The Minnesota Vikings have had problematic offensive lines for more than a decade. It’s been frustrating to witness. From 2010 to 2017, general manager Rick Spielman used a Day 1 or Day 2 pick on an offensive lineman twice.
2012: Matt Kalil - first round
2017: Pat Elflein - third round
Two times!
Offensive line was a serious need over those six seasons and Spielman used two high-end picks to address it. Perhaps late-round successes like John Sullivan and Brandon Fusco gave Spielman confidence that he could discover diamonds late in the draft. Two productive late-round players were a rarity as there were many more like Jeff Baca, David Yankey, T.J. Clemmings, Willie Beavers, Danny Isidora, and Dru Samia. For most of the 2010s, Spielman’s offensive line draft swings were Day 3 prayers. Maybe he wouldn’t have needed answers to those prayers if Matt Kalil and Pat Elflein hadn’t faded after outstanding rookie seasons and Brandon Fusco hadn’t been injured. Who knows? What is known is that Spielman and the team’s decision-makers mostly dabbled at fixing a significant weakness. They never attacked it.
It’s easy to bash Rick Spielman for dabbling at fixing the Vikings offensive line issues throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s. He does deserve credit for getting it right with offensive tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw. Center Garrett Bradbury fell well short of a draft-day hit but he was a solid part of a weak line for six seasons. The Vikings new regime inherited Justin Jefferson and outstanding book-end tackles from the previous one. Spielman should be appreciated for that. That trio was a tremendous gift.
When they took over in 2022, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his fellow decision-makers had a whole lot of issues in front of them. Salary cap, quarterback, older fading roster, etc. Improving the offensive line was just one of those issues. Through their first three seasons, it looked like the new regime approached the fixing of the offensive line just like the last one. Dabbling. Each season, they tapped modestly talented guards to play between the terrific tackles they inherited and around the mediocre center. Through three seasons, it wasn’t working. Just like the previous decade-plus, the offensive line was holding back the team. That one big roster deficiency was crippling an offense loaded with playmakers.
No more.
The Vikings attacked offensive line improvements this offseason. They completely rebuilt the interior. They poured resources into the rebuild.
Right Guard: Will Fries - five years, $88 million
Center: Ryan Kelly - two years, $19 million
Left Guard: Donovan Jackson - first round pick
The Vikings now have a high-end offensive line interior between outstanding tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Since three-fifths of the offensive line have yet to take a snap for the team, these improvements are only on paper. Still, on paper, this is the best offensive line since the great Steve Hutchinson-led offensive line of the later 2000s. That was a grand time. Looking ahead, the next few years have the potential to be as grand. At 32, Ryan Kelly is closer to the end of his excellent career than the beginning. While he’s a short-term fix, he’s an important fix. With second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Kelly’s experience and intelligence will be crucial.
The Vikings aggressive approach to fixing the offensive line this offseason has been refreshing. Too often, I’ve seen the Vikings dabble at improvements. It often felt like they were reluctant to commit multiple, high-end resources to a glaring need. That’s been especially true with the offensive line. For more than a decade, it’s been a weakness. It’s held the team back. It completely derailed a couple very talented teams. Frankly, the team’s failure to address this issue has been embarrassing. For now, this offseason’s aggressive work is only on paper. I can’t wait to see the new offensive line on the field this season.
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