In search of upgrading their offensive line this offseason, the Minnesota Vikings are reportedly interested in acquiring current Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams.
When it comes to improving the offensive line of the Minnesota Vikings, just about everything has been attempted during the tenure of current general manager Rick Spielman.
The Vikings have used high draft picks on blockers (Matt Kalil, Garrett Bradbury, Brian O’Neill) and brought in a handful of free agents to try and help the unit (Riley Reiff, Mike Remmers, Josh Kline). Nothing really has had a tremendous impact on Minnesota’s offensive line and the group has been an average unit at best throughout the last few seasons.
So it’s no surprise that the Spielman and the Vikings are, once again, searching for ways to improve the performance of their offensive line this offseason. The latest rumor comes from ESPN’s John Keim, who reported on Thursday that Minnesota has expressed interest in acquiring current Washington Redskins left tackle, Trent Williams.
Williams has asked the Redskins to either trade or release him this year as he has no desire to suit up for them in 2020. With two first-round picks currently in their possession, the Vikings might be able to provide the right offer that would convince Washington to send their star left tackle to the Twin Cities.
Would this be a smart decision for the Vikings to make though? Williams will turn 32-years-old in July and he hasn’t played more than 80 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in a season since 2015, which includes his decision to hold out for the entire 2019 season.
Minnesota also just got rid of someone in Stefon Diggs who was ruffling some feathers in the organization. Do they want to potentially add a guy in Williams who could be capable of something similar if he feels his needs aren’t met?
The talented left tackle is also looking for a new contract and not a cheap one. In addition to possibly giving up valuable early-round draft picks, is investing a high amount of money into Williams the smartest decision for the Vikings to make right now?
While adding a left tackle like Williams could be a tremendous help for Minnesota in 2020, the team is also in a current financial situation that makes their draft picks even more valuable this year. The Vikings don’t have a lot of money to improve their roster and investing most of it in one player could come back to haunt them next season.
If Minnesota can figure out a way to acquire Williams without it tremendously impacting their ability to improve other aspects of their roster this offseason, then it’s something they should consider. But if not, then the Vikings might be better off attempting to find their own star left tackle in the upcoming NFL Draft.