Minnesota Vikings: 5 things to watch for during training camp
By Josh Zinger
3. Battle on the Offensive Line
With 16 bodies along the offensive line, the competition to make the final roster will be brutal. While the unexpected retirement of Phil Loadholt made the picture a little clearer, with Andre Smith getting penciled in as the right tackle, there are still a number of intriguing battles to watch.
Both center and right guard are completely up in the air, with multiple solid options but no sure things.
Joe Berger and John Sullivan will compete for the center position. While Sullivan has been a standout along the line for years and is one of the leaders of the offense, Berger filled in admirably last year when Sullivan was out with a back injury. If Sullivan is fully healthy, then he should have a leg up in this battle, but Berger played too well to be ignored.
At right guard, Mike Harris will compete with Brandon Fusco. Fusco was a very solid player early in his career, but struggled greatly last year after suffering a pectoral injury the year before and moving to left guard. Now back in his natural position and a year removed from injury, he’ll compete with Harris, who was a bright spot along a terrible offensive line last year. This competition is too close to call, but Harris seems like the safer bet.
Beyond the starting lineup, there will be an intense fight for the backup roles. T.J. Clemmings, Willie Beavers, Nick Easton, Austin Shepherd, Jeremiah Sirles, and Zac Kerin are all skilled players with good arguments to make the team, but more than likely only three or four of them will make the team.
No matter what happens, the Vikings will be letting go of some talented offensive lineman, so this will be a very interesting position to watch.
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