Making sense of the Josh Kline decision

It’s hard to make sense of the Vikings terminating Josh Kline’s contract at the moment, but let’s try to anyway. Here are some possible scenarios.

The Vikings see a guard in free agency they like

Photo: Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports

This scenario is relatively unlikely at the moment, because of the Vikings’ cap space situation. But maybe they are prioritizing a lot of what’s left in space for a guard, or maybe the team will make moves in order to free up more space.

Let’s say the Vikings are doing that. A lot of the better guards in free agency are reportedly off the table already, but there’s been no official word about Ron Leary agreeing to terms anywhere. Leary gave up just one sack last season for the Broncos, per PFF, but he only earned a rank of 58.4 out of 100 on the analytics site. Leary thrived with the Cowboys, but it seems like he’s dropped off somewhat now that he’s 30.

The Seahawks’ Mike Iupati and the 49ers’ Michael Person are also both possible options. Those two have been serviceable, but honestly, not a huge upgrade from Kline.