Image courtesy of Vikings.com
The Minnesota Vikings landed Riley Reiff yesterday without knowing where he’d play tackle. Reiff has the unique qualification of starting on both the right and left side, giving the Vikings flexibility in future free agency pursuits.
If today’s reports are accurate, the Vikings see Reiff as the left tackle for the foreseeable future. According to Pro Football Talk, former Carolina Panthers tackle Mike Remmers is set to visit the Vikings this afternoon. Remmers will visit Minnesota today and Houston tomorrow (if necessary) but is expected to play right tackle wherever he signs.
Last season, Remmers started 16 games for the Panthers, with most coming at left tackle in relief of the injured Michael Oher. He allowed nine sacks and 49 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus. The numbers aren’t encouraging, but Remmers’ departure from Carolina signals a fresh start at right tackle for the five-year pro. Matt Kalil‘s arrival in Carolina also precludes Oher’s move to right tackle, thus squeezing Remmers out of the team’s plans.
Those in Minnesota likely remember Remmers as a tackle on the wrong end of Minnesota’s eight-sack performance against the Panthers in Week 3. However, Remmers spent a month with the Vikings at the end of the 2013 season and had some added familiarity with the front office, which could help in today’s contract negotiations.
In Minnesota, Remmers would practically walk into a starting role with the Vikings. The situation at right tackle is prime for a reboot and in desperate need of stability. Last season’s starters of Andre Smith, T.J. Clemmings, and Jeremiah Sirles hardly inspired confidence; if anything, their collective performance highlighted a need for aggressive free agency action.
To land Remmers, though, they’ll need to keep him from taking off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Houston also presents a prime opportunity to start, as the Texans lost incumbent Derek Newton to gruesome knee injuries and enter 2017 with Chris Clark penciled into the role. The team was linked to Ricky Wagner earlier in the week, but like the Vikings fell behind the Lions in an expensive bidding war.
An undrafted tackle out of Oregon State in 2012, Remmers started all 32 games for the Panthers the past two seasons. He signed a one-year, $2.553 million contract with Carolina last year and should come at much lower price than Reiff.
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Correction: D. Hunter steamrolled Michael Oher #73 (not Remmers) to get the safety against Carolina.
Gah, thanks Sam. Better news for the Vikings, I guess!
I would love to be wrong, but this sounds like something akin to the RT free agent signing of last year. I wasn't disappointed to see Okung sign elsewhere, but was sure hoping for Whitworth, and/or Zeitler, and/or Wagner in purple and gold. Not much doubt Reiff will be an improvement over Kalil or Smith.. but so far it seems like a swing and a miss in free agency. Hope they sign Rashod.
Not trying to be negative about Reiff, was actually hoping Vikes would draft him way back when.. just saying I believe that they need more than just one quality FA acquisition for the o line.
Signed Mike Remmers today!
I will take Reiff and Remers over any of the tackle combos of last year. Some are irked about not landing the best of the best, but it is not reasonable to think that one team would be able to sign the top at each position. They are improved, I am taking much solace in that.
Its been reported hes been signed 5 years 35 mil
Yep! https://vikingsterritory.com/2017/freeagency/report-vikings-sign-ot-mike-remmers
Is Zimmer really a problem and did he do the STUPID CAT THING when they had their bye?
Probably not, and the stuffed animal thing was not his doing.