Vikings Sign OG Josh Kline (3-yrs/$15.75 million)

[Ash Ketchum]

Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports the Vikings have interest in free agent OG Josh Kline.

It's the first team he's been linked to since his release from Tennessee on Friday. The Vikings have a need at right guard after cutting Mike Remmers prior to the start of free agency. Minnesota has also put an offer out to Nick Easton, who expects to make a decision on Monday. Kline is coming off an underwhelming year that saw him earn PFF's No. 69 grade among 81 qualifiers at tackle.

[mglviks]

If Easton doesnt sign, makes sense. Even if just a stop gap. Need 1 OG vet.

[Hornets]

Yuck

[Phrooster]

Spiedledope will make a big splash getting a guard from the aaf

[witljon]

Whoo?

[Da Gas Man]

It's somewhat telling about our guard situation last year when I see that 69th ranked guard and I'm excited by the upgrade over Remmers.

(I think Remmers had a better PFF grade and that is one of the reasons that I don't trust PFF OL grades).

[twgerber]

Kline I think was very good in 2016/2017. Last year he dropped off a lot from what I read. Not sure why though. Scheme? Age?

[Ash Ketchum]

69th in PFF’s rankings is not good, but he was a pretty well-thought-of lineman prior to 2018. He’s only 28 I think.

Not sure there’s a better non-draft option right now.

[HeHateMe]

I think this pickup would be fine. In 2017 he's 22nd in PFF's rankings and last year he drops off badly. Now should they hand him the right guard spot because he started the last two years for the Titans? No, but he can be an option.

[Ash Ketchum]

I think this pickup would be fine. In 2017 he's 22nd in PFF's rankings and last year he drops off badly. Now should they hand him the right guard spot because he started the last two years for the Titans? No, but he can be an option.

Yeah, bring him in. If Collins or Isadora or a rookie beats him out, that’s fine. Just get some decent bodies in the door and let the best five guys win the jobs, and hope to god collectively they can protect the QB and pave some running lanes under Dennison and Kubiak’s guidance.

[PurpleHaze]

Spiedledope will make a big splash getting a guard from the aaf

Thank God you're not running the team, if that were the case the Vikes would be worse than the 0-16 Lions!

[HeHateMe]

Matthew Coller best remaining OL options:

Since the opening of free agency, it appeared the Minnesota Vikings were on track to retain guard Nick Easton, who was a solid piece of the offensive line in 2017 and missed last season due to injury. However, the former Viking guard signed a four-year deal with the Saints on Sunday night, leaving Minnesota still in need of both a left and right guard. Here are the top remaining free agents…

Guards






TJ Lang

PFF rank: 11th (only 282 snaps)

When healthy, one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. However, Lang has not yet said whether he will continue playing in 2019.


Ben Garland

PFF rank: 16th (371 snaps)

An undersized guard who might be a scheme fit. Struggled in pass protection and lacks starting experience.


Quinton Spain

PFF rank (with at least 240 snaps): 37th of 88

A strong, sturdy pass blocker. Weighs in around 330 and lacks quickness to help Vikings in zone running game.


Tom Compton

PFF rank: 46th

A fill-in player until last season. Struggled against the NFC North’s beast interior D-linemen.


Mike Remmers

PFF rank: 51st

Cut by the Vikings, Remmers did not transition to guard last year as well as the Vikings hoped.


Stefen Wisniewski

PFF rank: 62nd

Veteran who has provided average play at center and guard for the majority of his career, but PFF grades dipped last year.


Josh Kline

PFF rank: 53rd

Former Patriot and Titan was a mid-pack guard with solid pass blocking grades until last season when his play dropped off, possibly due to injury.


Josh Sitton

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify due to injury (seventh of 92 in 2017)

An elite guard when he’s playing. Missed all but one game with a shoulder injury.


Andy Levitre

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (13th of 92 in 2017)

Played a big role on the 2016 Super Bowl Falcons team but spent last season mostly on IR.


Brett Jones

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (16th of 39 in 2017)

Vikings traded for Jones to fill the gap while Pat Elflein recovered. He played well at times in New York but did not grade well in his three-and-a-half games.


Chance Warmack

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (43rd of 92 in 2017)

Still under 30, Warmack once looked like a solid budding starter. Has seen only a handful of chances in Philadelphia as a backup.


Tackles

Jermey Parnell

PFF rank: 50th of 85

Veteran tackle who has seen better days. Released by the Jags.


Ryan Schraeder

PFF rank: 56th

Was a strong piece for the Falcons two years ago. Play dropped off after Kyle Shanahan left for San Francisco.


Jared Veldheer

PFF rank: 59th

Experienced and solid as a swing tackle, not much more.


