The Viking Age
FanSided

4 role players the Vikings should consider extending

By Adam Carlson

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 05: Tyler Conklin #83 and Irv Smith #84 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrate after defeating the New Orleans Saints 26-20 during overtime in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 05: Tyler Conklin #83 and Irv Smith #84 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrate after defeating the New Orleans Saints 26-20 during overtime in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Minnesota Vikings
(Photo by Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports) Tyler Conklin /

Tyler Conklin, tight end

Fans are creating a lot of excitement about the idea of Irv Smith Jr. becoming a regular contributor in the Minnesota Vikings offense but he wasn’t the only one who had flashes of brilliance while Kyle Rudolph missed time last season.

Now, with Rudolph lending his talents to the New York Giants, it will be left to Smith and Tyler Conklin to produce at tight end. Last year, Conklin played 449 snaps on offense, good for over 41 percent of all offensive plays.

Starting two of his 16 games played, Conklin was able to accumulate career-high numbers in multiple statistics, including his 194 receiving yards, 19 catches, and one touchdown. In addition, 11 of those 19 catches resulted in a first down, making him a reliable player to look for when needing to move the chains.

It isn’t just offense where Conklin makes a difference either. He played 189 special teams snaps in 2020 and the Vikings could use some continuity and experience on that unit considering how it always seems to be in flux.

Minnesota likely wouldn’t have to spend much money to keep Conklin in purple. At 25 years old, he only averaged a little over $685K per year on his four-year deal that expires following the 2021 season. A three-year extension worth around $3M would be a nice pay increase for the tight endand a great insurance policy for the Vikings.

Home/Minnesota Vikings News