Competitive rebuild.

Those have always been the two most important words regarding the tenure of Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell.

Like "kick-ass offense" and "Randy Ratio," a phrase like "competitive rebuild" can haunt its creators, especially if the Vikings fail to either compete or effectively rebuild.

With the team's 2024 training camp approaching, prepare to hear a lot of happy talk about the Vikings' plans and the development of young players. That's the "rebuild" part.

The bigger question, at least for the fan base over the next two months, is whether this team can be competitive in what could be a brutally difficult NFC North division this season.

Luckily, we won't need to read tea leaves or palms to figure out whether the Vikings' brain trust really thinks it can win this season. It will let us know by how it handles the cornerback position.

Not quarterback. The Vikings' decisions at that position will depend on a combination of factors — how the team plays with Sam Darnold at the helm, and how quickly rookie J.J. McCarthy can persuade the coaching staff that he's ready to play in the NFL without risk of him being overwhelmed.

How the Vikings approach one of the most important positions other than quarterback will indicate their confidence in this year's team.

Their ability to compete in 2025 and beyond will depend largely on the development of their two 2024 first-round draft picks. If McCarthy and Dallas Turner join Justin Jefferson in the NFL's pantheon, the franchise will be set up for success for the next five years or so.

But there's no guarantee that McCarthy will even play this season, and there is no guarantee that Turner will be ready to become a dominant player as a rookie. McCarthy will need to add experience, and Turner will need to add strength and technique. Both could require a year or more.

Look at the people who will determine this team's success in 2024, and there are reasons for optimism and pessimism. Darnold will play in the best offense of his career, and he was considered a prospect similar to Drake Maye when he came out of college. Jefferson is in his prime. Running back Aaron Jones is one of the NFL's most underrated players. The return of defensive coordinator Brian Flores gives an improving defense continuity.

Free-agent signees Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel mitigate the loss of the great Danielle Hunter and should give Flores more options for attacking offenses. Blake Cashman is a quality linebacker, and Shaquill Griffin could help the secondary.

But the defense is at least one proven cornerback short of being able to carry a team. That was the case even before the Vikings received the tragic news Saturday that Khyree Jackson, a cornerback they selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, died in a car accident.

The Vikings have cap space to sign a top veteran cornerback. Stephon Gilmore, Xavien Howard, Adoree' Jackson and J.C. Jackson remain available, and their asking prices must be dropping. The Vikings have an obvious need at the position and may have to win low-scoring games to remain in contention.

If the Vikings have confidence that this team can win now, they will sign one of the best cornerbacks on the market. If they don't, they won't.

Conserving money and assets and playing for the future wouldn't necessarily be the wrong move, but it's not something that the franchise is likely to admit to.

One of the great learning experiences of my career was covering the 1989 Cowboys, then moving to Minnesota to cover the early-'90s Vikings.

In Dallas, Jimmy Johnson looked at his roster and realized he couldn't compete, so he tanked his first season, traded his most famous player for a dozen assets and quickly rebuilt.

The Vikings took the opposite approach, fooling themselves into thinking they were one player away from winning a title and wrongly assuming that one player was Herschel Walker.

There's nothing wrong with slow-playing roster development and sacrificing a season, but "We'll start winning next year" is not exactly an award-winning marketing theme.