On Thursday, the Vikings announced that they had acquired Cardinals center Mason Cole via trade. Minnesota gave up a sixth-round pick (No. 223) to land Cole.
The Vikings getting a center may appear strange on the surface, considering the team still has center Garrett Bradbury. However, Cole has slotted into the guard spot for the Cardinals in the past. Per PFF, Cole has 149 snaps at left guard and 47 snaps at right guard.
Minnesota could put him at the left or right guard spot next season. Dakota Dozier, who tallied a PFF grade of 44.6 as the team’s starting left guard in 2020, is currently an unrestricted free agent. Depending on what the team does with OL Ezra Cleveland, Cole could really start at either guard spot.
There’s also the possibility that Cole is nothing more than depth. His 54.4 overall PFF grade in 2020 leaves something to be desired. Cole fits the bill of a Vikings offensive lineman by being just 292 pounds and being good as a run blocker. He had a PFF run blocking grade of 62.9 in 2020.
At worst, Cole is in the role OL Brett Jones was in 2020 — one of the main interior options among the reserves. At best, the Vikings found a starter at a spot they desperately needed to fill this offseason. Even better: Minnesota still has one sixth-round pick for 2021, so the team doesn’t miss out on a chance to land a rookie in that stage of the NFL draft.
Earlier, I wrote about how Minnesota should not try and draft two starting guards for 2021. That’s a risky bet and free agency would be a better option, due to dealing with known quantities, as opposed to prospects. But a trade is also good for that, especially when the team doesn’t have to give up all that much. Cole doesn’t seem like a can’t-miss player, but he is a potential upgrade at guard, a weak spot for Minnesota in the past.
Grade: B+