Nick Easton – OG
2020 Team: New Orleans Saints
Nick Easton was a solid guard option for the Vikings back in 2016 and 2017 before injuries derailed his career. He missed the 2018 season before heading to New Orleans for the last two years, where he appeared in 22 games. In his career, Easton has started 32 games and played in 45 over the course of four seasons.
While significant time has passed and his relationship with Minnesota likely does not equate to a good reason to return due to scheme fit and familiarity, Easton would still be a nice addition. The Vikings had a revolving door at guard last season and it ended poorly regardless of who was in the lineup.
If things go well this summer, Minnesota will have two young guards in the starting lineup, with Wyatt Davis and Ezra Cleveland getting the nod. With Dakota Dozier returning despite a horrid 2020 season, the Vikings need to find competition to be the backup guard. Easton has a scary injury history and has never played a full 16 games, but his role as a backup would not require a huge snap rate.
Minnesota could use a player with some starting experience on the bench. If something happens next season, they cannot afford to trust Dozier to step in and make a positive impact up front.