Vikings Bring Back Another Offensive Lineman
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings have made their second move of Thursday afternoon, and this time, it involves another offensive lineman. As reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Vikings bring back IOL Austin Schlottmann. Darren Wolfson of KSTP also followed up by saying it would be another one-year deal for the depth lineman.
Schlottmann spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos, playing a total of 42 games in the Mile High city, including seven starts.
Then, he opted to sign with the Vikings ahead of the 2022 season, and he primarily filled the role of backup center for Minnesota during this past year. That role proved to be vital after starter Garrett Bradbury suffered a back injury which kept him sidelined for the final five regular season games.
Unfortunately, Schlottmann was only able to fill in for four of those games, and during that Week 17 game in Green Bay, he only played a few snaps before breaking his leg. The injury, of course, ended his season, and Chris Reed was forced into the lineup where he remained for Weeks 17 and 18.
Schlottmann provides some nice depth for the Vikings, and the relative success that he had while filling in at center certainly makes it worth giving him another contract. It should also be noted that he has experience at guard as well, offering great versatility for the Vikings.
Overall, the Vikings appear content to keep things consistent on their offensive line for 2023. On Tuesday, they re-signed Garrett Bradbury to a very team-friendly 3-year contract as well, solidifying the center, right guard, and right tackle spots for years to come.
The only question marks lie on the left-hand side of their offensive line at left tackle and left guard. LG Ezra Cleveland is entering the final year of his contract, unless he gets an extension at some point before next offseason. Additionally, Christian Darrisaw could receive a market-resetting contract if he continues to be a superstar at left tackle as he was in 2022.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.