Vikings' Sparano out to improve offensive line

While the Vikings are upgrading their offensive line by re-signing right tackle Phil Loadholt, signing free-agent guard Alex Boone to a four-year deal worth $26.8 million, and still hoping to sign free-agent tackle Andre Smith, the biggest addition they might have made is new offensive line coach Tony Sparano.

Sparano has a long history of coaching in the NFL, including stints under coaches Marty Schottenheimer, Tom Coughlin, Rex Ryan and Bill Parcells in Dallas (along with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer).

Sparano, who was the head coach for the Dolphins for four seasons (2008-11) and served as interim coach with the Raiders in 2014, posted a 29-32 record with the Dolphins, including an 11-win season and a playoff appearance in his first year there.

Now Sparano will be tasked with improving an offensive line that helped the team rank fourth in the NFL in rushing (2,211 yards), but 31st in passing (2,928) and tied for the eighth-most sacks allowed (45).

Sparano said working with Zimmer at Dallas from 2003-2006 got him interested in being on Zimmer's staff in Minnesota when offensive line coach Jeff Davidson was fired in the offseason.

"My association with Coach Zimmer started when I was with the Dallas Cowboys," Sparano said. "He was the defensive coordinator there and I was the line coach there under Parcells. We got a chance to work with each other and always liked what his philosophies were, and now I get a chance to work with him here."

Sparano helped turn Dallas around, much as he did in Miami when he took over that team. The Dolphins went from one win the previous season to 11 wins in 2008.

The Vikings are at a crossroads with their offensive line in several regards, after preseason injuries to Loadholt and center John Sullivan left them starting Joe Berger for 16 games at center and rookie T.J. Clemmings 16 games at right tackle last season.

After those early injuries, the team did have great consistency with Berger, Clemmings, Matt Kalil, Brandon Fusco and Mike Harris all starting 16 games, but it's clear the team wasn't pleased with the line's overall play and is looking to add depth and competition for training camp.

Sparano, who got his start as an offensive line coach at Division II New Haven, has been coaching offensive lines and tight ends for the bulk of his career.

"I've coached the offensive line a bunch of different [NFL] places," he said. "Started in Cleveland with the Browns. Certainly with the Dolphins, I was the head coach but had my eye on the offensive line there. With the Oakland Raiders, with the Dallas Cowboys, four or five different stops."

Sparano, like Zimmer, is known to have a direct and intense coaching personality, but he said sometimes that is necessary, especially when coaching a group of offensive linemen.

Sparano joined Zimmer in Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine. Many mock drafts have offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil of Mississippi going first overall, but Sparano said there was a lot of offensive line talent available, though he doesn't know if the Vikings will aim for one of them early.

"There's a bunch of good players out there right now and we're in the middle of evaluating them all right now, so we'll see how it all shakes down," he said. "But there were certainly some players that could help us.

"Overall, I think there's going to be several [offensive linemen] going in the first round. … The last four or five years, that position has probably turned out five or six first-rounders in the draft each year."

The Vikings are on their way to having one of the best defenses in the NFL, being overseen by a defensive genius in Zimmer. Now with Norv Turner as offensive coordinator and new coaches Sparano and Pat Shurmur (tight ends), there's a good chance the offense will start rising to equal the defense.

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