5 Linemen the Vikings Should Be Targeting

If there’s one weak point that everyone knows the Vikings have, it’s the offensive line. The more I watch our offensive line in preseason (and the more injury reports I see), the less I like about the line. PFF has ranked us as the second worst run blocking team in the NFL so far this offseason (an absolutely horrific 48.9). Something needs to be fixed if the Vikings are to have a servicable line this season. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Vikings have some nice future pieces in this line: Colby Gossett has a future as a starting guard. Brian O’Neill has more potential to start at tackle than I initially projected him to during my draft evaluations. Aviante Collins could develop into a league-average guard as well. And while those players are all reasons for optimism on the line in future years, none of those players have shown enough to feel comfortable with where they are now as starters. And it’s been evident that Tom Compton, Rashod Hill, and Danny Isidora should not step on an NFL field as starters this season if the Vikings want to succeed. So what do the Vikings need to do in order to boost this line? There are a few potential starters (or at worst solid depth pieces so the Vikings don’t have to rely on players like Cornelius Edison and his inability to block anyone in the run game) that can be had either as free agents or as cheap trades with other teams. For this, I looked at solely free agents, backup linemen, or starting offensive linemen that would be reasonable to acquire with lower salaries.

 

Jahri Evans, RG, Free Agent

2017 PFF Overall: 70.4 (#31 G)

2017 PFF Pass Grade: 78.6 (#21 G)

2017 PFF Run Grade: 63.0 (#47 G)

2017 Blocking Stats: 22 pressures, 17 QB hurries, 3 QB hits, 2 sacks

2018 Cap Hit: N/A

Signed Through: N/A

Incurred Cost to Obtain: 1 year, $1.5 million contract

 

One name we’ve heard a lot throughout this process is that of Jahri Evans, a former New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers guard. Evans is an veteran who would provide experience to our rather young and inexperienced offensive line. He would be able to to step in and start at either side of the line, although it’s more likely he would step in as the right guard where he has played for much of his career. Despite a decline in performance over the last few years, Evans still came up with the 21st best pass blocking grade from PFF out of any interior lineman. He was considered above average in pass blocking, while struggling at times with his run blocking. Evans gave up 22 pressures (with 17 hurries) on 568 passing opportunities throughout the course of the season last year. Evans would likely demand a contract in the 1 year, $1.5 to $2 million range and would be a solid one year rental so that our young linemen can learn from Evans while continuing to develop and add strength with Easton out.

 

Brett Jones, LG/C, New York Giants

2017 PFF Overall: 68.6 (#36 G, #17 C)

2017 PFF Pass Grade: 82.1 (#11 G, #6 C)

2017 PFF Run Grade: 60 (#58 G, #27 C)

2017 Blocking Stats: 10 pressures, 7 QB hurries, 1 QB hits, 2 sacks

2018 Cap Hit: $2.91m

Signed Through: 2018

Incurred Cost to Obtain: 6th or 7th round pick

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the completion of this article and prior to the publishing of this article, the Vikings traded a 2019 7th round pick to the Giants for Jones. Since this piece had already been written and for further knowledge on Jones for readers, this write-up and suggestion on trading for Jones was left in the article.

Jones is another experienced guard that the Vikings could target in a trade with New York. Jones is a 27-year-old backup guard with exceptional pass blocking and filled in well for center Weston Richburg after he went down last year (Richburg is known as one of the best centers and signed a five year, $47.5m deal this offseason, making him one of the highest paid centers in the NFL). Jones finished last season with a 82.1 PFF pass blocking grade – good for a top ten grade for guards. Jones’ pressure rate was 1.65%, similar to rates of offensive linemen like Kemechi Osmele, Zach Martin, and David DeCastro. Jones is currently in a one year, $2.914 million contract with New York, but would fit within the salary cap while also providing versatility at both guard and center. Jones would have been the Vikings’ second best offensive linemen this past year and has performed well in the preseason (he would be the top graded lineman playing against either the first or second teams). Jones is accustomed to playing in a zone blocking scheme, which is what the Vikings have been running in recent years. In order to get Jones, the Vikings would likely have to offer them a sixth or seventh round pick to take Jones off their hands. Normally, this might be a concern for Spielman, but with four projected compensatory picks headed this way, the Vikings can afford to lose a late round pick more than most years. With Jones, the Vikings would be able to immediately upgrade over the options the Vikings have now in a struggling Tom Compton and a smattering of inexperienced young linemen in Isidora, Gossett, and Collins. Due to potential payday (based on this year’s performance), Jones would likely be a one year rental, but also is young enough that if the Vikings were to trade for him, he could become a staple for this offensive line for years to come with an extension.

