With Easton out, what is next for the Vikings’ offensive line?

The Minnesota Vikings now have to find a new starting left guard for 2018 after Nick Easton recently underwent season-ending surgery.

It did not take very long, but the Minnesota Vikings have already lost a player for the entire 2018 season.

Vikings starting left guard Nick Easton underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a herniated disk in his neck and will miss all of 2018 to recover. So just like that, Minnesota is without a starting offensive lineman for the entire regular season and the team has not even played a preseason game yet.

Despite already being down a starter, not much has changed for the Vikings’ potential in 2018. Minnesota still has a top-ranked defense and an offense full of playmakers that should result in an exciting and entertaining season this year.

Still, the Vikings have to figure out who is going to replace Easton in their starting lineup. Minnesota has a few in-house options, but should they look outside of the organization for a solution?

The Vikings already tried to contact the now-retired Joe Berger, but he said no thanks. So what about a trade or bringing in a free-agent?

There are not too many good offensive guards that NFL teams are willing to trade right now and Minnesota is also in the unfavorable position of looking a little desperate.

Minnesota Vikings

A team is probably going to take advantage of the Vikings’ sudden need and ask for more than normal in exchange for one of their offensive linemen.

As far as the available interior blockers on the free-agent market right now, pickings are definitely slim. Richie Incognito has already been emphatically crossed off the Vikings’ list as a potential option and there is reason why the other available guards have remained unsigned.

Minnesota’s best option, and the route that they will probably take, is to stick with someone who is already on their roster. Tom Compton, Danny Isidora, and Aviante Collins are among the top candidates who will likely be battling over the next few weeks to take Easton’s open spot in the starting lineup.

Compton has the most experience of the three (16 starts in six seasons), but with a good preseason, Isidora and Collins still have the potential to open the regular season as the Vikings’ starting left guard.

Most importantly though, freaking out about Easton’s loss is totally unnecessary. Minnesota still has the majority of their team intact for 2018 and they will still be able to contend for a Super Bowl with someone else as their starting left guard this year.