How Much Should the Vikings Spend on the iOL?
K. Joudry
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The Vikings iOL has left a little to be desired in recent seasons. Garrett Bradbury is a bust, and there hasn’t been strong play at RG for several years. Ezra Cleveland seems like a reasonably strong option at LG, and yet no one is mistaking him for Quenton Nelson.
It’s this background that made PFF‘s recent piece on how much this year’s batch of FA offensive guards ought to be paid interesting.
Laken Tomlinson, for instance, is projected to get $9 million per year on a three-year deal. Connor Williams is sitting at a projected $7 million per year. James Daniels is projected to pick up a $10 million per year average over five seasons.
Obviously, there’s a fair bit of money being invested in these three (assuming the projections are within the right ballpark). Can the Vikings afford to put so much in their iOL?
Minnesota’s highest-paid interior offensive lineman last season was Bradbury. The reason is because pretty much all of the team’s iOL players were on their rookie deals. Cleveland, Oli Udoh, Mason Cole, and Wyatt Davis were all making rookie-deal money. Bradbury, the highest selection of the bunch, is thus making the most money.
The Vikings, as we all know, don’t have an abundance of cash, so spending a ton on the iOL doesn’t seem to make a ton of sense. Nevertheless, if the team identifies and impact guard or center for, say, somewhere around $3-$5 million per year, then it may be a worthwhile investment. The Bears’ defensive line regularly demolishes Minnesota’s offensive line. GB’s Kenny Clark is a monster, and the NFC more broadly boasts legit talent at DT.
In other words, finding a relatively inexpensive way to improve the iOL does make sense. Bringing back Cole and then hoping for improvement from Davis isn’t sufficient.
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