The Vikings Biggest Offseason Mistake
As we enter the dead zone of the offseason, it gives us time to evaluate the Vikings’ decisions so far. There are several good and bad things they have done. However, there is one decision that might be the biggest offseason mistake.
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That mistake? Choosing not to sign a center and keep Garrett Bradbury as the starting center. However, before we get into Bradbury, let’s look at some of the good decisions.
- Firing Zimmer and Spielman. This was an absolute necessity. Reaching the playoffs once in four years since signing Kirk Cousins was the end of this combination.
- Hiring Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell. These two hires spell out one thing. The Vikings ownership wanted an infusion of youth, analytics, and guys who could work with Kirk Cousins.
- A slew of free-agent signings. Za’Darius Smith is the big one, but guys like Jordan Hicks, Harrison Phillips, Patrick Peterson, and Chandon Sullivan help to solidify a terrible defense.
- A well-executed draft. The Vikings had a pretty good draft. They addressed several positions of need, including safety, cornerback, guard, and linebacker. The Vikings likely found 2 to 4 starters in this draft.
All of these moves are rock solid. On paper, they have put the defense in a position to succeed. Although, they might have put too many eggs in the basket of Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter.
The success of the defense revolves around Smith and Hunter being healthy. If they can make it through the season, this defense can be very good. If they don’t, well, get ready to repeat the last two years.
However, the biggest mistake is keeping Bradbury as the starting center.
Vikings Offensive Line Might Continue to Struggle
The trenches have been and always will be where games are won and lost. Without quality offensive line play, the offense simply cannot execute their gameplan. This has been an issue plaguing the Vikings for years.
One of those culprits has been Garrett Bradbury. All too often, Kirk gets sacked or pressured right up the middle. Sometimes, that is Bradbury getting bull-rushed into Kirk’s lap.
Every time this happens, the offense is put into a poor situation. It causes offensive drives to stall. Then a gassed defense has to go back on the field. It is impossible to watch the Vikings over the previous two seasons and not come to one conclusion:
Bradbury is not good enough in pass protection to be the starter. While he does many amazing things in the running game, the struggle with pass protection is a massive flaw. However, this is a size and strength issue that cannot be fixed.
That said, the Vikings starting offensive line in 2022 looks better than in previous years:
- LT – Christian Darrisaw
- LG – Ezra Cleveland
- C – Garrett Bradbury
- RG – Ed Ingram
- RT – Brian O’Neill
However, the offensive line is only as good as its weakest link. And if the Vikings truly want to unlock Cousins and sling the ball around more, the decision to keep Bradbury could destroy that plan.
Although, there is still an opportunity to address this need. JC Tretter is still on the market. If the Vikings could bring him into the building, the offensive line might become our strength. That would be a sight for sore eyes.
Mitch Massman is a life-long Vikings fan. His first heartbreak was the 1998 NFC championship game. His full-time job is as an economic development professional in rural Minnesota. He fantasizes about the Vikings winning a Super Bowl one day, but until then he will write about the Vikings. Follow him on Twitter @skol_vikings3
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