It’s been a problem for years, but the Vikings haven’t been able to fully fix their offensive line for about a decade. They have made strides, but at the end of the day, it was still a major reason for the disappointing playoff exit against the Los Angeles Rams.
Vikings Mentioned As Suitors for Chiefs Offensive Guard Trey Smith
The good news is that the tackle positions are filled with two reliable players, Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw. The former has handled the right side of the line since 2018 and just went to his second Pro Bowl. Darrisaw suffered a torn ACL halfway through last season but has an entire offseason to recover and has been excellent whenever he has been on the field.
The problem remains the interior of the line. Garrett Bradbury has been an inconsistent center, and the three guards, Dalton Risner, Blake Brandel, and Ed Ingram, haven’t been good either. Risner’s contract is expiring; the other three are still under contract.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can use his cap space and pick 24 to improve the line. Solidifying the line for likely QB1 J.J. McCarthy is vital. Analyst Mina Kimes thinks the Vikings could be in the market for Chiefs guard Trey Smith, who is viewed as the top interior lineman in this year’s free agency class.
On the February 19th episode of her podcast The Mina Kimes Show Featuring Lenny, she asked her guest, Kenny Clark:
You mentioned the Bears, by the way, who I think are a really good name for Trey Smith. I’m gonna throw out another one to you and introduce a hypothetical. They both have a lot [of salary cap space], they’re both comfortable right now.
If you’re the Vikings, do you rather go on to J.J. McCarthy but improve the interior of the offensive line, which is a problem, or do you rather pay Sam Darnold? … [Darnold] is gonna cost way more than Trey Smith, which is hilarious because one player is obviously near the top of the position, one is not. I’m pretty sure if I’m the Vikings, I’d rather pay Trey Smith.
The Vikings have roughly $63 million in cap space this offseason, but they have to fill countless positions like backup quarterback, two or three cornerbacks, one or two safeties, and a running back, and perhaps they want to upgrade the defensive line.
Therefore, there won’t be room under the salary cap for both Darnold and Smith. All signs point towards Darnold leaving the club in March. That still doesn’t guarantee that guard Smith will take his place, though.
Kimes also suggested that Smith will likely reset the guard market, which would put his salary around $21 million per year. That might be too steep for the Vikings, who could look to add Teven Jenkins, Will Fries, or Kevin Zeitler for half of that.
Smith’s PFF resume is quite decent.
- 2021: 72.3 (15th/88 eligible guards)
- 2022: 71.5 (12th/77)
- 2023: 72.2 (10/79)
- 2024: 78.8 (14/77)
After the disappointing playoff loss, head coach Kevin O’Connell suggested that the offensive line would be a point of emphasis: “There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin (Jefferson), Jordan (Addison), T.J. (Hockenson), we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket. There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”
The 25-year-old two-time Super Bowl champion will be available on March 10th if the Vikings want him.
