Computer updates Vikings' projected win total

In six seasons under Mike Zimmer, the Minnesota Vikings have never posted a record worse than 7-9 and they've made three appearances in the NFL Playoffs. In 2019, the Vikings earned an NFC Wild Card berth after going 10-6 and now they're looking to prove that this is a franchise that can compete consistently for championships moving forward.

However, with the Vikings finishing second in the NFC North each of the past two seasons behind the Bears in 2018 and the Packers in 2019, Zimmer and the rest of the squad know that they'll have their work cut out in one of the NFL's toughest divisions. So as they entered the 2020 NFL offseason facing a number of key roster decisions, most were interested to see how they'd prioritize.

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It was no surprise when Minnesota began its offseason by signing Kirk Cousins to an extension. And while tensions between Stefon Diggs and the Vikings were well documented last season, it was at least a little surprising to see Diggs publicly declaring that it was time for a change on Twitter shortly after the extension was announced. 

Luckily for the Vikings, they were able to deal Diggs along with a seventh-rounder to Buffalo in exchange for a first-round pick and three additional late-round picks over the next two drafts. Considering that the Texans only got David Johnson, a second-round pick and a fourth-rounder in exchange for DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-rounder of their own in a deal with the Cardinals.

However, Minnesota also lost Trae Waynes, Linval Joseph and Stephen Weatherly in free agency and only managed to bring defensive tackle Michael Pierce in to help fill one of the holes those departures created. With just under $12.2 million in estimated cap space remaining, the Vikings don't have much room to do anything else so now they'll need to make use of the extra picks they acquired and put together a solid 2020 NFL Draft that adds immediate impact.

Still, the loss of impact players like Diggs, Waynes and Joseph are going to be tough to deal with. Minnesota will have to hope for a few breakout performances and that Cousins can still produce without Diggs at his disposal in what appears as if it will be a crowded NFC North. The SportsLine Projection Model simulated the 2020 NFL season 10,000 times and predicts that the Vikings win 9.0 games on average, winning the NFC North 40.2 percent of the time and making the NFL Playoffs 53.7 percent of the time.

That's a fairly significant drop from the 9.6 projected wins the model predicted prior to the start of free agency. Meanwhile, William Hill Sportsbook currently lists the Vikings at 28-1 to win the 2021 Super Bowl, which are tied for 15th-best odds in the NFL.