Minnesota Vikings lineman Joe Berger is a Swiss Army knife
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings have a reliable weapon in offensive lineman Joe Berger, as he can be is a Swiss Army knife who can fill in just about anywhere.
Finding a player that can play more than one position in today’s NFL can be very valuable to NFL teams. In a league where many players have specialized assignments or positions, there are always those that can be plugged into multiple spots and still perform at a high level. Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Joe Berger is one of those guys.
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Vikings starting center John Sullivan missed every game of the 2015 regular season. For most teams, losing a player of his caliber would be a huge loss. However, veteran offensive lineman Joe Berger stepped in and flourished without missing a beat.
This has been Joe Berger’s calling card since joining the Vikings. He’s been plugged in at both guard spots in addition to center, but this year he’s already off to an interesting start, as he’s holding down the left guard spot while free agent acquisition Alex Boone sits out for training camp according to an article on the Star Tribune website.
Having a guy like Berger on the roster is a blessing for the Minnesota Vikings, who had struggled immensely for talent and depth on the offensive line in the past. However, with Berger turning 34 years old this season, the team may be able to rely on him being around for too much longer.
While he’s around, Minnesota can take full advantage of the versatility that he brings to the offensive line. So far, Vikings fans have seen Berger play both guard positions and center, but, in an emergency, he can also play offensive tackle, which he did at the college level at Michigan Technological University.
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With how unpredictable injuries can be in today’s NFL and how important the offensive line is to the Minnesota Vikings, being able to call upon Joe Berger is like having a fantastic insurance policy. Creating running lanes for Adrian Peterson as well as protecting young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is a must for this team to succeed, and Berger can do both when thrust into action.