Minnesota’s Tackles Ought to Give Fans Hope as Free Agency Crawls Along
K. Joudry
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The Vikings signings, much to the chagrin of many fans, have been crawling along. Many among the purple faithful would have been much happier with a sprinter’s pace. Alas, it’s the approach Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has chosen, so we’ll need to stick with our GM.
Part of the anxiety stems from the fact that several talented offensive linemen have been lost to other teams. Austin Corbett, Brandon Scherff, Laken Tomlinson, James Daniels, and others have all agreed to deals. As the Randy Gregory news demonstrates, nothing is final until it’s final. Even still, it’s a safe bet that they’re all gone. Heck, we’ve even missed out on retaining Mason Cole.
Throughout all these concerns, it’s worth remembering Minnesota’s tackle tandem. Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are both still young (26 and 22). Both are still improving, and yet both are already good players.
Consider, for a moment, all that Darrisaw had to navigate last season. The rookie navigated the pressures of a being a first-round choice with aplomb. He had to battle back from an early injury to eventually snag the starting spot from a veteran. He did so, and ended up performing well. His 77.3 PFF run blocking score ended up being the 15th-best mark in the NFL. For a team that was so committed to the run game, that score is definitely encouraging.
Look, I get that having two strong tackles doesn’t necessarily mean Minnesota’s offensive line is strong. There happens to be three other positions, and depth is always needed at a such a physical position. My only real guidance here is to look to Ezra Cleveland. The sophomore did well as a first-time NFL LG, offering fans (and the organization) the hope that perhaps he could settle in as a long-term solution.
Recently, Josh Frey explored the possibility that Wyatt Davis may indeed be the solution at RG. We also shouldn’t forget that several talented players remain, and more will likely be added on once teams need to get under the cap later today.
So, don’t despair. The tendency within Vikings fandom is for doom-and-gloom thinking, but it’s best to avoid this cynicism. Free agency is still young. The draft hasn’t arrived. The new coaching staff hasn’t begun working with the players. Oh, and Minnesota’s tackles have the capacity to become one of the best tandems in the NFL.