4 Vikings players who robbed the team blind in 2023

Vikings Player No. 4

Josh Oliver - TE

With T.J. Hockenson already on the roster, it was a little surprising last year when the news was revealed that the Vikings had signed free-agent tight end Josh Oliver to a three-year contract worth $21 million.

But then we were told that Oliver was the best blocking tight end in the NFL, and that's why Minnesota gave him a bunch of money.

It seemed like a decent idea at the time, but it's turned out to be a terrible decision with the Vikings ranking 28th in the league this season in rushing attempts. So Oliver hasn't really been able to put those elite blocking skills on display during the 2023 campaign as much as he had hoped before the start of the regular season.

But then we were also told that Oliver is an underrated pass-catching tight end, and he could be another weapon in Minnesota's passing attack. Well, he has a total of 20 catches this season.

Oliver has continued to block well this season, as he has the second-best run-blocking grade from PFF among qualifying tight ends. But again, the Vikings have run the ball at one of the lowest rates in the NFL this season, so they haven't used Oliver's skills as much as they probably should have.

With as infrequently as Minnesota has utilized their rushing attack this season, signing a blocking tight end to a contract worth more than $20 million certainly wasn't one of the best decisions the team made in 2023.

So, Oliver being on this list isn't even really his fault. More of the blame falls on the shoulders of the Vikings, who haven't taken full advantage of the tight end's blocking abilities this season after giving him a lucrative contract in free agency.