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INDIANAPOLIS -- Close. Head coach Mike Zimmer said that is a suitable description for the Minnesota Vikings. "I really like my football team right now. I like the way they work, the way they do things," Zimmer said Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium on the second day of the NFL Combine.
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The Vikings claimed the NFC North but lost in the wild-card playoffs to the Seattle Seahawks when kicker Blair Walsh pulled a 29-yard field goal that would have won the game.
Zimmer entered the offseason with heightened confidence based on the core of the roster being in place. Last season, there was more uncertainty because of running back Adrian Peterson's suspension and holes at skill positions. The process entering free agency on March 9 is different in that pressing needs are not as plentiful.
One area Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman said the Vikings will address is the offensive line, which allowed a total of 89 sacks of Teddy Bridgewater his first two seasons.
"He got hit way too much," Zimmer said Thursday, but backed off the thought that Bridgewater would be more of a passer this season.
"Each game is going to determine how we play. We want to win games. I don't have a problem winning a game 13-10 and running the ball a bunch of times. ... I don't know that he'll be throwing the ball more. When I come back here next year - if I'm still here - what I want to say is 'man Teddy took charge.' It's going to be his baby eventually."
The Vikings are planning to be shopping in the offensive line aisle but not necessarily in free agency. Other options could include wide receiver and safety, though Zimmer sounds more certain and comfortable with the talent level on defense.
"We have a good nucleus of defensive guys but not anywhere near where I want to be yet," Zimmer said.
To add to that nucleus, Zimmer said developing or drafting a sidekick to Pro Bowl free safety Harrison Smith would change the Vikings' defense. Smith, a 2012 first-round pick and one of five first-round picks used on defense in the past four years.
"If Harrison Smith was paired with a guy that had some other qualities, we could allow Harrison to be more of an impactful player," Zimmer said. "I think Harrison can be more impactful if he had the right kind of guy next to him."
Zimmer did not say he would dip back into the well of former players he coached in Cincinnati, where he helped develop Reggie Nelson into a standout. But he didn't rule it out.
"When you are messing around in free agency, the more you know a player, the better chance you have of being correct," Zimmer said.
The team's latest first-round defender, cornerback Trae Waynes, played primarily special teams as a rookie. Zimmer said Waynes, the 11th overall pick in 2015, will be a different player this season.
"It was good for him to play special teams," Zimmer said. "It's not about athletic ability. It's about learning to be a professional football player."
