Zimmer: Vikings need tougher 
offensive line!Mar 23, 2016 
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BOCA RATON, Fla. — Job security is fleeting along the Minnesota Vikings offensive line, and if the tackles, guards and centers collectively have not felt the heat beneath their seats, coach Mike Zimmer cranked the burner Wednesday.
At the NFL owners meetings, Zimmer said Minnesota’s top offseason priority was stabilizing its underperforming offensive line, opening up all five starting positions to competition after free agents Andre Smith and Adam Boone were signed this month.
“I feel like every other position group on our football team has a tough-minded personality. I don’t know that our offensive line did,” Zimmer told reporters about the 2015 season. “Teddy (Bridgewater) was running for his life half the time, (and) we had a whole bunch of 1-yard runs. I just felt we needed to make some changes.”
Adrian Peterson rushed for a league-best 1,485 yards,
but Bridgewater was sacked 44 times last year
and the Vikings’ downfield passing attack was nonexistent.
Boone, who signed a four-year $26.8 million deal, is expected to start at left guard, moving Brandon Fusco back to right guard. Smith, who signed a one-year
$3.5 million contract, will compete at guard and tackle, according to Zimmer.
Even left tackle, the job of former first-round draft pick Matt Kalil the past four seasons?
“Possibly,” Zimmer said. “I just want to get as many bodies in there as I could and let them fight it out.”
The third-year head coach also was cool to the notion that the Vikings must acquire another marquee receiver to replace the jettisoned Mike Wallace if they want to improve their passing game.
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After Minnesota declined to pick up Wallace’s $11 million contract for 2015, Wallace signed with Baltimore, referencing a desire to play for a more accomplished quarterback, like the Ravens’ Joe Flacco, than Bridgewater.
“I don’t want to get into that Bridgewater and Wallace deal,” Zimmer said. “We had a receiver here that was making a lot of money that didn’t do what we needed to do. So I don’t know that it’s a necessity to go out and sign another wide receiver.
“We’ve got to get better with the guys we’ve got, and we’ve got to fix other areas that can allow these receivers to be more effective in the games.”
Zimmer arrived for his hour-long media session dressed casually in a checkered blue and purple dress shirt, carrying a camouflage backpack.
He spoke candidly about a variety of subjects as the team prepares for next month’s draft:
On Andre Smith:“Andre’s a really good athlete and I think he’s got more time to develop. He doesn’t have weight issues. He’s a good guy. He’s started (73) games. He’s got some experience. I like having first-round draft picks that leave other places, because they have pedigrees.”
On selling the offensive line rebuilding project internally:“When we were trying to get Andre Smith in here, I had Teddy text him, and Adrian (too). And then after we signed him, my text back to those guys was, ‘OK, we got Boone. We got Smith. Now there’s no excuses. You can’t say we didn’t have this or this. It’s time to go now.’ ”
On whether center John Sullivan, who missed the entire 2015 season after two back surgeries, will be able to participate in spring workouts:
“We’re hoping. We’ve seen him in the weight room the last week or so. He’s moving a lot better. He looks a lot better. His body mass is changing. He’s getting stronger. But who knows? Until you start pushing on 350-pound men, you really don’t know because it’s different than being in the weight room.”
On Cordarrelle Patterson’s future as a receiver:“It’s really time for him to prove it now. If he wants to be something other than a returner, this is the year he has to do it. If he wants to be an NFL wide receiver, this is his time. A lot of guys grow up slower than others, different times, different stages. Guys blossom in their third or fourth year. I don’t know if it’s going to happen. I hope it does, for our sake.”
On Chad Greenway negotiations and whether the veteran linebacker can contribute to the team if he’s not starting:
“We’re talking to him. I think there’ll be a role for Chad, very similar to his role last year. (Anthony) Barr was hurt a couple games, (Eric) Kendricks was hurt a couple games. Audie Cole got hurt. We traded (Gerald) Hodges. It’s a very fluid position because of the nature of the injuries. I think he played a lot more last year than we anticipated, and I think it’ll be the same this year if he signs back.”
On whether his defense can be a top-5 unit:“I don’t know. I don’t think we’re very good, to be honest. I think we played well in spurts. I’ve been complaining about offense but they don’t have 3-and-outs. We don’t turn the ball over offensively. For the most part they control time of possession, which helped us defensively. I’ll say we were good in situations — third downs we were pretty good, good in the red zone, so that kept some of the scores down. But we can be a lot better. So, probably not. No.”
Final word on Bridgewater:“He thinks he can be legendary. I don’t want to sell him short. The guy’s a worker. He’s smart. He’s a quick thinker. I think he’s got a chance to be pretty good. If he’s legendary, I’ll like that. Teddy wants to win. He’s not really concerned about the stats. He wants to have stats, and he wants to have people think he’s good, but it’s more so about winning. He won six (games) in his rookie year, 11 this year. His record’s better than mine as a starting quarterback.”
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