Minnesota Vikings: Fusco motivated by position change

Brandon Fusco struggled at left guard in 2015, but he hopes he can rebound when moving back to the right side of the Minnesota Vikings offensive line.

The 2015 season wasn’t a great time for Brandon Fusco. A move to left guard had fans and the team hoping they could solidify a position where the team had struggled for years, but instead Fusco ended up disappointing those hoping the move would pay off.

In an effort to finally solve the problem, the Minnesota Vikings signed left guard Alex Boone from the San Francisco 49ers. Boone should step in and be a starter almost immediately at that spot, which opens up Fusco to move back to the spot where he found success earlier with the team: right guard.

According to an article on the official Minnesota Vikings website, Fusco sees the opportunity to move back to right guard as a chance to prove his ability and establish himself as a long-term part of the team’s plan.

"“I feel like I’ve got an extra chip on my shoulder this year,” Fusco said. “I’ve got a lot to prove to people after not having the year last year that I wanted. I know it wasn’t up to par as to the standards of Viking football or myself. I just want to show everyone that I can still play.”"

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Interestingly enough, There is a good chance that only one player from the Minnesota Vikings returns to the offensive line from last season to start in the same place they did last season. Newcomer Andre Smith is now the favorite to start at right tackle and, if he can prove to be healthy, the hope is that John Sullivan can return to center.

The only positional holdover from last year appears to be Matt Kalil, who could be out the door after 2016 if he doesn’t show long-term potential, as he is playing in the final year of his deal following the team exercising the left tackle’s fifth year option.

Next: Vikings game-by-game 2016 season preview

Hopefully, Brandon Fusco’s move back to right guard will be just what the doctor ordered for the Minnesota Vikings offensive line. With better pass protection and bigger holes for Adrian Peterson, the team’s offense can hopefully improve during the 2016 NFL season.