Minnesota Sports Forum

This will hurt, but in the long run we might be able to develop some younger replacements on the OL.

Man that sucks. Berger is good but now if there is a Guard injury things get a little shaky. Maybe Kerin moves to C and Berger to guard. 2/5 of the projected line is shelved already that isn't good.

monsterpile wrote:Man that sucks. Berger is good but now if there is a Guard injury things get a little shaky. Maybe Kerin moves to C and Berger to guard. 2/5 of the projected line is shelved already that isn't good.

I know. I think next year we should look to draft at least a pair of OL before the end of the 5th round.

monsterpile wrote:Man that sucks. Berger is good but now if there is a Guard injury things get a little shaky. Maybe Kerin moves to C and Berger to guard. 2/5 of the projected line is shelved already that isn't good.

I was hoping Kerin could take over at C over Berger. I like him as a backup, but not as a 33 year old starter. I wonder if the line was not in such flux if he would have gotten a better shot.

Losing two starters on the offensive line before the season starts is a big blow, but I'm more worried about the next injury. Sullivan and Loadholt were steady players, but not all pros by any means. Case in point, the offense actually improved after Loadholt went down last year. I think the combo of Berger/Clemmings will perform almost as well as Sullivan/Loadholt, but it severely impacts our OL depth. The coaching staff loves Berger because they could plug him in anywhere and know he will perform. Now, they have lost that flexibility. We know there will be more injuries on the OL, and when they happen, I'm afraid the OL will struggle a little.

Vikes paid Berger a decent chunk of money to be depth and be a fringe starter and with a rookie RT and guy in Harris being a first time G starting the vet makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point they go to Kerin if they feel comfortable with him but Berger has been at the very least solid every time he has been called on throughout his Vikings career. It's hard to imagine him not being the best player they can put out there at a very important position Kerin will still develop.

Monster - I agree. I just would love to see Kerin and Sirles depth into the extra depth we need. It is interesting to think Charlie Johnson is not good enough considered a backup this year. I am sure he would love to come back after being a starter all last year and out of the league this year. I am glad to be moving forward though and getting younger.

bleedspeed177 wrote:Monster - I agree. I just would love to see Kerin and Sirles depth into the extra depth we need. It is interesting to think Charlie Johnson is not good enough considered a backup this year. I am sure he would love to come back after being a starter all last year and out of the league this year. I am glad to be moving forward though and getting younger.

This Wikipedia entry below with the narrative of his career makes him sound more like a fringe starter than anything. It wasn't like he was all that great as a guard for the Vikings and maybe some teams had some interest but nothing above the vet min. At some point some of these guys are saying it's not worth playing for that much money if they have been reasonably wise with their money.

"Johnson was selected with the Indianapolis Colts' sixth-round pick in the 2006 NFL draft. As a rookie, he started one game, filling in for the injured right tackle Ryan Diem against Tennessee in week 13, and, additionally, filled in for Diem for a portion of Super Bowl XLI.

Due to the retirement of stalwart LT Tarik Glenn, Johnson had an opportunity to win the starting left tackle job during his second season, but was beaten out by rookie Tony Ugoh. Injuries to Ugoh and Diem, however, led to Johnson starting 10 of 16 games at LT and RT, respectively. Johnson's performance during the 2007 was widely viewed by fans as a disappointment (the 2007 season marked the first time in five years that the colts finished out of the top 5 in least sacks allowed), considering the competence he had shown as a rookie.

In Johnson's third season, he was moved to left guard in order to compensate for the loss of injured starter Ryan Lilja. Johnson started all 16 games, 12 at LG and 4 at LT, and was one of only two starting OL (the other being Ryan Diem) to play in every game that season.

The following year, Johnson beat out underachieving starter Tony Ugoh for the starting LT position during training camp. Through 6 games, Johnson has demonstrated solid improvement at his position, in contrast to previous years' performances.

Minnesota Vikings Edit
On August 1, 2011, Johnson signed with the Minnesota Vikings. He played left tackle in his first full season with the Vikings but was then moved to left guard after the team drafted tackle Matt Kalil from USC."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Johnson_(offensive_lineman)

If Kalil gets hurt or plays bad we are just screwed upfront.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Zulgad_Loss_of_Sullivan_means_offensive_line_could_be_a_liability091015

I was listening to KFAN. I heard Fran Tarkenton saying that O-Line is not that big of deal because the difference between the best line and the worst is not that different in the NFL. He used the Packers as an example of a team that never has that great of line. Honestly I don't agree with him. The game is just much easier when you have a good O-Line.