6 reasons to be excited about the 2019 Minnesota Vikings
By Nik Edlund
Improved offensive line
The Vikings’ offensive line was a nightmare a season ago. They were especially weak in the interior as neither one of their starting guards (Tom Compton and Mike Remmers) played at a level that would have been good enough to make a roster in the now-defunct AAF. Their inadequacies led to Kirk Cousins taking way too many unnecessary hits in 2018.
Minnesota made the necessary moves to improve this unit during the most recent offseason. They went out and signed free agent guard Josh Kline, who spent the last three years with the Tennessee Titans. While his best years may be in the past, he should at least be an upgrade over Remmers at right guard.
The Vikings also drafted Garrett Bradbury with their first-round pick during this year’s NFL Draft. Bradbury has the potential to anchor Minnesota’s offensive line for the next decade and he is the perfect fit in Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme.
Minnesota is also moving Pat Elflein over to left guard for 2019 where he is a better fit. That gives the Vikings three new starters in the middle of the unit and with Riley Reiff and Brian O’Neill manning the tackle positions, suddenly this offensive line is beginning to look pretty formidable.
Minnesota’s new group of blockers will get tested often in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears’ incredibly tough front seven, as well as the Green Bay Packers’ improved pass rushing unit.
But this is an offensive line that has the potential to be one of the best the Vikings have rolled out in recent memory. That alone should get fans pumped for the 2019 season.