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Monday Morning Mailbag: The Wallace Addition

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Mike Wallace's first day as a Viking.

Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we'll post several comments and/or questions as part of the vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag feature. Although we can't post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

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With the addition of Mike Wallace, I would think it lowers the need to take a receiver early in the draft. How do you believe the move alters the Vikings draft strategy, if at all? -- Clayton Brooks Mountain Home, ID

The addition of Wallace does give the Vikings an added weapon at the receiver position, but it doesn't change how the incoming college players are evaluated by the Vikings and therefore I don't think it will deter the Vikings from grabbing a receiver at No. 11 if the right player is there. Even with the Wallace addition, I will not be surprised to see the Vikings take a receiver at No. 11.

How does the Mike Wallace addition help out Teddy Bridgewater? -- Kyle B. Waconia, MN

Several ways. First and perhaps most obvious to everyone, Wallace gives Bridgewater a bona fide deep threat who can stretch defenses vertically and open up the underneath passing game and the running game. But Wallace isn't a one-trick pony who runs go routes all day. Wallace is also good in the screen game and he is a lethal red zone threat who scored nine of his 10 touchdowns in 2014 in the red zone.

View the top 30 images of Vikings defensive backs from the 2014 season.

Do the Vikings have enough cap space for an upgrade at defensive back? Will we consider signing a free agent cornerback, perhaps Tramon Williams of Green Bay or Patrick Robinson of New Orleans? -- Dorian Joslin San Diego, CA

The Vikings do have the cap space to make more moves in free agency while still having enough in reserve to handle the signing of players after the draft as well as to keep some on-hand to make in-season signings. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see some of that space go to the secondary to upgrade either cornerback or safety, and both the names mentioned by Dorian are interesting to me. Williams would give the Vikings a proven veteran on the outside while Robinson would give the Vikings a young, still-moldable player who could train in multiple spots. Another name I wonder about for further down the line in free agency once the market dries up is former Chicago Bears CB Charles Tillman. Although he's advanced in age and may be nearing the end, he could be a nice bridge signing at the position for the Vikings if they are looking to fill a gap later in the offseason.

With Michael Johnson signing with the Bengals, I was thinking what about Brett Keisel? We might be able to get him at a cheap price. -- Michael Adams

Keisel was a good player for a long time in Pittsburgh and he seems like a Mike Zimmer type of player, but at age 36 (turns 37 in September) I don't see him being a target of the Vikings at this point in the offseason. At 6-5, 285 pounds and stout against the run, though, Keisel does fit the profile of the kind of defensive end the Vikings may be targeting, and the team's interest in Johnson (6-7, 270) adds to that point, too. A name to keep an eye on may be George Selvie. A report emerged over the weekend that the Vikings may be interested in the 6-4, 270-pound defensive end who spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Selvie just turned 28 and logged 29 starts in 32 games played for Dallas, collecting 10.0 sacks and forcing two fumbles during that time.

Can you give me one exciting free agent the Vikings still might get? -- Devin Marshall @devinmarshall11

It depends on what your definition of exciting is. If you're looking for the splashy name who has made headlines, you may be disappointed. The Vikings approach in free agency is typically very calculated and methodical, which has led to success over the years. Just last year the team signed free agents such as Tom Johnson, Linval Joseph and Captain Munnerlyn, names that weren't splashy but players who came in and made impacts last year and figure to make profound impacts going forward. With that being said, a few names to keep an eye on may be OG Justin Blalock, DE George Johnson, S Jeron Johnson, S Taylor Mays and Selvie.

Do you think now that the NY Jets have signed three cornerbacks and with CB Dee Milliner coming off injury, the Jets may trade Milliner if offered a late pick? That would help the defense and let the team use the first couple picks to build the team up more. -- Larry Riddle

No, even with a new GM and head coach, I don't see the Jets parting ways with a first-round pick from 2013. If anything, the team's aggressiveness in adding Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine and Darrelle Revis is even more motivation to keep Milliner because now there is less pressure on Milliner to perform like a first-round pick, plus if he does round into that form the Jets will be loaded at the position.

I just wanted to thank Greg Jennings for his hard work, both on the field and in the community. He is a class act whom other players can look up to. As a fan of the sport of football, I understand this is a business. I hope wherever he goes, the fans will look up to him with respect. I know I did. Thank you, Greg! -- David D. Sioux Falls, SD

Well said, David. Jennings put in two good seasons with the Vikings, leading the club in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns each season. He was also a great ambassador for the organization and the League off the field with his various community outreach efforts. This is a business and sometimes that part of the game yields unfortunate instances, such as the Vikings have to part ways with Jennings.

Thoughts on a potential signing of WR Dwayne Bowe? Doesn't hurt to have another target and would be cheaper than Michael Crabtree. -- Chase Robertson @chasecar7

With the signing of Wallace, the team's excitement about Charles Johnson and the depth of this year's draft class, I don't see the Vikings pursuing Bowe in free agency. Bowe is in Cleveland right now anyway and could sign there at any time, but even if he doesn't reach agreement with the Browns I don't see the Vikings throwing their name into the ring.

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