PHOENIX – Right guard has moved to or near the top of the Vikings' list of priorities as the organization heads into its final weeks of preparation for next month's NFL draft.
Asked Wednesday if he currently has five offensive line starters that he's satisfied with, coach Mike Zimmer hesitated.
"I don't know," he said during the NFC coaches breakfast at the annual league meetings. "I think I got four. But we'll see. We still have to figure out the guard position, the right guard. I think I know what the center is going to be but things change so fast."
The leading candidates at right guard are Jeremiah Sirles, a utility player who saw action at both guard and tackle spots last season; and Joe Berger, a natural center and longtime proven starter at all three interior positions. Ideally, the Vikings would like to keep Berger at center and bring in another quality player to compete at right guard.
"We still have the draft coming up and there's still more time in free agency," Zimmer said. "We're going to continue to look at every option possible."
Reiff and Remmers
Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said there were only five free agent offensive tackles he would have considered signing this year. He wouldn't list the order in which he had them, but he said he got two of them in left tackle Riley Reiff and right tackle Mike Remmers.
Zimmer said they're "probably better run blockers than pass protectors," but added, "they're adequate in pass protection" and will improve the team's edge protection because "they play like veterans."
"They'll change up their sets, they'll change up their hands … so [pass rushers] are not getting the same [look] every play and don't get in the rhythm with them," Zimmer said. "Last year, we had a lot of quick misses [in pass protection]. These guys are going to fight and make it a lot tougher to get around."