The Viking Age
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Minnesota Vikings 2018 season offseason forecast: Tight ends

By Adam Carlson

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 12: Tight end David Morgan #89 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with tight end Kyle Rudolph #82 of the Minnesota Vikings after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 12, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 12: Tight end David Morgan #89 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with tight end Kyle Rudolph #82 of the Minnesota Vikings after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 12, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Which tight ends should be part of the Minnesota Vikings for the 2018 NFL season and who will be on the outside looking in? Here is the offseason forecast!

The Minnesota Vikings saw some great play at the tight end position this season with several players posting excellent performances in the passing, blocking, and special teams phases of the game.

However, everything can change in the blink of an eye in the NFL with trades, transactions, drafts, free agents, and even more changing up rosters in an attempt to put together the best group of players possible.

Here are the tight ends who are available on the Minnesota Vikings roster heading into the 2018 NFL season at the time of publishing with the dates of free agency according to Spotrac:

Tight ends under contract in 2018

Tight ends set to become free agents

  • Nick Truesdell (ERFA)

Blake Bell ended the season on injured reserve while David Morgan and Kyle Rudolph shared most of the snaps and Kyle Carter was active. Carter ended up being claimed by the Giants after being released, meaning the Vikings could have an opportunity for a tight end on the practice squad to evaluate and develop.

Meanwhile, Rudolph, Morgan, and Bell will likely return as the team’s three tight ends on the main roster unless something major happens and the team carries a fourth player at the position after landing a top free agent or draft selection.

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Offseason options

  • Draft a tight end. If a top tight end falls to Minnesota, they will need to consider drafting a position that is not necessarily a need. Or the team could look into a late round pass-catching tight end to compliment the offense.
  • Look for a potential young free agent. Truesdell is an intriguing player who will likely get another long look from Minnesota, but that doesn’t mean another talent can’t come along to catch the team’s eye. They are constantly evaluating and could switch gears at any time.
  • Do nothing. Three main roster tight ends and one young developmental player is a solid enough grouping that no action is really necessary if they keep Truesdell around.

What the plan should be

At least for training camp and the preseason, bringing in one more tight end would be smart for competition purposes. However, it will be hard for any of them to surpass the results Rudolph, Morgan, and Bell has achieved to earn a place on the team’s roster.

Next: Vikings top 5 priorities for the 2018 offseason

What do you think the Minnesota Vikings should do at the tight end position heading into the 2018 season? Should they try to shake things up or are you happy with the currently available players? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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