4 free agents the Vikings will regret not signing in 2021
By Luke Parrish
Austin Blythe – OG (Kansas City Chiefs)
The guard market was very interesting this offseason as a few guys signed massive deals while others were scooped up on ridiculously cheap contracts. The lower salary cap assuredly played a part in the smaller, shorter contracts, but the Vikings have failed to land help on the line.
It’s understandable that Minnesota did not want to spend the money that was required to land Joe Thuney, or even Kevin Zeitler. But missing out on a player like Austin Blythe could haunt the Vikings in 2021, especially for the money he signed for. Blythe signed a one-year contract for the veterans minimum to sign with the Chiefs.
Sure, the Chiefs are clear contenders and that is always going to help lure in free agents. But the Vikings should have been able to top the offer he accepted by a little bit in order to improve their pass protection.
Blythe is not going to be an absolute game-changer in a vacuum. But compared to what Minnesota trotted out to protect Kirk Cousins last season, he could have made a significant impact.
The same could also be said about John Miller, who stayed with the Carolina Panthers on a cheap contract for one more season. Spending big money on a guard is not the smartest move, especially with so much money already tied up into the roster. But the Vikings haven’t made any impactful signings up front so far this year and unless they nail the draft, they could be facing the same offensive line problems as they have during the past few seasons.