Upside Guard Is Being Linked To The Vikings

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

K. Joudry

2022-03-24

The second wave of free agency has arrived, and the Vikings are resuming their pursuit of offensive line help. It looks like Ereck Flowers is a plausible option for the purple OL.

Generally speaking, offensive linemen in the Kevin O’Connell system are a bit smaller. Nevertheless, a massive guard can fit provided there is a sufficient amount of athleticism.

As the above Borman tweet suggests, there would be somewhat of an issue with the LG spot. Currently, Ezra Cleveland is the team’s LG, and he’s done a reasonably good job. His rookie year had him playing RG, but the switch to the left side ended up serving him well. The footwork is closer to left tackle, the position he played in college.

One thing the Vikings would need to decide, then, is whether Ereck Flowers could be flipped to the right side. If not, the team would likely be looking for Cleveland to again get a new position.

Last season, Flowers came with a $3 million cap hit for Washington. The year before was for $9 million in Miami. Flowers, it would seem, is likely looking for a number somewhere in between. Paying a decent chunk of money for a player who would create a bit of a tricky situation for the offensive line is a risky option. From my perspective, opting for either a center or right guard is a safer bet; asking linemen to switch sides is a plan that often fails.

Alas, I’m not in charge of the purple personnel. Perhaps Kwesi & Friends will acknowledge this risk but still see it as being worth it.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.