbacks and receivers these days.

The Vikings are just hoping for the best at both positions.

If nothing else, the competition should make for an interesting summer as fans check their rosters to see if they can catch a glimpse of the next Daunte Culpepper or Randy Moss.

Getting rid of those two one-time stars didn't seem far-fetched at the time. But most teams have a Plan B in mind when making such monumental switches. The Vikings have nothing but wide-eyed optimism. Childress plans to mold second-year Alabama State prospect Tarvaris Jackson into a starting quarterback and if that doesn't work, untested Brooks Bollinger, ex-Cowboy failure Drew Henson, and rookie Tyler Thigpen from Coastal Carolina are the fallbacks. The possibility of a deal, therefore, remains in the forefront. If Culpepper hadn't burned bridges with Childress, he might have been looking at a homecoming.

At receiver, the Vikings still think former No. 1 pick Troy Williamson can avoid his present label as a bust. He's fast, but needed to see an eye specialist to help him track the ball. While the Vikings remain optimistic about him, they also made Sidney Rice their second-round pick. Adding free agent Bobby Wade also is supposed to help, although he couldn't stick in Chicago or Tennessee. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, a backup for the Giants, replaces Jermaine Wiggins.

How fast Peterson can contribute will be key. Then, the challenge for Childress is figuring out how much Peterson can initially infringe on Chester Taylor's territory. Taylor wasn't a bad back in his first year with the Vikings, rushing for 1,216 yards. But Peterson arrives as the best back in the NFC North by college reputation alone. In mini-camps, Peterson showed an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, something he didn't need to do at Oklahoma. It is also something holdover Mewelde Moore does well, but the quicker Peterson gets up to speed and into the huddle, the better off the Vikings will look.

Finding a solid right tackle is another challenge, with Ryan Cook and Marcus Johnson the frontrunners.

Defensive ends are another problem the Vikings can't seem to fix despite using first-round draft picks on Kenechi Udeze and Erasmus James. Udeze started 15 games and registered zero sacks, almost an impossible feat. James has been injured in his first two seasons. Darrion Scott and Ray Edwards need to step up and fourth-rounder Brian Robison will get a chance.

More shuffling at linebacker is on tap with weakside starter E.J. Henderson moving back to the middle to replace departed Napoleon Harris. Henderson appeared to have found a home outside in 16 starts, but the Vikings are planning for last year's No. 1 draft pick, Chad Greenway, to get through training camp without a season-ending injury.

Hotseat
Childress. It's his offense and with obscure second-rounder Jackson, it's becoming more and more his team. He thought Culpepper reminded him too much of his unfriendly encounters with Terrell Owens in Philadelphia. He didn't see eye-to-eye with veteran Brad Johnson, so he decided to rush Jackson into action. Even if the Vikings add a veteran during or after training camp, he would need time to get familiar with Childress' offense. So this is Jackson's time, ready or not. The best thing the coach can do for him is allow him to hand off to Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor about 25 times a game. The Vikings scored only 18 points a game, low in the division, but if Childress can convince his team to run and play defense, he'll have a chance.

Overheard
Cornerback Antoine Winfield is a respected team leader who questioned Childress' direction in the offseason and hinted at a holdout. The Vikings not only need him in camp and happy, they are counting on him to again lead a secondary that needs help, starting with a better pass rush. New defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier played for the Bears and coached for Tony Dungy's Colts. He'll need all his wiles to keep veteran safeties Darren Sharper and Dwight Smith, Winfield and cornerback Cedric Griffin all happy and on the same page. Third-round corner Marcus McCauley and safety Tank Williams, returning from injury, also are factors.

Outlook
Everybody will be watching closely as the Vikings enter uncharted waters. If they can win with such inexperienced talent at quarterback and receiver, they could revolutionize the way scouts build teams.

Prediction
Fourth.

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