The future is bright for the Vikings despite what the crushing playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams might suggest. The foundation that they have built features a talented core of players under contract for the foreseeable future, including receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, right tackle Brian O’Neill, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, among a handful of others. If the Vikings want to take the next step, however, they need to pull the right strings this offseason. As impressive as they were at times over the past few months — a 14-3 regular-season record speaks for itself — there are some clear weaknesses that need to be improved upon. Equipped with more than $70 million of cap space, the Vikings have a lot of options at their disposal. Here are five questions the Vikings need to answer this offseason: Will they extend Kevin O’Connell? Never mind the rumors that have started to swirl. It feels like only a matter of time before the Vikings reach an agreement with head coach Kevin O’Connell on a lucrative contract extension. He established himself among the best in the the NFL and what he does, boasting a 34-17 record since being hired in February 2022, and helping establish a culture in Minnesota that is unmatched. Though some of his critics might point to his 0-2 record in the playoffs — and those shortcomings are certainly worth mentioning — it doesn’t overshadowed everything O’Connell has already accomplished. As of now, O’Connell doesn’t have any job security beyond next season. There’s no way the Vikings should let him go into next season as a lame duck. What will they do with Sam Darnold? This is the first domino that needs to fall when it comes to roster construction. Whether the Vikings decide to run it back with veteran quarterback Sam Darnold will shape everything else they do over the next few months. The success that Darnold had this season was undeniable. He completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns while helping the Vikings exceed expectations at seemingly every turn. That said, Darnold also fell apart in the most important game of his career, which can’t be overlooked as the Vikings chose what to do with him moving forward. This is also tangentially related to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. If the Vikings feel like McCarthy could be their Week 1 starter next season, that makes moving on from Darnold a little easier to stomach. What will happen with Brian Flores? The future of defensive coordinator Brian Flores is very much up in the air at the moment. He has emerged as a top head coach candidate during the current hiring cycle, and reportedly has interviews set up with the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Jacksonville Jaguars. If Flores gets an offer to be a head coach somewhere else, it’s hard to imagine him not taking the job. He’s been tremendous with the Vikings over the past couple of seasons and is certainly worthy of advancing his career. The issue Flores might run into is the fact that he has an active discrimination lawsuit against the NFL. That could give teams pause about attaching themselves to him. What are the biggest needs on offense? The interior of the offensive line needs to be improved. That’s why it’ll be the first order of business for the Vikings once free agency rolls around. Maybe that means giving right guard Trey Smith the bag. Maybe that means using a high draft pick on an interior offensive lineman. Whatever the Vikings ending up doing, there’s no doubt they will address the interior of the offensive line. That much O’Connell made clear with his comments after the Vikings suffered their playoff loss to the Rams. The other area to keep an eye on is what the Vikings choose to do in the backfield. They could run it back with running back Aaron Jones in the short term, then use a draft pick to add a talented player that could take over in the long term. What are the biggest needs on defense? The whole secondary could end up looking different with veteran safety Harrison Smith pondering retirement, safety Cam Bynum in line for a big raise, and a number of cornerbacks in need of new contracts.  There’s a good chance the Vikings give cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. a lot of money to stick around. He proved himself as impact player and deserves to be paid as such. They also could swing for the fences and try to sign somebody like veteran cornerback D.J. Reed. No matter what the Vikings do in the secondary, they also need to prioritize adding more talent in the trenches. They don’t have an interior defensive lineman that can generate consistent pressure, and that needs to change. Related Articles Minnesota Vikings | Who will be the next starting quarterback for the Vikings? 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