Vikings News: Minnesota trades for starting offensive lineman
By Adam Patrick
The Minnesota Vikings added a new piece to their offensive line on Thursday when they made a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire Mason Cole.
Last week, the Minnesota Vikings made headlines after reaching deals with free-agent defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and free-agent cornerback Patrick Peterson.
This week has been much quieter for the Vikings and their roster moves. That was at least until Thursday when Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman made his first trade of the 2021 offseason.
Spielman worked out a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire Mason Cole in exchange for one of the Vikings’ 2021 sixth-round draft picks. Cole is a versatile blocker who started 14 games at center for the Cardinals last season.
How will the Minnesota Vikings use Mason Cole?
Cole is a 6-foot-5, 292-pound blocker who will be 25-years-old by the time Minnesota takes the field for their first game of the 2021 season. He was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by Arizona and he’s spent the majority of his three years in the league lining up at center.
Before he entered the NFL, however, Cole spent two of his final three seasons at the University of Michigan as the school’s starting left tackle. Most have assumed the Vikings will attempt to use him at one of their open guard spots next season, but his experience at left tackle in college could also make him a candidate to possibly be Riley Reiff’s replacement on the left side of the line in 2021.
If Minnesota does try Cole at left guard, this is a position in which he made two starts for the Cardinals back in 2019. He did experience some success during these two starts, so there is reason to be optimistic if this is where the Vikings want him to line up.
Even if Cole doesn’t end up being a starter for Minnesota next season, he should at least help improve the team’s offensive line depth. His experience in both blocking on the outside and the inside is also something that could give him a better chance to grab a spot on the Vikings’ final 2021 roster.
This wasn’t the offensive lineman that most Minnesota fans were hoping the team would trade for. But Cole could potentially turn out to be a very helpful addition for the Vikings as they attempt to improve their offensive line this year without breaking the bank.