Minnesota Vikings get bad news regarding guard Nick Easton
By Adam Carlson
The offensive line of the Minnesota Vikings took another hit when news was reported that starting guard Nick Easton will miss significant time this season.
When the Minnesota Vikings traded for offensive lineman Nick Easton from the San Francisco 49ers, the team knew it was getting an interior protector with a lot of potential who excelled at protecting the quarterback.
Minnesota was able to work with Easton, making him their starting guard or center, whatever the team needed in the situation. However, the franchise will likely be without his services for the entire 2018 NFL season.
NFL insider Adam Schefter recently reported on his Twitter account that Nick Easton had surgery on the morning of August 9th to correct a herniated disc in his neck. Here is the tweet revealing that information:
Vikings’ G Nick Easton underwent surgery this morning to correct a herniated disc in his neck and his season is likely over, per his agent Joe Linta. But it is not expected to be a career-ending injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 9, 2018
Of course, it is great news that this injury and procedure aren’t expected to bring Easton’s football career to an end, but the Vikings are left quite thin on the offensive line without the presence of their starting lineman from last season.
Minnesota may need to get creative if they want to fill the gap this year. Last year, Mike Remmers moved from right tackle all the way to left guard when injuries hit the team hard, but the hope is that one of the rookies or returning players will be able to step in and play at a high level.
With the Vikings handing out several massive contract extensions with big signing bonuses to players at other positions this year, the possibility of landing a starting-caliber offensive lineman in free agency is also a massive challenge, making an internal candidate the most logical solution.
However, Minnesota will miss the pass blocking skills of Easton, who graded out with a score of 97.8 in pass protection from Pro Football Focus and had the highest score among any offensive lineman in that category.
Easton will likely be placed on injured reserve, freeing up a spot on the team’s roster to sign another free agent.
Next. Way too early Vikings 2018 record prediction. dark
The Minnesota Vikings will need to figure out something quickly at the left guard position since the team’s first preseason game is right around the corner and the franchise invested heavily in quarterback Kirk Cousins to take the team to the next level.