Donald Penn

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (11th of 77 in 2017)

Elite when he’s at his best, but is 36 and coming off an injury.

[Small Hands]

Matthew Coller best remaining OL options:

Since the opening of free agency, it appeared the Minnesota Vikings were on track to retain guard Nick Easton, who was a solid piece of the offensive line in 2017 and missed last season due to injury. However, the former Viking guard signed a four-year deal with the Saints on Sunday night, leaving Minnesota still in need of both a left and right guard. Here are the top remaining free agents…

Guards






TJ Lang

PFF rank: 11th (only 282 snaps)

When healthy, one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. However, Lang has not yet said whether he will continue playing in 2019.


Ben Garland

PFF rank: 16th (371 snaps)

An undersized guard who might be a scheme fit. Struggled in pass protection and lacks starting experience.


Quinton Spain

PFF rank (with at least 240 snaps): 37th of 88

A strong, sturdy pass blocker. Weighs in around 330 and lacks quickness to help Vikings in zone running game.


Tom Compton

PFF rank: 46th

A fill-in player until last season. Struggled against the NFC North’s beast interior D-linemen.


Mike Remmers

PFF rank: 51st

Cut by the Vikings, Remmers did not transition to guard last year as well as the Vikings hoped.


Stefen Wisniewski

PFF rank: 62nd

Veteran who has provided average play at center and guard for the majority of his career, but PFF grades dipped last year.


Josh Kline

PFF rank: 53rd

Former Patriot and Titan was a mid-pack guard with solid pass blocking grades until last season when his play dropped off, possibly due to injury.


Josh Sitton

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify due to injury (seventh of 92 in 2017)

An elite guard when he’s playing. Missed all but one game with a shoulder injury.


Andy Levitre

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (13th of 92 in 2017)

Played a big role on the 2016 Super Bowl Falcons team but spent last season mostly on IR.


Brett Jones

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (16th of 39 in 2017)

Vikings traded for Jones to fill the gap while Pat Elflein recovered. He played well at times in New York but did not grade well in his three-and-a-half games.


Chance Warmack

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (43rd of 92 in 2017)

Still under 30, Warmack once looked like a solid budding starter. Has seen only a handful of chances in Philadelphia as a backup.


Tackles

Jermey Parnell

PFF rank: 50th of 85

Veteran tackle who has seen better days. Released by the Jags.


Ryan Schraeder

PFF rank: 56th

Was a strong piece for the Falcons two years ago. Play dropped off after Kyle Shanahan left for San Francisco.


Jared Veldheer

PFF rank: 59th

Experienced and solid as a swing tackle, not much more.


Donald Penn

PFF rank: Not enough snaps to qualify (11th of 77 in 2017)

Elite when he’s at his best, but is 36 and coming off an injury.

I've been pounding the table for Garland since January. He'd be perfect for a 2 year bridge Guard. Very effective in both pass and run blocking. Not going to cost an arm and a leg. It would take a lot of pressure off of Slick Rick as far as drafting based on talent over need.

6'5", 308 lbs. A bit tall, but he's my number one choice at this point. Plus, he's 30. He's not ancient. TJ Lang would be my second choice, but you better have a backup plan other then Isradora if you can sign him.

[dantheman12]

Kline is dining with Vikings brass tonight.

[Herky]

Kline is dining with Vikings brass tonight.

Manny's?

[RubeTube]

Kline and Jones would be two nice gets.

Just draft one Olinemen somewhere in the 1st two rds and we are ready to play.

[Small Hands]

Kline is dining with Vikings brass tonight.

He'll be signed by tomorrow afternoon and they'll call it our BIG FA Guard signing. It is what it is. Hopefully he was just injured last year, and will be back to what he was is '17. I hope they don't have to overpay for him. I'd feel better if they could get Lang or Garland.

[Gork]

Vikes will be lucky to finish 4th in the North

[Da Gas Man]

Kline is dining with Vikings brass tonight.

He'll be signed by tomorrow afternoon and they'll call it our BIG FA Guard signing. It is what it is. Hopefully he was just injured last year, and will be back to what he was is '17. I hope they don't have to overpay for him. I'd feel better if they could get Lang or Garland.

I would be happy. Not too long ago he was a better guard than anyone we have trotted out in a while. Also, he's young enough that one can explain his falloff on injury and not age.

[RubeTube]

Vikes will be lucky to finish 4th in the North

[Small Hands]

Kline is dining with Vikings brass tonight.

He'll be signed by tomorrow afternoon and they'll call it our BIG FA Guard signing. It is what it is. Hopefully he was just injured last year, and will be back to what he was is '17. I hope they don't have to overpay for him. I'd feel better if they could get Lang or Garland.

