Vikings New HC Affirms ‘Open Competition’ for Critical Roster Spot
The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran offensive lineman Jesse Davis from the Miami Dolphins on Monday at a one-year, [up to] $3 million price tag. But that does not mean he is guaranteed as the new starting right guard.
That’s according to new head coach Kevin O’Connell, who replaced the outgoing Mike Zimmer in February. As coach of the Vikings, Zimmer was the NFL’s 10th-best coach per win percentage during his eight seasons, so the young O’Connell has large shoes to fill for continuity.
O’Connell arrived from Los Angeles as offensive coordinator of the Rams, a team that toppled the upstart Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Zimmer was a defensive brain, whereas O’Connell will flip the script, specializing in the other side of the ball — where the league has been emphatically trending amid the last decade.
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At right guard, the Vikings have struggled mightily nailing down the position for years. Joe Berger was the last stable player at the spot, although he vacillated from center to right guard. Before Berger, the previous consistent right guard was arguably Anthony Herrera. And those men played for the team before the 2018 season. So, it’s been a long time.
O’Connell talked about the 2022 offensive line on Tuesday:
Here’s the context for the open nature of the battle for RG:
Davis is the frontrunner indeed, starting 72 games for the Dolphins since 2017. All the man does is start football games down in Miami — at varying spots of Miami’s offensive line. Yet, Davis has never scored above a 65.0 grade from Pro Football Focus in a single season. In that regard, he’s a decent football player who hasn’t really sniffed a Pro Bowl or anything of the sort.
If Davis fails to win the job, Oli Udoh is also an option. He started 16 of 17 games for the Vikings in 2021, accruing a better PFF grade than Davis. However, Udoh was beset by penalties, canceling universal enthusiasm by fans on his prognosis as the 2022 starting RG. Those penalties and mediocre overall performance are likely why the Vikings scooped Davis from free agency.
Too, another Davis exists on the roster — Wyatt Davis. But he’s seemingly a project or maybe type young lineman. The previous coaching regime had little interest in exploring Wyatt Davis’ on-field ability during his rookie season, so he’s either productive and Zimmer refused to acknowledge it for some godforsaken reason — or he stinks thus far in his short career.
Ultimately, Vikings fans remain in a familiar world. The right guard portion of the offensive trenches is mysterious, refusing to be solved by acquiring a bonafide performer once and for all.
But there will be open competition this summer.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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