Vikings Reinforce the O-Line with Latest Signing
In all likelihood, the Vikings’ decision to add another person into the mix for the offensive line is about having a capable player for the final preseason game and not about a legitimate contender to get onto the final team.
Nevertheless, the news has emerged of Minnesota welcoming a lineman back into the fold. Previously, Zack Bailey was an employee of the Minnesota Vikings, so there’s a bit of a homecoming taking place. The word arrived from the team’s official social media. In the same announcement, Minnesota noted the subtraction of linebacker Max Tooley while explaining that running back Xazavian Valladay has been added.
Vikings Reinforce the OL
Originally, Mr. Bailey got into the NFL as an UDFA add in 2019.
He played his college ball at South Carolina. After the 2019 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers decided to give him a home in the NFL. Afterwards, he ventured north, becoming a Viking as a member of the practice squad in 2020. In 2021, Minnesota moved on, leading to quite the journey for the guard. He has since put in work for the Colts, Commanders, Chargers, Falcons, and Jets.
Earlier in the offseason, the Vikings’ o-line saw its depth depleted due to some injuries.
More specifically, there was the loss of backup interior o-lineman Zeke Correll. Plus, backup tackle Matt Nelson also went down for the year. The decision to add Bailey helps to offset those losses for the upcoming Titans game on Friday night. In theory, the veteran should be capable of soaking up knowledge of the offense relatively quickly since he has been around the NFL.
Minnesota’s offensive line has been the subject of no shortage of attention during recent months.
In particular, one thinks of the enhancements made to the interior three positions. Rookie left guard Donovan Jackson became a Viking after getting scooped up with the No. 24 selection. Prior to selecting the Ohio State guard, Minnesota dropped massive money on right guard Will Fries and some medium money on veteran center Ryan Kelly.
Add in that Christian Darrisaw — a stud at left tackle — has been doing well in his recovery and there is indeed plenty of reason to be monitoring what’s taking place up front for Minnesota.
Zack Bailey is listed at 6’5″ and 299 pounds, meaning he’s a bit smaller than ideal for an NFL o-lineman. He has played in a pair of regular season games in his career, picking up 9 snaps on offense alongside 4 snaps on special teams. Best case for him with the Vikings is going to be a spot on the practice squad. The likeliest scenario, though, is simply that Minnesota is leaning on him for the Tennessee game before allowing him to slip back into NFL free agency.
His career has mostly consisted on being a depth option on the practice squad. Along the way, Bailey has made north of $1.7 million in his career. Pretty modest by NFL standards, but most would consider a couple million within ones 20s as a very lucrative. Maybe Mr. Bailey blossoms late in his career, making a bit more before needing to hang up his cleats.
He turns 30 on November 8th.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
