So here we are. The Minnesota Vikings are now 6-9 and officially eliminated from expanded playoff contention in 2020. With just one game left on the schedule, it’s time to talk about what’s next for our favorite professional football team.

The offseason conversation needs to start in a very familiar place, the offensive line. The Vikings seem so close, yet so far away from competence at OL that the uncertainty is maddening. At this point, we no-longer know where “the process” is up front.

Where there isn’t uncertainty on the field, there’s uncertainty on paper. O-line seems to be a position group of focus for Rick Spielman every offseason, but this year’s could prove to be the most crucial in recent memory.

Let’s take a look under the hood, from left to right.

Left Tackle

Starter: Riley Reiff (32) – After some serious contract consternation right before the season kicked off, 2020 may have been the best of Reiff’s career. It’s definitely been his best in purple.

Riley Reiff has the 2nd-highest PFF grade out of all Vikings offensive linemen, trailing only the young anchor on the other side of the line, Brian O’Neil. He’s tied for the team lead in offensive snaps (1,003) and Riley has been arguably the most trustworthy frontline performer of 2020.

He’s still under contract in 2021, if the Minnesota Vikings want to bring him back for $14 million, which they absolutely should. If they were to cut him, they’d pay $2.2 million in dead cap (according to Spotrac.com).

It’d be an easy divorce, should Spielman decide to move on, but I really don’t think the Vikings can afford to do so. Rick forced Reiff into a paycut before the 2020 season, however, so we’ll see what his worth is for Rick entering 2021.

Left Guard

Starter?: Dru Samia (23) – Yes, Dru Samia is the only “guard” currently on the roster, outside of Ezra Cleveland, for 2021. Dakota Dozier, who is tied with Riley Reiff for the team’s most offensive snaps in 2020 (1,003), is an unrestricted free agent heading into this offseason.

Something needs to happen at guard. Like… desperately.

“If I die, I die”

-Kirk Cousins when he found out Dru Samia was on the team probably pic.twitter.com/u7MQRuauUm

— ???? ???? (@WoIIin) October 13, 2020

Center

Starter: Garrett Bradbury – Two seasons into his career and Garrett Bradbury has piled up 31 of a possible 31 starts. Yet… we know nothing about how good of an NFL center he is.

The Minnesota Vikings have been unable to surround Bradbury with any consistency on either side, rotating in terrible guard after terrible guard, until Ezra Cleveland gave them a little bit of hope in 2020.

The NC State alum holds a 61.2 PFF grade this season but that’s held afloat by his 67+ run grade. His pass grade is a rough 45.2. Can Spielman find some help for Bradbury up the middle? If so, will he take a huge step forward in 2021? Hopefully, we find out one way or the other.

This type of thing has been a problem for Garrett Bradbury throughout his first two seasons. Needs to improve his ability to anchor if he’s going to become a top-15 center pic.twitter.com/FljJhPlenM

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 25, 2020

Right Guard

Starter: Ezra Cleveland – I’m putting Ezra Cleveland at guard because the Minnesota Vikings cannot afford to let Riley Reiff go. That means Cleveland stays at RG, where he has played all of his snaps in 2020.

It’s been an up and down rookie season for the Boise State Alum, which should have been expected. He’s going through a side switch, from left to right and a position switch, from tackle to guard.

Still the Vikings and the man to his left, Garrett Bradbury, need him to improve heavily next year, if the team as a whole is going to take a step forward. Getting a guard to hold down the left side of the interior line would help…

Right tackle

Starter: Brian O’Neil – He’s been arguably the best Vikings offensive lineman this season and holds the best PFF grade (77.8). He’s the only Minnesota O-lineman who has either a pass block or rush block grade above 80 (RB – 83.3).

Currently, there is no problem with Brian O’Neil, either on the field or on paper. He’s been great and his rookie deal still has one season left on it. Spielman is getting the Wilf checkbook ready, though. This is a man who’s getting paid before 2022.

Backups

The only current backup available at offensive line for the 2021 season according to Spotrac.com, is (RT) Oli Udoh. Rashod Hill, Dakota Dozier and Rashod Hill are all set to be free agents.

