5 Minnesota Vikings storylines to watch during the 2019 NFL Draft
By Chris Schad
How aggressive will Rick Spielman get?
The Vikings extended Spielman’s contract through 2020 earlier this offseason, but there’s very little reason to believe that he’s not on a short leash in 2019.
The Vikings fell short of their lofty expectations in 2018 after Spielman went all-in to land Kirk Cousins and if his latest draft class doesn’t produce, he could be shown the door if Minnesota has a similar season in 2019.
Because of that pressure, he could get aggressive by trading up to nab the prospects he covets. Since he officially became the Vikings’ general manager in 2012, Spielman has traded into the first round from the second round three times (Harrison Smith in 2012, Cordarrelle Patterson in 2013, Teddy Bridgewater in 2014). But he has never used his existing first rounder to trade up.
After Minnesota was sniped on offensive linemen multiple times following their selection of Mike Hughes in the first round last year, Spielman may decide to empty the holster in an attempt to solidify his job knowing that if he’s wrong, a new general manager will have to deal with the repercussions anyway.