We get it. Mike Zimmer loves defense. Defense wins championships. There’s no pretending or hiding what the priority is with this organization. It’s evident in free agency. It’s evident in the draft. Defenses is where the resources are generally going to go.
Now, that’s not saying the offense is completely ignored. The team handed out a silly guaranteed contract to their quarterback, gave Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen nice deals, and has spent high draft picks on Justin Jefferson and offensive lineman. But, I think we can all agree, the reality is if faced with the decision of acquiring a cornerback or a wide receiver, this team will always choose cornerback.
So I don’t know why I let myself drift into fantasyland last week. As news of the Danielle Hunter contract broke, people were reporting that an additional $3 million of cap space was going to be added to the already existing space for Minnesota. For a moment I got lost in hopes. “Man now that Hunter’s in the building and we have all this money, we could really shore up the offense.
Moments later the Sheldon Richardson news broke.
Don’t get me wrong Sheldon Richardson is a fantastic football player and even make sense for the Minnesota Vikings. A pass rush from the three technique is something they needed badly last season. But this is the exact philosophy that has been employed by the team for Zimmer‘s entire tenure. The defense is never good enough. It can always use help.
It’s time to apply that exact same thought process to the offense. The Vikings are clearly trying to build a winner for right now. It’s time to treat the O-line like the D-line.
This offseason, the entire league found themselves in a unique position with the cap going down for the first time in recent memory. This resulted in teams getting rid of veteran players on unfavorable contracts. One of those players was Mitchell Schwartz, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Just a year ago Schwartz was considered one of the best tackles in the game as he protected Patrick Mahomes on his way to a Super Bowl win. This season, however, injuries derailed his play and forced him to miss significant games for the first time in his career. After a back surgery, he and the Chiefs parted ways.
While the Vikings’ offensive line future looks solid on paper, depth is an entirely different issue. Currently, behind the projected starters, the Vikings have Rashod Hill and offseason trade acquisition Mason Cole. The 2016 Vikings, started red hot with a 5-0 record but slid to 8-8 due to injuries along the offensive line. This can’t happen again.
Schwartz has played right tackle for his entire career and would likely serve as the backup to O’Neil. What he lacks in versatility he makes up for in quality. Despite never being selected to a pro-bowl, Schwartz has made 4 all-pro teams in his career. He would probably be the best backup tackle on any roster, and not only be insurance for O’Neil but if Christian Darrisaw dealt with health of development issues, they could move O’Neil to the blind side and allow for Schwartz to man the right-hand side.
Schwartz has been lauded as an elite pass protector throughout his career, only allowing 20 pressures for the 2019 season. For context, O’Neill is widely considered the Vikings’ best pass protector allowed 26 pressures last season.
Having Schwartz in the locker room would also bring a winning pedigree to the team. Since joining the Chiefs in 2016, he has contributed to a culture that has won 60 of 80 games in that span. Schwartz would also likely come to the Vikings on a discounted price considering the injury that he is coming off of. You could probably get him to agree to one of those “one year prove it” deals that they have used to completely bolster this year’s defense.
It make sense for the offense. It makes sense for the team. It’s time to treat the O-line like the D-line.
