7 Days of Draftsmas: Loadholt Not Being Handed the Starting Job

Phil Loadholt may indeed be a load, but that doesn’t mean he’s being handed the starting right tackle job, even despite Ryan Cook‘s well-documented struggles.  “He’ll compete, certainly,” Brad Childress said of the second-round draftee’s status. “That will be the goal, to get him into a rotation to compete. We’ll just see how fast he can adjust to that side and everything we’re doing on offense.”

Childress declared that Cook and Artis Hicks remain the #1 and #2 right tackles for the time being.  I thought before that the Vikes might make a run at Mark Tauscher or another veteran tackle, but I now believe they’re content to let Loadholt take the job if he can, and fall back on Ryan Cook if they must.  They would’ve been happiest to wrest Jordan Gross away from Carolina but that plane never got off the ground.

Another interesting tackle tidbit:  evidently, arm-length is indeed a big factor for the Vikes when it comes to drafting offensive linemen; at least, that’s what I infer from Rick Spielman‘s remark about Loadholt having “long arms.”  I mention this because the knock against Eben Britton was that his arms were too short.  So I guess Britton was never a serious prospect for us.

And one more thing:  Loadholt on the chance to work with Bryant McKinnie:

"He’s a big guy and a Pro Bowl player. I am excited about playing on the same line as him. I look forward to learning a lot of things from him."

First of all, he’s never made a Pro Bowl, but thanks for playing anyway Phil, and enjoy your parting gift.  Second of all…gosh, I hope Phil doesn’t learn too much from McKinnie, if you know what I mean.