Vikings

3 Ways To Turn Riley Reiff's Release Into A Better O-Line

Photo Credit: Brad Rempel (USA TODAY Sports)

On Wednesday, the first major domino fell for the Minnesota Vikings’ 2021 offseason. Their best offensive lineman from last year, Riley Reiff, declined an extension and will test free agency. The Vikings wanted to keep Reiff in the building for as long as possible, but the 2021 free-agent market is a chaotic one. And, to quote a TV show that disappointed its fans in an all-too familiar way, “Chaos is a ladder.” Since the Vikings couldn’t extend Reiff, they’ll have to turn the $11.75 million in cap savings into something better.

There are a few ways to do that. The goal doesn’t necessarily have to focus on the O-line. They could approach the offensive line in the draft and reallocate Reiff’s money to the defense or a new pass-catching weapon. But for simplicity’s sake, let’s pretend that Reiff’s savings are earmarked to be reinvested in the front. How can the Vikings turn lemons into lemonade?

Move Ezra Cleveland back to tackle

The Vikings are looking for ways to improve the current state of the offensive line. The closest one is already on the roster. Cleveland struggled at right guard, which shouldn’t be a surprise. Moving from tackle to guard requires much quicker and tighter technique as opposed to the rangy, timing-based technique he needs on the outside. Moving him back to left tackle not only solves the most expensive hole on the line but maximizes his abilities.

If you think of the former line as 100% of Riley Reiff and 80% of Ezra Cleveland thanks to his out-of-position struggles, then this move gives us 100% of Ezra Cleveland, but no Riley Reiff. It’s likely that Cleveland is unable to match Reiff’s impressive 2020 performance and makes a hole at right guard. But it does get more out of Ezra Cleveland, which is the first crucial step.

This isn’t a no-brainer, either. The Vikings could look to move Brian O’Neill or draft a new left tackle and leave Cleveland at guard. Considering the skillsets of the players they have, it would be much easier to solve a line with two guard holes than a left guard and left tackle. That said, it sounds like Minnesota doesn’t intend to overthink it.

Sign Kevin Zeitler

You could replace Zeitler with any number of free-agent guards. But he is a quality right guard who would greatly improve upon Cleveland’s performance in 2020. Zeitler averaged about 20 pressures a season over the last three years. For comparison, the Vikings’ carousel of right guards allowed 39. Earlier this offseason, I posited that if you could overturn 40 pressures from 2020 and change nothing about Kirk Cousins, the offense would flirt with top-five production.

Signing Zeitler would get you halfway there. The Vikings are interested in him for a reason.

The only barrier is money. Zeitler is a proven commodity that doesn’t count toward the compensatory pick formula. That could make him one of the hotter targets on the market. But the Vikings are more equipped to compete here than it seems. Not only do they have the $11.75 million in Riley Reiff savings now, but they also might open up more space in future years.

They’re currently projected to be $28 million under a $203 million cap per OverTheCap in 2022. The only major expenses that will come out of that budget are Brian O’Neill and Harrison Smith extensions. If the salary cap raises as much as Dak Prescott’s contract implies it will, the Vikings will have ample flexibility to compete in the guard market. He’s unlikely to go for more than the $12 million per year that every team declined to trade for. If the Vikings used a signing bonus to backload the cap hits, they could comfortably fit Zeitler in under Reiff’s $11.75 million.

Grab A Bargain-Bin Left Guard

The Vikings could choose not to be stingy at the position. John Tuvey pitched a first-round guard selection, but that’s a little rich for my blood. The advantage of releasing Reiff is to save on the offensive line at the cost of getting younger. First-round picks betray that, especially after spending big on Kevin Zeitler. The Vikings clearly believe in Ezra Cleveland’s chances to work out. Add Zeitler and we’re in a pretty good spot already.

There are several bargain-bin options the Vikings could look for. Jon Feliciano would be an affordable scheme fit, as would other Buffalo Bills castoffs or any number of guards. Here’s a run-down of several options. The guard market is incredibly saturated with talent. The fact that no team traded even a seventh round pick for Joe Thuney, Reiff, or Zeitler bespeaks the status of the market. Teams think this will be a buyer’s market, and the Vikings should have some opportunities to strike a deal.

That puts the Vikings at a possible offensive line of Ezra Cleveland, Jon Feliciano, Garrett Bradbury, Kevin Zeitler, and Brian O’Neill. That’s projected to be significantly better than the 2020 unit. If the Vikings can get to that point with only the savings from Riley Reiff’s release and future money, they can turn this loss into a win. Come draft day, they’d have the luxury of focusing their premium picks elsewhere if they so choose.

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Photo Credit: Brad Rempel (USA TODAY Sports)

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