Vikings Training Camp 2019: Previewing the offensive line

2018 was a struggle for the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line. After a complete overhaul in the offseason, will the unit be better in 2019?

The 2018 season was a bad one overall for the Minnesota Vikings, but if there was one unit that took a complete beating, it was the offensive line. With their coach, Tony Sparano, dying just days before the start of training camp, the Vikings didn’t have the leadership they had in the trenches for previous seasons and when starting guard Nick Easton went down with a neck injury, they were like a turtle on their back.

With the offensive line struggling, the protection around quarterback Kirk Cousins quickly deteriorated and the running game became almost non-existent as offensive coordinator John DeFilippo lost all faith in the unit (or at least his playcalling dictated that was the case).

The failure of the offensive line led to a major retooling over the offseason as Minnesota will have two new starters and one 2018 starter playing at a new position.

With the Vikings also investing multiple draft picks, a free-agent signing, a new coach and a new scheme into their offensive line, it’s clear that new offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will have a fresh slate to work with as his team enters camp.