Making a huge splash in the league, the Vikings signed arguably the best defensive end in football, Jared Allen.

His pass rush abilities will greatly improve our pass coverage because the secondary will not have to cover receivers for nearly as long.

He has the size, strength and speed to get after the quarterback, and he will improve the Vikings’ already-stellar run defense. What we gave up in order to acquire him makes it look like a steal.

Helping—out that pass coverage even more is the addition of safety Madieu Williams from Cincinnati, who will help Darren Sharper out in the
secondary.

The Vikings were also lucky to grab highly regarded safety Tyrell Johnson in the second round of the draft, who many believed would be a first-round selection.

Perhaps the best thing the Vikings did this offseason, and quite possibly in Vikings history, was get rid of Troy Williamson. Williamson had the ability to beat coverages, but he simply could not catch.

The addition of Bernard Berrian and a season of experience under Sidney Rice’s belt give the Vikings a respectable receiving core, which should not be a liability at all.

This tandem could be ranked in the top half of the league on paper, a major improvement from probably the worst receivers last year.

First, let’s talk about the quarterback position. I remain optimistic that Tarvaris Jackson will be a good quarterback someday in the NFL.

He had last season to gain experience, and there is a lot of work to be done, but I think he can be a solid player this season.

Jackson finally has some competition. With the drafting of former USC quarterback John David Booty and the acquisition of veteran Gus Frerotte, Jackson will have more heat on him this season.

I don’t expect Booty or Frerotte to start this year, but if Jackson is struggling, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a change. This better motivate Jackson.

Second, Bernard Berrian is better than Williamson and Bobby Wade put together.

Third, the Vikings offensive line is very good, and they will give Jackson plenty of time to throw. I am pretty sure Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor will take some of the pressure off Jackson too.

Finally, the defense will be dominant this year. They will put the offense into great field position often, giving them short fields to work with.

So say what you will about Jackson, but no matter what happens this year, Steve Hutchinson, Peterson, Allen, Kevin and Pat Williams, E.J. Henderson and Sharper are all going to go crazy At least the Vikings will be a lot of fun to watch.

This team is a quarterback’s dream, and I believe in theVikings’ chances of having a solid play this season.