A Few Left Tackle Options Still Available for the Vikings
Josh Frey
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Earlier this week, I came up with a list of free agents the Vikings could still sign. There were plenty of people wondering where the were, and so, I present to you a new article entirely based around the left tackle position.
The Vikings seemingly had solved many of their issues along the offensive line following this year’s draft. By picking both LT Christian Darrisaw and G Wyatt Davis, the o-line that has been a thorn in the side of this offense for years seemed to be putting the pieces together.
Fast forward to now though, and there remain many questions at left tackle. Darrisaw has undergone yet another surgery on his groin, leaving Rashod Hill as the de facto starter. Hill had his moments in preseason, but until he proves consistency, his name at LT1 does not inspire a ton of hope. Hopefully, Darrisaw will be back soon, but for now, there is a chance he ends up on short-term IR to start the season. With that, here’s a look at a few players the Vikings could bring in to play left tackle.
Ricky Wagner
Following the Ravens selection of Ricky Wagner in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, he has been one of the most consistent right tackles in the NFL. Following stints in Baltimore and Detroit, Wagner was a swing tackle for Green Bay in 2020. The 31-year-old played all 16 games for the Packers and started nine of them.
While Wagner has spent the majority of his time at right tackle, he does have experience at left tackle. During his college years at Wisconsin, he played exclusively left tackle for the Badgers. It wasn’t until reaching the NFL that he transitioned to the other side of the line. Even still, the Vikings could use some depth at either tackle spot with just four total, including Darrisaw, currently on the 53-man roster.
Of course, going for a veteran who has started most of his career could get pricy for the Vikings. Wagner signed a two-year, $11 million deal when he went to Green Bay in March of 2020. When that happened, he was expected to win the starting RT spot for the Packers, but obviously that didn’t happen. After a down year, he may be forced to take a ‘prove it’ deal for 2021. However, if anyone has the remaining cash to offer a somewhat lucrative contract, it’s Minnesota and their nearly $9.8 million in cap space.
Russell Okung
Obviously, this is the big name still on the market. Okung was the sixth overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He lived up to that selection by becoming a two-time Pro Bowler who has started 131 games over his 11-year career.
The 32-year-old will not come cheap, either. Okung made $13 million in 2020, and while his calf injury should bring his price down, he has said that he’s remained unsigned because he’s waiting for a “satisfactory offer”. The problem with this is that, while Okung is good enough to start on most teams, he’s been healthy enough to play 16 games just once in his career. Injuries have certainly been an issue throughout his career and doling out a lot of money for him at this point of his career is a risky move.
That said, the Vikings situation may be dire enough that they will do that. Not only did Hill struggle mightily during his regular season playing in 2020, but we all know the Vikings tendencies for not playing rookies right away. As bad as Hill might be to start the season, who’s to say that Zimmer will throw Darrisaw into a starting spot right away? Okung could jump into that role now, and while he’s likely not needed for a whole season, he’s a good enough safety net to let Darrisaw ease into a starting role.
Mitchell Schwartz
This option seems very unlikely after Schwartz took to Twitter to rip Kirk Cousins during the Vikings most recent preseason game. However, we’ve also seen the Vikings bring back Everson Griffen after a similar incident that certainly had more heat behind it.
That said, Schwartz is one of the final proven tackles left unsigned. He was named to the 2010 All-Decade team for a reason and was a commodity at right tackle from 2012-19. The 2020 season brought about injuries and COVID issues for the veteran, causing him to miss extended time for the first time in his career.
Again, Schwartz is primarily a right tackle, but last summer, he was taking reps at left tackle for the Chiefs before the season started. He’s shown versatility and an openness to playing the position, so perhaps the Vikings could bring him in to try it out. He’dprobably have to give Captain Kirk an apology, though.