Missing piece for the Vikings offensive line could be in free agency
For years, the Minnesota Vikings have tried to build an offensive line and have come up short. This offseason they will try again, but free agency presents an exciting opportunity.
As we approach the start of a new league year, the main question for the Minnesota Vikings
heading into free agency still has to do with the team’s offensive line. It seems this has been the case for several years now, but the free agency period could provide an exciting opportunity to solve that issue permanently. That opportunity comes in the form of Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen.
The acquisition of Jensen could be a tone-setter for the new Vikings regime. He is solid in pass protection and he will fit in perfectly with what new Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell will be looking to do on the offensive side of the ball.
O’Connell has made it clear that the Vikings want to build the team for, and around, quarterback Kirk Cousins. What better way to start than fortifying his interior protection?
2019 first-round draft pick Garett Bradbury has been a disappointment and Jensen would undoubtedly be an upgrade over him. Jensen could be the missing piece that finally allows Cousins to consistently have a clean pocket.
Jensen will come at a cost, however. PFF currently projects him to land a contract this year that pays him around $13 million per season, which is a lot, but not impossible for Minnesota to take on.
As it stands the Vikings are around $15 million over the cap. But with some restructures and cuts, that salary cap might not end up being much of an issue for Minnesota.
Future of Kirk Cousins with the Minnesota Vikings could be the key
Although almost everything coming out of the Vikings’ front office and coaching staff suggests that Cousins will be the starting quarterback for next season and beyond, there are still a few question marks regarding his future and his $45 million cap hit in 2022.
Cousins and Jensen share the same agent, which could make the possibility of signing the Pro Bowl center easier for Minnesota. However, that will likely depend on if Cousins is still with the Vikings or not when free agency begins later this month.
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If Minnesota does commit to Cousins long-term, it would not only likely reduce his 2022 cap hit, it would potentially open the door for Jensen to come to Minnesota to protect the quarterback and solidify the team’s offensive line that has been porous, to say the least, over the last few years.