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Vikings fans had been hoping that the team would use a modest cap bulge in the range of $20 million to acquire a big-name player or two.

Last week, the Vikings added tight end John Carlson, giving him a $5 million signing bonus as part of a five-year, $25 million contract. Nice contract, but not a big-name player.

They’ve also brought back a couple members of their defensive line rotation, in Letroy Guion and Fred Evans. Again, not big-name players.

They’ve signed running back Lex Hilliard from the Dolphins. (Do I need to mention whether he’s a big-name player?)

The most intriguing development came when the Vikings signed cornerback Nick Taylor, a fleet-footed former point guard at Florida International.

Most recently, the team signed veteran fullback Jerome Felton. The Vikings announced the acquisition of the latest not-big-name player on Tuesday night.

After entering the league as a fifth-round pick of the Lions in the 2008 draft, Felton has played for Detroit, Carolina, and Indianapolis.

The Vikings apparently have a plan to build conservatively and carefully, but that won’t sell tickets and it won’t generate excitement and it won’t nudge the powers-that-be toward green-lighting the construction of a new stadium.