This could prove to be the most crucial offseason for this Minnesota Vikings offensive line. Really though, it shouldn’t be that difficult to make big strides.

Spielman should be able to find a competent guard to place on the left side of Bradbury (via draft, free agency and/or trade), for under $8 million dollars.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Vikings offensive line was so terrible last year that it may have cost them a spot in the playoffs. And early in the offseason, the Vikings front office seems to be exploring all angles of improvement. It starts with looking at what you have internally. Is everyone in their best position for team success?

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The #Vikings will “start at the bottom and build something” on offense this offseason. One change they’ve considered is moving left tackle Riley Reiff, possibly to guard: https://t.co/Oucf2zyxFl

— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) February 5, 2019

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#Vikings suggest Riley Reiff could be moved to guard next season while the team focuses on drafting a tackle.

Things clearly didn’t go smoothly moving Remmers inside last year, but maybe Reiff would have more success.

Thoughts?

— Sean Borman (@SeanBoarMan) February 5, 2019

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Riley Reiff’s run blocking grade of 68.3 is ranked 22nd for OTs. His pass blocking grade of 71.3 is ranked 45th for OTs. And his 42 pressures allowed this year is tied for 8th most of OTs with greater than 230 snaps. Can moving him inside to guard improve his efficiency? https://t.co/LzhXHniXls

— PFF MIN Vikings (@PFF_Vikings) February 5, 2019

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I get it. The desperation to get this offensive line fixed as quickly as possible means everything is on the table. We can safely say the Mike Remmers experiment at guard last year was a disaster. Moving him back to his natural position does make some sense (or we could just cut him entirely).

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I actually wouldn't hate Reiff moving inside to left guard if it meant the Vikings intended to move Remmers back to right tackle and O'Neill to left tackle.

It's a lot of movement, but at least on paper that's probably the best in-house permutation.

— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) February 6, 2019

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The best way to build up an offensive line is to draft tackles and build inward. We have Pat Elflein at center, and Brian O’Neil was a godsend at right tackle last year. I’m not keen on moving him after just one season in the NFL, like what Nick suggested above. Also remember, starting guards come cheaper than tackles. 

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Yes, the Vikings need offensive linemen, but one of the perks of Brian O'Neill developing so quickly is that the team doesn't need to reach for a tackle in the first round of the draft, and can wait until the second and third rounds to find plenty of starting-caliber guards.

— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) January 29, 2019

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I think the biggest point to keep in mind here is that the Vikings are exploring their options. They will look to make improvements in free agency, and through the draft, and if they can’t get it done, they will look at other ways to improve the roster.

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The majority of Vikings Twitter would be elated if the team signed Rodger Saffold to play OG for the team.

Saffold played 3 years as a starting LT before he transitioned to OG in the NFL.

Vikings Twitter thinks the Vikings are idiots if they move Riley Reiff from OT to OG.

— Brian Hawkes (@bdhawkes) February 6, 2019

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Naming an offensive line coach today was a good start.

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The #Vikings 2019 coaching staff as it stands today. pic.twitter.com/8S3tVhjASm

— Vikings PR (@VikingsPR) February 8, 2019

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Or, co-offensive line coaches… No, it isn’t normal. But this is Minnesota. Nothing we do in sports is normal.

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Seth Toupal | Minnesota Sports Fan

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As we continue to roll through training camp, and eventually through the last 3 preseason games, there are a few things we can now be sure of as we look at our favorite football team.

– Kirk Cousins > Case Keenum

– Vikings Defense > Your Defense

– Mike Zimmer really doesn’t like fighting during training camp. He doesn’t care if it’s your teammate, scrimmaging partner, or your wife on the phone, just keep the fighting away from Zim. I pushed my sister over a vacuum cleaner once when we were kids, and I was grounded for a week. I wonder what happened at Mike’s house when situations like that arose..

