Vikings Biggest Offseason Need
Reid Johnson - PurpleReignNews.com
|
Let’s Reid between the lines…
The Minnesota Vikings have several needs this offseason, but the biggest is their offensive line. It’s easy to see that the line needs work, but the problem is deeper than one player, one coach, or a rearrangement. It’s all three.
Right off the bat, it’s questionable that the Vikings have five starting-caliber offensive linemen on their roster. The unit as a whole struggled most of last season, but the most glaring weakness was at left guard, where Dakota Dozier was at times the lowest ranked guard in the league. Having five all-pros is a lot to ask, but having someone who is the worst ranked just shouldn’t happen.
My next concern is coaching and management. The Vikings offensive line coach Rick Dennison and general manager Rick Spielman aren’t very flexible. They started Dozier at guard week after week with poor results. When the line saw some injuries, backup guard Brett Jones came out of the woodwork and looked solid in action. Jones’ overall blocking grade was a 77.6, while Dozier’s was only 44.6. You would think that would earn Jones a promotion from the bench long term, but it did not.
Overall, I think Spielman is a good general manager, but he has his flaws. Offensive line strategy is one of them. Going forward, Spielman must orchestrate faster change when things aren’t working, and hire a coaching staff with the same ideology. If the front office can find an up and coming offensive line coach who would be more flexible than Dennison, it may be smart to add them to the staff for another perspective.
The Vikings offensive line has been sub-par for nearly a decade. Dennison and Spielman need to open their minds, play the players who are performing best, and rearrange the line when nothing is working.
You can follow Reid Johnson and his personal Vikings blog, Purple Reign News, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or subscribe to it for free HERE.