 

John Greco, LG, New York Giants

2016* PFF Overall: 82.6 (#10 G)

2016* PFF Pass Grade: 78.7 (#23 G)

2016* PFF Run Grade: 82.3 (#7 G)

2016* Blocking Stats: 23 pressures, 15 QB hurries, 4 QB hits, 4 sacks

2018 Cap Hit: $1,015,000

Signed Through: 2018

Incurred Cost to Obtain: 5th or 6th round pick

*Only played 105 snaps, so went with last full season

 

Greco is a veteran lineman with eleven years of experience in the NFL and experience playing both guard positions and the center position. While his teammate Jones would be a solid option either as a one year rental or as a potential piece to the line for years to come, Greco is solely a one year rental (and is probably better in the short term than Jones as PFF has graded Greco as a top ten guard in both of the last two years). His contract is extremely cheap with a salary of barely over $1 million and has graded out better than Jones overall. He only played 105 snaps last year as a reserve for both the Saints and Giants, but did well in that limited play time grading out as a 77.2 overall (68.1 in pass blocking and 80.8 in run blocking). Greco is opposite from most of the other linemen on this list in that he has excelled in run blocking in recent years but struggled at times in pass blocking. The downside to Greco is that because of his track record and showing an ability to still start in limited time last year, he will be one of the more expensive options on this list in terms of draft capital, likely costing a fifth or sixth round pick in 2019. I would be much more excited about the opportunity to get Greco if it weren’t for that high draft capital cost.

 

B.J. Finney, LG, Pittsburgh

2017 PFF Overall: 66.4 (#43 G)

2017 PFF Pass Grade: 89.6 (#2 G)

2017 PFF Run Grade: 59.8 (#57 G)

2017 Blocking Stats: 2 pressures, 2 QB hurries, 0 QB hits, 0 sacks

2018 Cap Hit: $630,000

Signed Through: 2018 (RFA)

Incurred Cost to Obtain: 7th round pick

 

B.J. Finney is a name many will never have heard of, but has shown promise in the NFL. Finney was an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State in 2015 and has been on the Steelers since. While he would be an improvement over some of the guards the Vikings have now (looking at you Compton) he would likely be a low level starter with a higher ceiling than many of the other players on this list. Finney has proven to be an elite pass blocking guard in the last two years, grading out as an 80.8 and 89.6 in pass protection (good for seventeenth among guards in 2016 and second in 2017). During those two years he has given up only 5 hurries and 7 pressures in 298 pass protection snaps (good for a 2.3% rate – better than most elite guards). The problem for Finney is where he’s been inconsistent – run blocking – as he’s been graded as a 71.6 and 59.8 in the last two seasons. His cheap contract and cheap draft pick cost make Finney an interesting candidate to help provide quality depth to this offensive line, and while it wouldn’t be a homerun trade, it would be a sneaky way to bolster the struggling and oft-injured line.

 

Evan Smith, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2017 PFF Overall: 69.6 (#33 G)

2017 PFF Pass Grade: 64.9 (#62 G)

2017 PFF Run Grade: 73.9 (#13 G)

2017 Blocking Stats: 16 pressures, 12 QB hurries, 3 QB hits, 1 sacks

2018 Cap Hit: $2,250,000

Signed Through: 2019

Incurred Cost to Obtain: 5th or 6th round pick

 

Smith is another player that has been discussed as a potential ideal candidate for the Vikings to trade for. He’s the backup guard and center for Tampa Bay and has the versatility to play on either side of the line. Like Greco, Smith is known for his exceptional run blocking abilities, having only one PFF grade lower than a 70 in run blocking since 2012. He struggled at times last year in pass blocking, receiving a 64.9 grade, but has also shown pass blocking abilities having put up a 75.4 and a 83.8 grade two and three years ago. Smith is currently signed through the next two years, so unlike any other player on this list, the Vikings would be able to control his contract beyond the 2018 season. Because of this, and his consistent success in run blocking, Smith would likely cost a fifth or sixth round pick from the Vikings on top of taking on his $2.25 million per year contract. I think the combination of those two costs make it less likely that the Vikings are willing to trade for him, but I think he would be the perfect option to shore up an otherwise poor run blocking offensive line.

 

Is there a different offensive lineman that you’d like to see the Vikings pursue? Leave a comment below why you think the Vikings should trade for them!

Share: