The Minnesota Vikings tackle-turned-guard was cut on Monday morning after a dismal 2018 season prompted another overhaul of the offensive line.
The dominoes have begun to fall for the Minnesota Vikings as they look to create cap space ahead of free agency. After the team did not pick up the contract option of safety Andrew Sendejo earlier in the morning to free up $5.5 million in cap space, the Vikings threw in the towel on tackle-turned guard Mike Remmers according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
After a 2016 season in which the Vikings offensive line needed an overhaul, Remmers was brought in alongside Riley Reiff as free agent acquisitions to help put a band-aid on the team’s situation up front. After landing a five-year, $30 million contract from Minnesota in free agency, he performed well, allowing 16 pressures and no sacks in 10 starts at right tackle.
As the 2017 season wore along, however, the team decided to kick him into guard and that is where the wheels fell off. After struggling in a three-game stint at guard in a Week 17 victory over Chicago and two playoff games, Minnesota stubbornly kept him at guard in hopes of replacing retiring offensive lineman Joe Berger.
Playing a full season out of position, Pro Football Focus charged Remmers with seven sacks, 30 hurries and 42 quarterback pressures as the Vikings’ offensive line disintegrated in front of Kirk Cousins and failed to create holes in the run game.
Just two years later, the Vikings are in need of another offensive overhaul and with three years left on Remmers’ deal, Minnesota pulled the plug to find a more effective solution. The move will save the Vikings $4.5 million in cap space and paired with Sendejo’s release, the team is approximately $14 million in cap space according to Over The Cap.