Vikings Line Competition

The Minnesota Vikings took several steps in the right direction in 2015. The offensive line was one area that was a few steps behind and they are probably tired of hearing about it. The best way to stop hearing that sort of talk is to do something about it. It looks like competition at all positions along the line will be the hoped for path to improvement. There are 14 offensive lineman on the current roster.

Tackles
Matt Kalil
Phil Loadholt
Andre Smith
T.J. Clemmings
Jeremiah Sirles-G/T
Carter Bykowski
Austin Shepherd

Guards
Alex Boone
Brandon Fusco
Mike Harris
Zac Kerin

Centers
John Sullivan
Joe Berger-C/G
Nick Easton

The draft and continued free agency work should bring some more.

There is already a better feeling about the talent level of this offensive line group. It's amazing what the addition of only a couple of new players (Alex Boone and Andre Smith) can do. It also helps that right tackle Phil Loadholt and center John Sullivan return from injuries that wiped out their entire 2015 seasons. There's a lot of starting experience and promising depth. Kalil, Loadholt, Smith, Boone, Fusco, and Sullivan have long-term starting experience. Clemmings, Harris, and Berger were season-long starters last year. 9 of the 14 linemen on the roster have at least a year of starting experience. All 14 should enter training camp believing that they have a legitimate shot at being one of the five starters in 2016. No one should feel too comfortable with their place on the line. It's up to new offensive line coach Tony Sparano and returning assistant line coach Hank Fraley to find the right five players in the right combination.

Last year the Vikings offensive line looked like this for each of the 16 regular season games and one playoff game.

LT   Matt Kalil
LG  Brandon Fusco
 C   Joe Berger
RG  Mike Harris
RT  T.J. Clemmings

From novice eyes to the more analytical, but not always accurate, eyes of the fine folks at Pro Football Focus, Berger and Harris were the best of the Vikings starters. Kalil was improved from 2014 but still struggled at times. Fusco, stellar as a right guard in recent seasons, had a tough transition to the left side. He was also recovering from a torn pectoral muscle that wiped out nearly all of his 2014 season so his strength might not have been where it should have been. Loadholt's season-ending torn achilles forced rookie Clemmings into the starting lineup. It was a difficult learning experience but I felt that he improved through the season. Clemnings can play in this league. And who knows, maybe he takes over at left tackle at some point if Kalil doesn't play to the great promise that he showed as a rookie in 2012.

The Vikings offensive line simply has to improve. Nearly everything else is in place for deep playoff runs in the next few seasons. Hopefully more. The line has to keep quarterback Teddy Bridgewater safe and upright. The line has to open holes for superb running back Adrian Peterson and emerging back Jerick McKinnon. The fact that Peterson was able to lead the league in rushing behind this offensive line shows that he is far from done at 31.

The Vikings first move to improve was to let offensive line coach Jeff Davidson go and bring in Tony Sparano. This change alone probably amps up the intensity across the line. Intensity is something that's been missing from the Vikings offensive for a while now. The next move was to shake up the line by creating competition. No player is safe and all players have a shot. Training camp and preseason will decide the starting five.

Just for fun, here's a stab at the Vikings starting five for 2016

LT   Matt Kalil
LG  Alex Boone
 C   John Sullivan
RG  Brandon Fusco
RT  Andre Smith

But it could also look like this.

LT   Matt Kalil
LG  Alex Boone
 C   Brandon Fusco
RG  T.J. Clemmings
RT  Carter Bykowski

Who knows right now? Anything is possible when every spot is up for grabs.

From Sparano's coaching, the competition, and perhaps the load of criticism recently dumped on the group the Vikings offensive line moving forward should bring an aggressiveness, an attitude, a nastiness. That should make for an offense that is much closer to the liking of head coach Mike Zimmer. And the fans.