The Vikings Might Have an OLB Problem

For years, the Minnesota Vikings have experienced some dominant performances from their edge rushers. Recently, it has been the combination of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. This season, that group was split up when Greenard was seen as too expensive and sent to the Philadelphia Eagles.

That was an understandable move, both from a salary cap perspective and from a current roster construction perspective. Dallas Turner was a first-round pick just two years ago, and a starter to show breakout ability as he filled in for an injured Greenard last season.

Brian Flores May Need Another Reliable Pass Rusher

Now tasked with being the man opposite Van Ginkel, Turner won’t have anywhere to hide. Flores loves to blitz, and he’ll be reliant on both Van Ginkel and Turner. The former has proven his ability in this defense, while the latter will need to substantiate it.

If things go sideways early for Turner, the Minnesota Vikings could be in for a world of hurt. Van Ginkel missed time with a neck injury last season, and the cupboards are bare behind the youngster Turner. Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, and Chaz Chambliss are the only players with any level of familiarity behind the two Vikings starting edge rushers, and they leave plenty to be desired.

Turner had eight sacks in 17 games last season (10 starts). It stands to reason that he could be in line for greater production if he’s given more runway. There’s also the possibility that he simply gets exposed, and Minnesota is left wondering what happened.

At this stage of free agency, the open market doesn’t have a ton of ideal options. Hasson Reddick, Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, and Denico Autry are all big names over 30 years old. Yetur Gross-Matos is 28 and may still be ascending. No matter what, though, Minnesota doesn’t have a whole lot to spend.

The Vikings reallocated the savings from Greenard into the deal they signed with wide receiver Jauan Jennings. That move bolstered the offense, but Flores utilized pressure to help out the secondary last season. If he’s not going to be able to do that this time around, or can’t rely on the people he has, the group could be exposed pretty quickly.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler