There's no doubt Minnesota's roster will look different for the 2021 season than it did this past year. What remains to be seen, though, is just how the Vikings approach the offseason through possible trade storylines, free agency (which starts March 17) and the NFL Draft.
Bleacher Report recently rolled out its “ideal trade scenarios” for each team, and Brent Sobleski looked at offensive line for the Vikings. He suggested that a trade for Cleveland's Chris Hubbard would be a good move for Minnesota. Sobleski wrote:
The thought of trading for another squad's swing lineman isn't sexy at all, but the possibility of acquiring Chris Hubbard from the Cleveland Browns makes a lot of sense for the Minnesota Vikings.
Guard is clearly an issue. Ezra Cleveland seemed to settle in at right guard, yet Dakota Dozier didn't fare particularly well on the left side, especially in pass protection.
Hubbard served as the sixth lineman on the league's best offensive front. He can play all five positions and started games at right tackle and guard in 2020.
Although the Vikings current cap situation is tight, Sobleski opined that taking on Hubbard's base salary "[wouldn't be] impossible" for them.
A familiarity with playing in the same scheme is a bonus. After all, Kevin Stefanski served as the Vikings offensive coordinator before he became Cleveland's head coach.
Potential free agent additions for Vikings could include veteran WR
Speaking of roster changes, Preet Shah of Zone Coverage discussed the possibility of Minnesota adding a wide receiver through free agency this spring.
The Vikings are set with Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, but there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut WR3 at this point. Will that role be filled by someone already on the roster, such as Chad Beebe, or will Minnesota bring in an additional wideout? Shah listed four potential options for the Vikings: Tyrell Williams; Marvin Jones, Jr.; T.Y. Hilton; and A.J. Green.
Jones has spent the past five seasons within the division as a reliable target for the Lions, but Shah opined that Detroit won't re-sign Jones in the wake of trading Matthew Stafford to the Rams.
Jones showcased his ability to extend drives by recording a career-high 52 first downs and, like Williams, is an outside-the-numbers wideout, playing 645 of his 941 snaps out wide.
With Jones, the Vikings could run more 11 personnel and incorporate more passing into their playbook. Jones could also replace Jefferson or Thielen in a pinch if they were to get injured.
Hilton has been a mainstay in Indianapolis, but Shah said the 31-year-old has "lost a step" since the retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck. That's not to say he has nothing left, though.
Even though Hilton is no longer in his prime, he could provide some savvy veteran wideout presence to the roster. Hilton likely wouldn't be a long-term WR3 solution at this point in his career, but he'd be an effective bridge player.
