The Minnesota Vikings spent their offseason throwing money at the defensive side of the ball. While the new-look unit figures to be the key to a return to the playoffs, there’s unfinished business for the offense, especially when it comes to Brian O’Neill.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old will enter the final year of his rookie deal this season. Like they are with most players, the Vikings will look to be proactive with O’Neill’s contract situation and could reach a new deal by the start of training camp.
That negotiation gained an important data point on Wednesday when the New Orleans Saints reportedly agreed to a five-year, $96 million extension with Ryan Ramczyk, making Ramczyk the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL.
It also sets the market for O’Neill.
Looking at the highest-paid right tackles, the Vikings need to decide where O’Neill fits in with this group. Trent Brown’s contract with the New England Patriots is basically a prove-it deal coming off a bad year with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Taylor Moton was franchise-tagged. This means that O’Neill will likely be using La’El Collins’ five-year, $50 million extension as a floor, but that doesn’t determine how much the Vikings should spend.
While O’Neill has been the best player on the offensive line, there’s no chance he gets paid more than Ramczyk. The Wisconsin product ranked 14th among qualifying tackles with an 81.5 Pro Football Focus overall grade last season, and his 86.7 run-blocking grade ranked 12th. Even though the Vikings place a lot of emphasis on the running game, O’Neill didn’t produce similar numbers last season, which would bump him down the list.
O’Neill could also look at Lane Johnson’s contract, but Johnson was coming off a monster year when he signed his four-year extension before the 2019 season. Johnson ranked 10th with an 81.0 overall grade but had issues in pass protection, allowing 36 pressures in 2018. Johnson made up for those issues with his run-blocking, which produced the fifth-highest grade (79.5) in 2018 and the second-highest (92.6) in 2019.
With Ramczyk and Johnson forming the elite tier of right tackles, O’Neill’s more realistic target should be somewhere between Jack Conklin and La’El Collins.
Conklin was a pillar of the Tennessee Titans’ offensive line, posting a 77.9-overall grade that was 12th among qualifying tackles in 2019. While his 30 pressures were respectable, it was his 80.5 run-blocking grade that made him a target for the Cleveland Browns. Conklin became a rich man because of Kevin Stefanski’s desire to run the ball, earning a three-year, $42 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.
Conklin may have been a great addition for Cleveland, but Collins became a bargain for the Dallas Cowboys. Collins was forced to kick out to right tackle after an injury to Zach Martin and he fared well, posting an 86.4 overall grade — fourth among offensive tackles. Collins allowed just 26 pressures in pass protection but, like Conklin, his true value was in the running game, where he posted an 89.4 run-blocking grade that was third among right tackles.
By comparison, O’Neill’s 78.0-overall grade was 24th among tackles last season, and his 26 pressures were 61st. While O’Neill’s pass protection allows more hurries than sacks, the Vikings value his ability in the running game, where he posted an 83.7 run-blocking grade that was eighth among tackles.
These numbers are great but are the inverse of Moton, who thrived in pass protection with 19 pressures allowed but had just a 76.3 run-blocking grade, which was 19th among all tackles.
The data gives O’Neill’s camp several options as it looks for a new contract. While he could slot in at about $12 million per season, it would also be reasonable if O’Neill asked the Vikings for the $14 million Conklin got in free agency. It could also be a solid strategy to see what Moton gets from the Panthers and try to top it.
No matter what O’Neill decides, the Vikings have spent plenty of time this offseason to try and fix their offensive line. While they should have a pair of starters in Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis, losing O’Neill would defeat the purpose of using those picks and leave the Vikings back where they started.
With $14 million in cap space, the two sides should reach a deal in the coming weeks. After Ramczyk’s new deal, it’s clear that, whatever the agreement is, O’Neill will be a wealthy man.
