We are still a bit away from the start of the 2019 season, but here are three offensive position battles to watch on the Minnesota Vikings as we approach training camp.
Backup QB – Sean Mannion vs. Kyle Sloter
This one should be pretty fun. Mannion has the experience as a 2015 fourth-round draft pick, but he has just one-career start and the free-agent market wasn’t exactly booming for him.
Sloter, on the other hand, has become a fan favorite since signing with the Vikings in the fall of 2017. Many thought he should have been named backup quarterback over Trevor Siemian after a strong 2018 preseason.
I think this is a toss up right now.
WR3 – Anyone not named Adam Thielen or Stefon Diggs
This is crowded, but the main players in this will be Laquon Treadwell, Chad Beebe, Jordan Taylor and Brandon Zylstra. Also don’t sleep on seventh-round picks Dillon Mitchell and Olabisi Johnson.
The favorite for now, it seems, is Taylor, someone who is familiar with offensive advisor Gary Kubiak from their days in Denver.
TE – Kyle Rudolph vs. Irv Smith Jr.
I know, I know. Rudolph just signed a four-year, $32 million contract extension. But with drafting Smith Jr. in the second round, the Vikings were planning on using both tight ends regardless. I wouldn’t be surprised if Smith Jr., a more dynamic tight end, ended up finishing the season with more opportunities than Rudolph.
