MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings forged into free agency with the offensive line as a primary focus.
Bringing in more blockers will be a priority all the way through the draft.
After letting left tackle Matt Kalil leave for Carolina on a whopping five-year contract worth as much as $55.5 million including $25 million guaranteed, the Vikings according to multiple reports reached an agreement on a deal for his replacement, former Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff.
The Vikings didn’t announce any signings Thursday when the market opened, but Reiff is the type of experienced, hard-nosed player who can immediately upgrade an offensive line group that collectively struggled throughout an 8-8 season in 2016.
Drafted in the first round with the 23rd pick by the Lions out of Iowa in 2012, Reiff played in 78 of a possible 82 games including the playoffs.
The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Reiff began his pro career as a left tackle and moved to right tackle last year after the Lions drafted Taylor Decker in the first round.
Reiff is from Parkston, South Dakota, not far from where recently retired Vikings linebacker and fellow Iowa alum Chad Greenway grew up.
After patching together their front five with 12 different players and eight unique starting lineups in 2016, the Vikings entered the offseason with an unquestioned priority on the offensive line.
Left guard Alex Boone and center Joe Berger, who’s also a possibility at right guard, are the only two returning regular starters.
Without a first-round draft pick, their options for instant improvement are fewer.
They began free agency with nearly $38 million in salary cap space, in the middle of the pack in the league.
The Vikings were relatively quiet Thursday, while several other top tackles in an always-tight market signed with other teams.