Anyone else get the feeling we’ve seen all this before?
Joe Johnson
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The 2021 NFL Draft is mere days away, and Minnesota Vikings fans and media have hopped from one distraction to the next. From “Well, Thuney didn’t work out but perhaps Orlando Brown will” type distraction. While both ended up shoring up the line for the Kansas City Chiefs, which is in and of itself a topic worthy of a multi-entry series, the Vikings have yet again had no real intention of trading for/signing O-linemen either this off-season. They perhaps only were floating their names out there to give the impression to those who seem to only remember six-to-twelve month intervals that they’re actually trying to fix the core issue this team has had since 2015. Unfortunately, (most) Vikings fans remember beyond a year and as we’ve seen other teams can do the same in one off-season.
That begs the question as to how and why.
That (probably better) series about the Chiefs/Browns turning around their offensive lines in a single off-season? Do you want to know how they did it? It’s as easy to explain as it is actually the same point of today’s story. They prioritize it above nearly all else because that’s just how important it is in today’s NFL.
It’s really that simple.
When looking at the free agents added this season? The Vikings added all defenders (unless they were re-signing free agents that were on the team last season). Sure, they s(p)ent a late-round pick on an interior offensive lineman in Mason Cole who was going to be cut anyway, but he more screams “younger and most likely more mistreated Brett Jones” than the answer on the left interior spot.
If you were keeping track of this off-season, though, it’s the same as it has been nearly every season. The Vikings are “Linked” to multiple big name offensive line free agents or trade pieces, only for those players to end up elsewhere. Sure, the Chiefs had more cap space this off-season than the Vikings despite having Patrick Mahomes’ looming nigh-franchise killing deal, but time and time again we’re seeing teams with big-name quarterbacks or players that also have top-notch offensive lines.
The first thing that Kevin Stefanski did after leaving an organization in which he was the longest-tenured coach by a multiple of three was shore up the offensive line in Cleveland. The first thing that the Chiefs did after they saw what happened without any pass protection was trade for Brown, sign Thuney, and coax Kyle Long out of retirement. Meanwhile, the Vikings are and have been an offensive line away from genuine contending and they’ve used a 15 pick Draft to sign ONE actual interior O-Lineman who had played guard before (and it was the 15th pick, to boot!) and the only free agent lineman of note (Josh Klein) actually performed better than anyone before him not named Berger, and since, but was cut because he wasn’t the “body type” the team likes).
That brings up an oft-overlooked issue with how this team handles the line. They went from straight-up ignoring the line in the Draft until Day 3, then started using earlier picks for centers (plural) and tackles, but not guards. IN all, though, it looks like most players they’ve drafted for their line simply haven’t panned out and perhaps the Josh Klein situation could give us our reasons why.
They’re identifying the wrong talent when they do prioritize the line:
That’d be all well and good if Zimmer’s DB reliant scheme was dominant enough on it’s own to make up for the position group deficits we see year-in-and-year-out on the other side of the ball. But, as we’ve also seen year-in-and-out? Zimmer’s defense is about as, AT BEST, mediocre. Sure, they can put up some gaudy stats from time-to-time, if that time is during the regular season in games with little consequence.
Yet we find ourselves in almost a perfect storm of what is wrong with the Vikings not only happening right there in front of us, but happening right there in front of us again. There’s a reason, again, that the Chiefs went all out this off-season to shore up their line which is, again, why Stefanski scrambled to create the highest rated offensive line (according to PFF) to start the 2020 season.
Because you simply can’t win in today’s NFL without a good offensive line.
Think that’s bluster? Well, six-of-the-seven NFC playoff Teams had top-Eight rated lines for example. The Vikings may have a decent run blocking unit, but the pass-protection unit has gone from bad, to nightmarish, to whatever is beneath that (I’m throwing my had in the ring for ‘Spergon Wynn-ian’) in the first three seasons that Kirk Cousins has been in Purple. Three very expensive, but laden with potential, seasons.
Now everyone is simply saying:
“Sure they didn’t spend a free agent cent on an offensive lineman. Sure, they have had much better success finding a WR3 than any offenisve guard since Nick Easton and Joe Berger left, and most likely will need both before the season begins (depending on what happens with Ezra Cleveland), but they never were going to trade for those guys so it’s not worth getting upset about because it’s SLICK RICK, man! He’s so good at the Draft and with the Vikings solidifying most of their question marks on the defensive side of the ball all we’ll see is offensive line (tackle), edge, offensive line (guard), offensive line (guard), maybe a quality WR3, Kicker, trade downs for depth and our first SUPER BOWL IN MINNY WOOOOOO!”
Haven’t we heard that before?
Wait, we have. Last season after I was the sole voice in VIkings media that was not absolutely enarmored with the 15-pick haul and how it had used dynamite to re-open the Vikings’ window of opportunity. I wrote a multi-point series on my response (and the response to it) back then. I’d suggest you take a gander:
A team that has rarely ACTUALLY prioritized the offensive line, namely/especially the guard positions, isn’t just suddenly going to use the 14th pick on a guard. They may trade down and there could be some amazing plug-and-play guards available should they do that… But I just feel like this Draft has 2018 written all over it as the team will somehow find a way to trade down then nab a corner (courtesy of Jeff Gladney and Zimmer’s inability to help himself). That’d allow them to later say they wanted to take someone else on the interior but top players on their list had a run on them, so they’ll end up with another tackle somewhere in the third round, which they’ll then move to guard and then move the tackle turned right guard back to left tackle in Ezra Cleveland.
I’m being partially facetious but the point remains as apt as ever. I feel like I’m about to walk to FInal Destination 14. When all those smiling high schoolers are on that field trip to the crayon factory and having the time of their (soon to be ended) lives? I’m screaming “DON’T GO NEAR MAGENTA TAD!”. Well, this is the Magenta section and we’re all Tad.
A lot has been written about the hot seat that both Zimmer and Spielman find themselves on and while you’d think they’d be savvy enough to finally realize that they should… I don’t know… find a way to find a pocket for their super expensive and efficient quarterback to through from (which’d help them stay in the employ of our favorite squad).… But I really don’t think Zimmer is going to deviate from what got him here in the first place. The time for that was before last year’s Draft.
This year? If Zimmer sees a young franchise QB prospect available at 14? He could see an extension option right in front of him as he could always argue that 2021 was a learning year for Justin Fields or Trey Lance (just as 2020 was a learning year for those record 15 picks). The problem there is that this team and offense are ready to win now and could very well do so with even a mediocre pass protecting offensive line.
The rest of it, the edge rushers, linebackers, safeties or corners, all scream… Or at this point… frustratingly exhale: “Yeah. No surprise there. It’s a Zimmer Draft after all”.
Just don’t be surprised when you see a headline Thursday (and Friday, and Saturday) night(s) saying I told you so. Let’s hope that our press credentials for the Draft get approved as well as I’d love to ask the team that question myself personally. Who knows, this could instead be some sort of M. Night Shyamalanian twist in which Zimmer was just priming us all this time?
The Aliens were allergic to water just like Zimmer is allergic to offensive guards! Which is why Zimmer came to Minnesota (which is like 0% guards who actually played guard in college) and the Aliens came to … Earth? Which is over 75 percent water?
Both make about as much sense as people still thinking Zimmer will learn from his mistakes going into his 8th-season has head coach.