Talk about this Vikings roster being tougher to crack compared to recent seasons is warranted.
In Mike Zimmer’s third season at the helm, an overhauled defense has gone from worst before his arrival to one of the league’s best. That came with many personnel decisions from General Manager Rick Spielman that created an infusion of new talent, primarily via 28 draft picks in three years, with an exodus of mainstays (Jared Allen) and role players (Fred Evans, Jamarca Sanford) alike.
On defense especially, unproven players will have a tough time usurping a starting unit returning 97 percent of the snaps from a season ago.