May

2

HUGE Potential for the Vikings O-Line in 2009

Posted by Chris Boynton under Minnesota Vikings 

Vikings Camp Football
The addition of Phil Loadholt adds serious beef to the Vikings offensive line. At 6’8” and 337 lbs. Phil Loadholt is a BIG man ! Just ask Brad Childress. Yesterday he told the Star Tribune “ That’s a BIG man !”. So there you have it ! I mean, if you are just standing around and the sun disappears for 2-3 minutes like some kind of great eclipse then there is a good chance that Loadholt is in the room. He comes in with the reputation of being an excellent run blocker.

Pair that with Bryant McKennie ( same height but 7-8 pounds lighter ) and the Vikings have the biggest tackle tandem in the NFL. McKennie is a bit of an enigma. He has all the tools to be a dominant LT, and while he is far above average, the Vikings are waiting for him to take the next step into the dominant category. If his off-field issues become a thing of the past, and his work ethic improves, then he is a pro-bowler.

At guard, the Vikings have Steve Hutchinson. ( 6’5” 313 lbs. ) Possibly the best offensive lineman in the game. Nearly a perfect offensive guard. Every part of his game is superb. Great feet, great hands, powerful and dominant. He can run and pull and draws few penalties. A future Hall-of-famer !.

The other guard is Anthony Herrera ( 6’ 2” 315 lbs. ) A very good run blocker who has improved his footwork and overall game since becoming a starter two seasons ago. While merely good at pass blocking, he has been called an “ Absolute Mauler “ in the running game. He does a good job getting out in front on screens and plays with a real Nasty streak ! Herrera loves to hit people.

At center is John Sullivan ( 6’ 4” 301 lbs. ) The Vikings were so confident in his ability to start that they allowed pro bowler Matt Burk to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. He’s smart, and strong and the word is that the Vikings may even consider him an Upgrade over Burk. Big endorsement. Only time will tell if their assessment is correct, but the fact is that Burk has been around a long time, and his skills had clearly begun to erode. Many in fact compare Sullivan to a young Burk.

That’s alotta Beef !!!! Almost 1600 lbs. of pure bull baby ! A absolute horde of gigantic proportions for Adrian Peterson to run behind. I don’t know about you, but I for one cannot wait to see the kind of numbers this group puts up this fall.


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