MINNEAPOLIS — The first week of the NFL free agency period has come and gone.
The Vikings made a pair of moves, bolstering their offensive line by signing tackles Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers on Friday.
As Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman prepares for next wave of transactions, he provided an update on where the Vikings currently stand.
"(We're) excited about the two tackles," Spielman said. "There's a lot of demand out there and little supply, so we attacked the guys we felt would come in and help our ball club.
"Both those guys can play multiple positions, which also is an asset for us as well," Spielman added.
Spielman said he's come to expect the frenzied first few days of the start of the new league year.
"With the amount of cap space out there, it's always going to drive the market up a little bit," Spielman said. "But that's the business of free agency."
The Vikings knew Reiff well, as the former Detroit Lion played 27 career games in the NFC North, including nine against the Vikings.
The No. 23 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of the University of Iowa, Reiff has made 69 career starts and appeared in 77 career games.
"We knew him coming out (of college) and what type of player he was," Sielman said. "He played left tackle most of his career, and last year they flipped him over to the right side.
"I know just watching him against our guys and how he performed against us, we really hone in on how they play against our division," Spielman added. "We sat with our coaches and scouts, we did a lot of group studies watching the tape … we're very excited to get him."
Remmers also joined the Vikings on Friday after spending the past three seasons in Carolina.
He was a familiar face as the 27-year-old spent part of the 2013 season and 2014 training camp with the Vikings.
"He's really progressed since he's left," Spielman said. "A lot of these offensive linemen, sometimes it takes them four, five, six years before something clicks in them.
"Mike did a great job down in Charlotte with the Carolina Panthers," Spielman sad. "They put him out at right (tackle and) he got forced over to the left a little bit last year … we see him more over on the right side and even potentially as a guard as well."
While Minnesota added a pair of players, a handful of former Vikings joined other teams.
Wide receiver Charles Johnson, tackle Matt Kalil and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn signed with Carolina. Linebacker Audie Cole moved on to Jacksonville. Punter Jeff Locke signed with Indianapolis, and tight end Rhett Ellison is now with the New York Giants.
Spielman said he wished them all well in their new homes.
"I texted them all and congratulated them," Spielman said. "They were all great kids for us. I told them how much the organization appreciated everything they did for us, not only on the field but with how they represented us out in the community.
"That's the tough part of free agency," Spielman added. "You have to weigh on what you can and can't do … I know you have to balance what we have coming up in the future as well."
Spielman said he's counting on young players such as cornerback Mackenzie Alexander or tight end David Morgan to take on bigger roles in 2017, while also keeping an eye on the free agent market.
"We got a lot of the kids we drafted last year who are going to have to step up in the place of the guys that we lost," Spielman said. "We'll continue to monitor the free agent market. We'll have guys in this week and the following week, and it's a never-ending process."