No fights allowed! Mike Zimmer addressing more rumors today… #vikings #skol #vikes #skolvikings #skolvikes #skolnation #vikingsnation #vikesnation #vikingsfootball #vikesfootball #nfl #nfltrainingcamp #nofighting #mikezimmer #nationalfootballleague #minnesotavikings

A post shared by Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) on Aug 15, 2018 at 3:55am PDT

The consistent greatness of both our coach and his defense should continue to translate into playoff and Super Bowl-caliber NFL Football, here in the Twin Cities, for years to come. Most of our core that is currently in their prime or entering it, is locked down through at least 2020. Life is pretty good in Vikings’ land right now. But, will it finally lead to that beloved Super Bowl team we’ve been waiting for? I’ll have more on that later this week…

For now, I want to touch on a few things that we DON’T know, as we surge toward the regular season, 2018-19.

– How big of a role will Mike Hughes play in 2018-19?

This question is becoming quite intriguing. Hughes has had a wonderful camp and summer in general, since he slipped to the Vikings at the number 30 pick in the April NFL Draft. So much so, that he is now taking first-team reps at the Nickel spot.

“So what, Eric. Rookie CB’s show up in the NFL every year and stand out.”

Not in Mike Zimmer’s defense, they don’t. Xavier Rhodes, who is now the best CB in the NFL, took a long time to find the right fit in Mike Zimmer’s defensive scheme. Remember the boxing gloves Zimmer had him wearing? And more obviously, because of the newer timeline and lack of proven track record, we all know the struggles Trae Waynes has battled through in his first few seasons in the NFL.

But since the beginning of summer rookie workouts, we’ve heard nothing but positive things about Rookie CB, Mike Hughes. He got a lot of run in the first preseason game vs the Broncos and stuck out in a lot of positive ways. He had open field tackles and good coverage, almost securing an INT in the Bronco end zone, even.

And now, he’s competing in practice with Mackenzie Alexander for that starting Nickel CB spot. Alexander is a high draft pick himself, but like Rhodes and Waynes, struggled in his first two seasons.

But, if Hughes doesn’t win the Nickel job, how often do we see him? If Sherels wins the punter/kick returner role(s), and Hughes can’t secure the nickel, he might be relegated to gunner status on special teams… I don’t know how likely this is to happen. There are two kick returners back, a lot of the time on place kickoffs and injuries obviously like to catch hold of this team.

No matter what happens in 2018-19, however, it seems quite clear that Zimmer and the Vikings are starting to build big plans for Hughes, moving forward. Let’s also remember that Trae Waynes is due a big extension next season and the Vikings don’t look like they will have the money for him right now, especially if they are going to figure out a way to extend Anthony Barr before this season starts.

Here’s a highlight video of Hughes on Saturday:

On the other side of the team, on offense, the Vikings’ 2nd round pick was getting first-team reps as well. Brian O’Neil did play pretty well on Saturday and the coaches are happy with how he is progressing but O’Neil is a former TE and the Vikings hope he ends up being more of a high-ceiling, long-term project, than a guy they need to use right away. He’s also undersized, weighing in at just 290 lbs before the draft, although he reportedly has pushed that up to 300 now.

Because of all of the injuries decimating the Vikings’ offensive line, Brian has been hitting the field with the ones’ a bit at right tackle. The Vikings might also be planning to use his athleticism a bit to work him into the normal game plan as a “swing” tackle for screen passes and outside running plays, that require a lineman to swing behind and around the line, to get out ahead of the ball carrier.

Here is a quick film session thread I ran into on Twitter yesterday that highlights some Brian O’Neil during Saturday’s games:

Ready for a Brian O’Neill (@brian_oneill_) film thread??? Cause I sure am pic.twitter.com/Uxb9eYKjMm

— Luke Braun (@LukeBraunNFL) August 14, 2018

Eric Strack
Minnesota Sports Fan @RealMNSportsFan

Well, the start to Day-2 of the NFL Draft could not have gone how Rick Spielman had hoped. With the quote Andrew Krammer had in Saturday’s Star Tribune, from the Vikings’ Director of College Scouting, Jamaal Stephenson it looked like that caught them by surprise too: “There was a big run, obviously. I’ve never seen that many offensive guards go this high in the draft.”

