Eric Fisher Still Topic of Vikings Rumor Mill
Dustin Baker
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In the NFL draft beginning this Thursday night, the Minnesota Vikings could reasonably select Christian Darrisaw, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Rashawn Slater, or even Penei Sewell (with some creative maneuvering) in the 1st Round.
If general manager Rick Spielman does not find a starting left tackle, he will necessitate luck in the later rounds of the draft to find an LT — or he will scour free agency after the draft is over.
Only three starting-caliber tackles are available on the free-agent wire — Eric Fisher from the Kansas City Chiefs, Russell Okung from the Carolina Panthers, and Alejandro Villanueva from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
One of those LT names has been linked to the Vikings over the last month. And, the rumors of his addition to the Vikings are not dead.
NFL Rumors should be considered semi-credible. It is not a crackpot account, but it is certainly not infallible.
Vikings Need a LT — Badly
Spielman said adios to left tackle Riley Reiff in March. Much like long-time tight end Kyle Rudolph, Reiff was too expensive for a 2021 redux. The Vikings released Reiff, and he landed with the Cincinnati Bengals in a gig protecting Joe Burrow’s blindside.
And that means the Vikings have no left tackle for 2021 – unless the plan is to move Cleveland back to his collegiate, LT roots. If head coach Mike Zimmer has Cleveland pegged as a true-blue guard, then Minnesota is left tackle-less — or has plans to start Rashod Hill on the left side.
Based on Fisher’s recent performance, he has developed into a sturdy left tackle. Fisher was good-not-great for his first few seasons but has since earned Pro Bowl honors – twice — in 2018 and 2020.
He was trusted to protect Patrick Mahomes’ backside; he can rationally be expected to do the same for Kirk Cousins.
Injury Concerns
There is a large “catch”.
Fisher suffered a torn Achilles in the 2020 AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills – a hell of a time for a career-altering injury. The Chiefs released Fisher a couple of months later, hence his presence on the open market.
Therefore, the Vikings would gamble a bit on the Fisher move. With “today’s medicine,” he can very likely return to form and excel for the Vikings. Yet, there is the “what if” on his return to normalcy. If Minnesota can get the Pro Bowl version of Fisher on Sundays, well, this transaction is a gloriously good deal – particularly for a Vikings offensive line that is routinely subpar.
Too, there is the element of when he will return to full health. Not long ago, an Achilles injury mandated a year away from on-the-field action. Now, though, players recover significantly quicker – which bodes well for the Vikings-Fisher rumors.
The working theory is that Fisher will be ready by summer, no matter the team he joins. We shall see.
Impressive Resume
What’s with the continual pizazz that follows Fisher? He was the 1st overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He’s “got it in there somewhere” to be one of the best offensive linemen in the world. If he was a bust, he would have fizzled from the NFL long ago.
Fisher has matured and developed – like most NFL players. Because he was considered the best football player in the 2013 NFL Draft, expectations placed on him skyrocketed from the onset. His Pro Football Focus score from his rookie campaign was a middling 57.8. During the pandemic season, his grade was 80.0 – an upper-echelon tier of offensive line performance.
The allure of Fisher-to-the-Vikings is based on pass-blocking. He is a better pass-protector than run-blocker – a rarity for the recent editions of Vikings offensive lines. Most of the time, Minnesota’s personnel is better at run-blocking than pass protection.
Fisher would flip that pervasive tendency on its head – and finally grant Kirk Cousins some damn pass protection.
A reminder, too, that all of this is moot if Spielman drafts Darrisaw, Slater, or Sewell on Thursday night. He could draft Vera-Tucker and sign Fisher, though.