Vikings have dealt with plenty of problems at the guard position this season.
In Pat Elflein’s absence, Dru Samia initially filled in and struggled in that role. However, when Samia went down, Ezra Cleveland stepped in.
He was a tad inconsistent against the Falcons, but since then, Cleveland has found his stride as a starting offensive lineman.
With Cleveland in that role and Elflein back from injury, the Vikings made the decision to waive Elflein. Why did the team do it?
“We just felt like we had some better options,” Zimmer said of the right guard spot, via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
“It’s always tough. These guys come in and compete and work real hard. But at times, you just got to make those decisions.”
It seems like Cleveland will be the presumptive starter at right guard for 2020 anyway. That said, the move to get rid of Elflein was a confusing one, because he could have added depth to that spot and now it seems like Samia will be the backup option.
