Vikings Sign Guard Josh Kline to 3-year, $15.75 Million Deal

Image courtesy of Vikings.com

The Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday signed offensive lineman Josh Kline to a three-year, $15.75 million deal. Kline, a veteran guard, is expected to become the team’s starter on the right side. Terms of the deal were first reported by Courtney Cronin of ESPN.

Kline (6-3, 300) first joined the NFL in 2013 as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. The Kent State product won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2014 but was waived following the 2015 season. After being picked by the Tennessee Titans he started 46 out of a possible 48 games the next two seasons. Kline played at a high level his first two seasons in Nashville, earning overall PFF grades of 70.4 and 69.5, respectively.


UPDATE: According to the Minnesota Vikings official Twitter feed, Kline currently holds the longest active streak for consecutive starts at guard in the NFL (46).


In 2018, however, Kline had a down year. According to Pro Football Focus he allowed 38 pressures and four sacks which in turn led to a career-low 58.0 overall grade (50th-ranked guard). The good news it that it appears to be an outlier. The previous two years Kline only allowed 22 pressures apiece. Plus, the four sacks allowed last season were a career high. So, if you consider his durability, past performance and the fact he’ll be under the tutelage of offensive line coach Rick Dennison, Kline looks like prime a candidate for a bounce-back season.

Just for fun, here’s a look at the current offensive linemen on the roster following the addition of Kline:

Depth:

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