5 free-agent offensive guards the Vikings could sign in 2019
By Chris Schad
Mike Iupati
2018 Stats:
- 62.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus
- 47.5 pass blocking grade
- 70.1 run blocking grade
- 14 QB pressures allowed
The last time Mike Iupati was a free-agent, the Vikings were very interested in bringing the star guard to the Twin Cities. After three years with the Arizona Cardinals, Iupati is a free-agent once again this offseason, but things have changed since the last time the 31-year-old guard hit the market.
For starters, Iupati hasn’t been able to stay on the field for the Cardinals. The former free-agent prize has played in just 11 of the past 32 games for Arizona and he wasn’t very effective when he was on the field, posting the lowest overall grade of his career in 2018.
That doesn’t mean that there isn’t some high-risk, high-reward potential here. Iupati put together a solid four-game stretch prior to sustaining a knee injury that put him on injured reserve last season. By switching him to the right side of the line (which would decrease his pass-blocking responsibilities), the Vikings may be able to fill the black hole that occupied their right guard spot in 2018.