Vikings' Rebuilt Offensive Line Focusing On Cohesion At Training Camp
MANKATO, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Vikings made upgrading an abysmal and injury-riddled offensive line their top offseason priority this spring, signing two free agent tackles and drafting a center/guard with their second pick.
But was it enough, or does Mike Zimmer need to see some game day results to believe it?
"I'm confident they're better. I'm with those guys, I see the things that they're doing, but the proof's got to be in the pudding," Zimmer said. "I thought we were going to be better last year and we had obviously a lot of different things happen. But I do know the personalities of these guys and that's kind go what I'm putting a lot of belief in."
It would stand to reason that the biggest challenge with potentially three of the five starters being brand new is developing cohesion and chemistry -- and as fast as they can.
"I think a lot of it comes off the field. On the field everyone's going to be who they are and that's just kind of how it is," Alex Boone said. "But it's off the field where you kind of build that relationship of trust and guys understand how each other are, and humor, when you're serious. So you'll always see the o-line kind of hanging out together in the lunchroom, we have our own table, we sit together, we talk together, we play cards together. That's just how it is. We're the group within the group."
"The number one thing we want to do right now is work on getting solid fundamentals, getting a strong foundation down and then finally getting the right five guys in there so they can start working with some cohesion and working together," Zimmer said.
Because as we found out last season, having a good offensive line is really, really important.
