After spending a week around media peers, it's easy to run out of interesting things to talk about.

So late last week, there was a conversation about the future of the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback situation, which is the key offseason concern for a franchise that could compete for a trip to the Super Bowl again next season.

None of the three quarterbacks who played this season are under contract for next season. And there is that task of hiring an offensive coordinator, who may want some say in the quarterback-selection process.

After taking in some of the "expert" advice, and reading up on the topic, here's the Vegas-style odds of who will be taking snaps for the Purple next season, for entertainment purposes only:

Case Keenum 5/1:It's hard to overstate how important Keenum was to the Vikings' success this season. A journeyman in his short career, Keenum joined the Vikings as an unheralded free agent in the offseason. But he was quickly needed when Sam Bradford was injured, and Keenum led the team to the NFC Championship game.

He would have been the feel-good, backup-to-star story in the NFL if Nick Foles hadn't won the Super Bowl as the Eagles starting quarterback.

It didn't seem that, even as he was playing at a high level, he ever had the long-term support from coach Mike Zimmer and the Vikings' front office, but he kept leading the team to victories and made the decision to start him a no-brainer.

But can he continue to play at that level, over the course of a four- or five-year contract that will likely be needed to keep him here? There's some risk, but it seems like Keenum was pretty popular in the locker room.

The Vikings can also use the franchise tag on Keenum, keeping him for one year for a lot of money, to get a better gauge of his future. It's also possible that another team may covet Keenum more than the Vikings and come in with a huge offer.

泰迪布里奇沃特3/1:For whatever reason, Bridgewater seems to be the favored choice of Vikings' management and players. We've only seen him for a few mop-up snaps since the serious knee injury 18 months ago, but the Vikings have watched him every day at practice, giving them the best guess of his long-term future.

Bridgewater's career seemed to be on the rise heading into his third season when he suffered that injury in practice. He would probably come at a lower price but with more risk.

There's also a chance that, due to small print in the NFL's collective-bargaining agreement, Bridgewater could be forced to play next season on last season's contract, but if the organization wants a continuing relationship with Bridgewater, it would not be a nice way to treat an valued employee.

Sam Bradford 100/1:It seems that Bradford's knee injury is something that will be chronic, which will likely scare off most NFL teams from offering a long-term contract. He did play spectacularly in the season-opener and is only 30 years old, but he's become more known for injuries than production.

If he's willing to sign somewhere as a backup, he'll find a home, maybe even here. But he's already made a lot of money so it's hard to tell how motivated he will be to sign a lesser contract.

Kirk Cousins 10/1:The most coveted free-agent quarterback, Cousins would be the most costly addition. He's put up some big numbers in his six seasons with Washington, though the team has achieved little.

There's some talk among the "experts" that his stats are misleading, that he's not as good as the 65.5 percent completion rate and 99 touchdowns may suggest, but it's also possible that he would thrive with a better team.

The Wilfs have been known to throw money at high-tier free agents to make a media splash, and there is money available under the salary cap, but Cousins will be the one to choose where he plays.

Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353, e-mail atccourrier@mankatofreepress.comor follow his Twitter feed @ChadCourrier.

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