I would be happy. Not too long ago he was a better guard than anyone we have trotted out in a while. Also, he's young enough that one can explain his falloff on injury and not age.

It all depends on what the contract would look like. There is a reason Tenn cut him. He was terrible last year.

[Da Gas Man]

He'll be signed by tomorrow afternoon and they'll call it our BIG FA Guard signing. It is what it is. Hopefully he was just injured last year, and will be back to what he was is '17. I hope they don't have to overpay for him. I'd feel better if they could get Lang or Garland.

I would be happy. Not too long ago he was a better guard than anyone we have trotted out in a while. Also, he's young enough that one can explain his falloff on injury and not age.

It all depends on what the contract would look like. There is a reason Tenn cut him. He was terrible last year.

Yes, he was. But he was very good just before that and considering the remaining options, here's hoping last year was the anomaly.

[Ash Ketchum]

Any of these veteran guys who are freshly released from having been a starter for the same team for multiple years (Spain, Garland, Kline, Shraeder, etc.) is probably a smart market for the Vikings to be searching at this point with the budget the Vikings have.

All of these guys are 30ish and under and were multi-year starters for a reason. Atlanta and Tennessee in particular both touted very respectable offensive line play over the past few years. Not saying these guys who were released are amazing or that there isn’t a reason they were let go, but teams also do have salary cap issues.

We let Sendejo go because he wasn’t worth his salary to keep him. He wasn’t let go because he’s horrible.

I’m hopeful one of these veteran offensive linemen can fit Dennison/Kubiak’s scheme well enough to be an average starter on the OL. That’s all. Then draft your fifth starter and hope the guy you get is a solid player for years to come.

[mlhouse]

Any of these veteran guys who are freshly released from having been a starter for the same team for multiple years (Spain, Garland, Kline, Shraeder, etc.) is probably a smart market for the Vikings to be searching at this point with the budget the Vikings have.

All of these guys are 30ish and under and were multi-year starters for a reason. Atlanta and Tennessee in particular both touted very respectable offensive line play over the past few years. Not saying these guys who were released are amazing or that there isn’t a reason they were let go, but teams also do have salary cap issues.

We let Sendejo go because he wasn’t worth his salary to keep him. He wasn’t let go because he’s horrible.

I’m hopeful one of these veteran offensive linemen can fit Dennison/Kubiak’s scheme well enough to be an average starter on the OL. That’s all. Then draft your fifth starter and hope the guy you get is a solid player for years to come.

While I think they should sign a veteran like this as a competitive option for the starting interior line position and depth, there is no way that is all the commitment required to fix this oLine. Two high picks this year, one next and perhaps another the following are the assets needed.

[Ash Ketchum]

Any of these veteran guys who are freshly released from having been a starter for the same team for multiple years (Spain, Garland, Kline, Shraeder, etc.) is probably a smart market for the Vikings to be searching at this point with the budget the Vikings have.

All of these guys are 30ish and under and were multi-year starters for a reason. Atlanta and Tennessee in particular both touted very respectable offensive line play over the past few years. Not saying these guys who were released are amazing or that there isn’t a reason they were let go, but teams also do have salary cap issues.

We let Sendejo go because he wasn’t worth his salary to keep him. He wasn’t let go because he’s horrible.

I’m hopeful one of these veteran offensive linemen can fit Dennison/Kubiak’s scheme well enough to be an average starter on the OL. That’s all. Then draft your fifth starter and hope the guy you get is a solid player for years to come.

While I think they should sign a veteran like this as a competitive option for the starting interior line position and depth, there is no way that is all the commitment required to fix this oLine. Two high picks this year, one next and perhaps another the following are the assets needed.

Yeah good point.

I’m not saying the line is a finished product with one of these signings. Just that that’s probably it as far as this offseason: one shrewd signing of a veteran and a couple good draft picks.

Next offseason, I anticipate Reiff being gone, and so we’ll need to address that if we haven’t already.

[Tuck ya in]

Kline and Jones would be two nice gets.

Just draft one Olinemen somewhere in the 1st two rds and we are ready to play.

Naw, not close. They needed 3 above average starters before the season starts, right now it looks like it will be all the draft now. Kline and Jones are Compton 2.0.

[RubeTube]

Hearing we won't be letting Kline leave the building.

I expect a deal to be announced tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

#WeGotOurGuy

[mlhouse]

Hearing we won't be letting Kline leave the building.

I expect a deal to be announced tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

#WeGotOurGuy

Interesting reaction.

[Deep Purple]

JK might end up being the best signing.

[Sid Hartman]

RT @CourtneyRCronin: The Vikings have signed Josh Kline to a multi year deal, per source. 3 years, $15.75 million.