The run of offensive lineman also allowed us to get an idea of how Rick Spielman feels about the offensive line prospects available. One thing is for sure. Spielman believed whoever was available, and likely to go early in the 2nd round, didn’t have much more going for him than someone Rick knew was going to fall to him at the bottom of Round 2. Even with all of these offensive lineman going before him, Trader Patient Rick stayed back, poised. And it was the right decision because, after four of the first seven picks were OL in the 2nd round, from pick-40 to the Vikings’ pick at #62, only one more O-lineman came off the board.

33. Cleveland Browns: OL Austin Corbett, Nevada

34. New York Giants: G Will Hernandez, UTEP

37. Indianapolis Colts: OL Braden Smith, Auburn

39. Chicago Bears: C James Daniels, Iowa

50. Dallas Cowboys: OL Connor Williams, Texas

Then, at pick #62 overall, the Vikings select….. well I’ll let you live the moment yourself. This is a great video.

You heard Rick say it. Brian O’Neill out of Pittsburgh is a former tight end. He was moved to tackle, where he played both sides of the line, but is still trying to adjust to the body style of the position. Coming in at 297 pounds, Brian needs to gain some weight but it’s nothing a good “diet” plan can’t fix. The Pittsburgh alum ranks near the bottom of the OT weight class in this year’s draft but 20 pounds would put him in the middle of most offensive tackles around the NFL and it’s clear the Vikings’ style would want him to be on the leaner end of average, for the zone run scheme and screen-heavy offense they want to run.

From everything I’ve read, speed and agility won’t be a problem, if O’Neill develops like the guy the Vikings hope he can. Keeping up with edge rushers, if he can master an NFL Offensive Tackle’s footwork, will be a strong-suit as well.

His deficiencies are what you’d expect from a raw OT prospect, who was just recently switched from tight end and is still trying to master blocking techniques, while trying to get up to the size of an NFL lineman. He needs to work on his run game blocking, he has issues with power rushes on his inside, and he lacks strength in general.

Here are the strengths and weaknesses from WalterFootball.com (Click for full profile):

Strengths:

• Athletic
• Quick feet
• Agility
• Fits well in a zone-blocking system
• Can bend at the knee
• Ability to bend
• Quick out of his stance
• Length
• Height
• Upside
• Interviewed well at the Senior Bowl

Weaknesses:

• Lacks strength
• Lacks heavy hands
• Doesn’t pack a punch
• Doesn’t generate movement in the ground game
• Needs to strengthen his base
• Can react slow to rushes to the inside
• Raw, will need developmental time

The best part of the pick might have been Kirk Cousins’ tweet, preemptively addressing the elephant in the room, after the pick of a new offensive lineman for the new Vikings’ QB:

Before anyone answers for me, yes, I like that. @brian_oneill_ welcome to the team!

— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) April 28, 2018

One thing is for sure with the SKOL’s 2nd-Round pick. They still have a BIG IMMEDIATE need within their offensive line. This must mean that Trader Rick remained Patient Rick and took another lineman later in the night with his round-3 pick, right?

WRONG. Trader Rick made an appearance before night-two ended, shipping off his late-3rd for an early-4th and 6th from the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Vikings Trade Out of 3rd Round, Gain 2 Picks #VikingsNation https://t.co/6rbFNHbyFT pic.twitter.com/wW5xW9BMlk

— Vikings Report (@VikingsFGSN) April 28, 2018

It’ll be interesting to see what Spielman does with the later picks since 6th rounders aren’t known to hit too often. The 6th rounder was clearly important because you wouldn’t just drop from the 3rd to 4th round for no reason. How this trade is judged could depend on what he does with that 6th. BUT…. as always…. #InRickWeTrust.

The draft resumes with rounds 4 through 7 today at 11 AM CST

#Vikings will have seven remaining draft picks Saturday to build up roster https://t.co/4PeswZGhP7 pic.twitter.com/ERVQXvvBQf

— Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) April 28, 2018

Eric Strack (Founder/Writer Still Sometimes)
MinnesotaSportsFan.com @RealMNSportsFan