Position Analysis: Quarterback

According to Vikings.com we have four quarterbacks on the roster right now:

Number           Name                   Height   Weight     Age    Experience
#4     McLeod Bethel-Thompson,     6'4",       230 lbs,  23,         0
#7     Christian Ponder,                     6'2",       229 lbs,  24,         0
#18   Sage Rosenfels,                       6'4",       222 lbs,  34,        11
#14   Joe Webb                               6'4",       220 lbs,  25,          2

I know we added Bethel-Thompson in January as a reserve, and from what I can tell we signed Rosenfels in March.  What surprises me is that Ponder has a 0 next to his name instead of a 1.  Maybe they just haven't updated that bit yet...

Clearly, Ponder and Webb will be battling it out for the top spot, and Rosenfels and Bethel-Thompson for the third slot.

Ponder will remain as a pure quarterback I'm sure; but I'm not so sure I believe Frazier's blithe promises to have Webb focusing on his quarterbacking skill at the expense of trick plays and a modified wildcat.  (Because only Miami has any success running an unmodified wildcat...)  I have no idea what Bethel-Thompson's skill set is, but he's young enough and there's a sufficient scarcity of experienced backups in the NFL that I'm pretty sure we'll keep Rosenfels unless he does something stupid...like pulling a Rhett Bomar...

To be brutally honest, I doubt that Ponder will be able to carry the team (this year, I'm hopeful for the future) the way the elites - Manning, Brees, Rodgers - did in their early years.  But I still liked what little I was able to see last year, and if he shows himself to be a capable game manager, that should be enough for us to win at least six games.

I'm hoping for an 8-8 season.  I think we can do it, even with the rest of the NFCN waking up and looking like real football teams.  I want at least one win against the Bears and the Lions each.

P.S. I've been looking at Tom Pelissero's twitvids of Ponder throwing at practice and I am SO excited about watching him grow this year!  Especially if he grows out of throwing stupid interceptions...haha