FanHouse JimmyKennedy

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

In an NFC that is heading into the offseason without a clear favorite, the Minnesota Vikings have almost all the pieces to be the presumptive favorite. They have an outstanding defensive line, an improved secondary and the best running back in the business. They also have a very good offensive line and thanks to Bernard Berrian, the receiver corps no longer is a joke.

Bad news Monday for the Minnesota Vikings.

One day after a 35-14 mudhole-stomping of the Arizona Cardinals that left some of us (myself included) thinking the Vikings had the look of a potential Super Bowl contender, a big cog to the team's highly-touted defense is on the shelf.

Defensive tackle Pat Williams, one-half of the famed Williams Wall, suffered a broken scapula that will keep him out from two to six weeks. He was playing only thanks to a court order that put off an NFL suspension that would have kept him and fellow tackle Kevin Williams out for the rest of the regular season.

Jimmy Kennedy, signed by the Vikings when they thought they may lose both starting tackles to suspension, should see increased playing time with Pat Williams out.

This certainly doesn't have the impact that losing both Williamses would have had, but it could not come at a worse time for Minnesota. The Vikings need one more win to seal up the NFC North title, and they have to deal with the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday at the Metrodome. It won't be easy to do that without a key part of their top-ranked run defense.

How much did the Chicago Bears love defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy?

The Jacksonville Jaguars just signed restricted free agent Kennedy to a one-year, $750,000 offer sheet. The Bears had seven days to match that offer. They didn't bother. It's cold in Chicago, man.

It's easy to see why the Jags would take a shot at Kennedy. Despite his starcrossed pro career, he was once an All-American at Penn State and a first-round pick and for the St. Louis Rams, and he might fill what's suddenly a position of need for Jacksonville. Marcus Stroud was traded over the weekend, and the team has opted not to re-sign Grady Jackson. Kennedy might not start, but he might be able to step into the lineup in a pinch.

Given what's left on the free agent market, the Jags may opt to fill in the remaining holes in its defensive line in the draft. They've already addressed the receiver position with Jerry Porter and the secondary with Drayton Florence. I'd look for this team to chase after a pass rusher in the first round.

The 2003 draft was supposed to be a big one for defensive tackles, and five were eventually taken in the first round. But they've largely flopped. The highest picked, Dewayne Robertson, has had a good career that falls short of expectations. Two have been disappointments (Jimmy Kennedy and William Joseph), and one a complete failure (Johnathan Sullivan). Kevin Williams is the only one holding it down.

That has been one reason defensive tackles have since been devalued in April. Some have also been known for not having (warning: scout speak) "a motor." Last year, Alan Branch had to deal with all of that and concern over stress fractures in both legs that didn't cause him to miss time. Branch was a top-5 selection in January, by April the Cardinals took him 33rd.

But the same couldn't happen to Glenn Dorsey and his strained knee, could it?

Gil Brandt, the former Dallas Cowboys executive and an analyst for nfl.com, said he expected Dorsey's knee to be heavily scrutinized by N.F.L. team doctors at the N.F.L. combine in February.
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"I would imagine that there's some concern with his knee," Brandt said of Dorsey in a telephone interview. "The teams' doctors, 25 of them might say, 'There's nothing wrong with this guy. He's in great shape.' Seven might say, 'Well, I think he's a risk.'"

Dorsey is as of now a sure top-5 pick, maybe first. If he were to fall, it won't be out of the top 10. Still, I think that's highly unlikely. Teams begin to grossly overanalyze now, but this guy is for reals, and they'll all come to their senses.