Vikings offensive tackle Andre Smith placed on injured reserve
By Josh Zinger
The Minnesota Vikings have suffered yet another loss to the offensive line, with right tackle Andre Smith ruled out for the season with a triceps injury.
The euphoria of yesterday’s Minnesota Vikings victory has once again been tempered by injury news. Right tackle Andre Smith has been dealing with an injury for a couple of weeks now after leaving last week’s game against the Giants with a right elbow problem, but there was optimism that the veteran would be able to return.
That optimism has officially been crushed, as the team announced this afternoon that Smith is being placed on injured reserve with a triceps injury. Smith will undergo season-ending surgery tomorrow.
Smith’s injury comes as yet another blow against a Vikings team whose “next man up” mentality is really being put to the test. While the Vikings have been able to surge to 5-0 despite the litany of high-profile losses they have already suffered, the lack of depth, specifically along the offensive line, is becoming a real problem.
In addition to Smith’s injury, the Minnesota Vikings have already lost Matt Kalil for the year to a hip injury, 2015 starting guard Mike Harris to a mysterious ailment that he is unlikely to recover from this season, former right tackle Phil Loadholt to retirement after complications from his Achilles recovery, and suffered numerous other bumps and bruises along the way.
After investing heavily in the offensive line over the offseason, the Vikings seem to be in worse shape than ever. With the losses of Smith, Kalil, and Loadholt, the Vikings now have over $16 million worth of salary sitting on injured reserve or in retirement.
The silver lining is that Jeremiah Sirles, Smith’s replacement, has actually been playing at an equal or even better level than Smith so far this season. Sirles’ play thus far has been very encouraging, but it remains to be seen whether he can keep it up for the rest of the season. Even if he can, the lack of depth behind Sirles is deeply concerning, as the Vikings have no other players on the active roster with extensive experience at tackle.
The Vikings simply have no choice but to bring in reinforcements, either via a trade or free agent signing.
Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas is one high-profile option, but he would likely come at a very steep price. Whether Spielman is interested in making another blockbuster trade, or whether the Vikings even have the capital to do so after acquiring Sam Bradford is unclear.
More likely than not, the Vikings will conserve their remaining capital and sign a free agent off the street. While they won’t find a starting-caliber player, they will be able to acquire solid depth as insurance for any further injuries.
Mike Zimmer announced today that the team had veteran tackle Jake Long in for a workout this morning, but the team has yet to announce a signing. While most of the details are scarce, former Ohio State tackle Reid Fragel is another name who reportedly visited the Vikings for a workout. The Vikings are covering all their bases right now, bringing in a variety of potential options to look over, but we likely won’t here any more news until a signing is made.
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Expect to see new faces joining the Minnesota Vikings offensive line in the coming days, but whether the additions are enough to shore up the unit remains to be seen. As of right now, the offensive line stands out as a major concern on a team with realistic Super Bowl aspirations.