With the NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview mirror, 2020 free agency is just around the corner. That period will officially begin at 3 p.m. (CT) on March 18 when the new league year begins.
Over the next two weeks, Lindsey Young, Craig Peters and I will dive into Minnesota's current roster status by position. We'll offer a refresher on which Vikings are scheduled to become free agents, where potential needs might be and note players from other teams that are set to become free agents.
We're looking at the big boys up front next.
UNDER CONTRACT:
Riley Reiff, Pat Elflein, Garrett Bradbury, Josh Kline, Brian O'Neill, Aviante Collins, Dru Samia, Oli Udoh
Reiff
2019 Stats: 15 starts; 876 offensive snaps; 85.6 percent of total offensive snaps
Reiff was once again a mainstay at left tackle as he protected Kirk Cousins' blindside. Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said the combine that moving Reiff inside to guard is a "possibility," but that the team hasn't approached him about it.
View the top photos of Vikings G Pat Elflein from the 2019 season.
Elflein
2019 Stats: 15 starts; 921 offensive snaps; 89.9 percent of total offensive snaps
Elflein completed his first year at left guard after playing center in his first two seasons in the league.
Bradbury
2019 Stats: 16 starts; team-high 989 offensive snaps; 96.6 percent of total offensive snaps
Bradbury was the starting center from the moment he was drafted and became the first Vikings rookie to start all 16 games at the position.
View the top photos of Vikings C Garrett Bradbury from the 2019 season.
Kline
2019 Stats: 13 starts; 734 offensive snaps; 71.7 percent of total offensive snaps
Kline, a 2019 free-agent addition, missed three games due to injury but provided a veteran presence on the interior for the Vikings.
O'Neill
2019 Stats: 15 starts; 969 offensive snaps; 94.6 percent of total offensive snaps
O'Neill took a step forward in Year 2, as he did not allow a sack, according to Pro Football Focus. He is one of the top young right tackles in the league.
Collins
2019 Stats: 1 start; 49 offensive snaps; 4.8 percent of total offensive snaps
Collins was injured at the end of training camp and spent more than half the season on Injured Reserve. He worked his way back to health and was mostly a depth lineman.
Samia
2019 Stats: 31 offensive snaps; 3.0 percent of total offensive snaps
Samia was a fourth-round pick in 2019 but essentially redshirted as a rookie, playing only the second half in Week 17.
Udoh
2019 Stats: 31 offensive snaps; 3.0 percent of total offensive snaps
Udoh followed the same path as Samia, including the snap total, after being a sixth-round pick in 2019.
SCHEDULED TO BECOME FREE AGENTS:
Dakota Dozier
Dozier signed the Vikings as a free agent in 2019 and started a total of four games (one at left guard, three at right guard), playing 362 offensive snaps (35.6 percent of total offensive snaps). He fared well in his starts, building on previous experience with Vikings offensive line coach Rick Dennison. While it remains to be seen if Dozier will be back, he provided strong depth for Minnesota's offensive line in 2019.
Rashod Hill
Hill started 16 games over the past three seasons as a swing tackle, but only one of those starts came in 2019. He can play either side of the line as an offensive tackle and carved out a role for himself over the past few seasons in Minnesota.
Brett Jones
The Vikings acquired Jones in a late-August trade in 2018 as a depth player on the interior of the offensive line. He started three games in 2018, but played in just two games in 2019, mainly due to a knee injury suffered in November.
POTENTIAL NEED:
This unit is always in the spotlight in Minnesota. Zimmer said after the season — and again at the combine — that the unit needs to play better than they did in 2019, particularly in pass protection.
Zimmer also mentioned wanting to possibly upgrade the line, which could mean some turnover among the starters. Bradbury is expected to grow in Year 2, while Samia and Udoh will look to take a step forward this spring and summer.
If the Vikings do indeed want to upgrade this unit and choose not to do so in free agency, they could also add to the offensive line room in the 2020 NFL Draft.
WHO'S POTENTIALLY OUT THERE:
NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling teamed up again this year to rate their top 101 potential free agents.
The following offensive linemen are listed in order of their overall rankings: 10. Brandon Scherff (G), 11. Joe Thuney (G), 21. Jack Conklin (T), 23. Anthony Castonzo (T), 41. Bryan Bulaga (T), 43. Graham Glasgow (G), 46. Andrew Whitworth (T), 55. Jason Peters (T), 82. Demar Dotson (T), 84. Connor McGovern (C), 86. Halapoulivaati Vaitai (T), 93. Andrus Peat (T)
Other free-agent offensive linemen, including former Vikings such as Mike Remmers, Tom Compton and J'Marcus Webb, can be found here.
That list includes more than a dozen players who have started 40 or more games, including the following (listed in order of 2019 team): T Marcus Gilbert and C A.Q. Shipley (AZ), G Quinton Spain (BUF), T Daryl Williams (CAR), G John Jerry (CIN), T Greg Robinson (CLE), G Xavier Su'a-Filo (DAL), G Ronald Leary (DEN), T Jared Veldheer (GB), T Chris Clark (HOU), G Stefen Wisniewski (KC), G Michael Schofield (LAC), T/G Marshall Newhouse (NE), T Kelvin Beachum, T Brandon Shell and C Ryan Kalil (NYJ), G Mike Iupati (SEA), T Ereck Flowers and T Donald Penn (WAS).
