Outlook After 2021 NFL Season Wraps

I saw the Purple People Eaters play in the fall of 1970 at Old Met Stadium. I was stationed at Fort Snelling across Interstate 494. I want the Vikings offensive line of 2022 to be, and play like, the Purple People Eaters that I saw play in 1970. Then we will have a winning team and go to the Super Bowl.

Robert is aiming high for the Vikings offensive line.

But let’s take it down a notch when trying to compare different position units, and not just because they are on different sides of the ball.

There’s a strong case to be made that the Purple People Eaters are the best position group in Vikings history. Yes, even better than the late ’90s wide receiver group.

That group featured a pair of Hall of Famers in Alan Page and Carl Eller, plus a third member who many believe is deserving of his own spot in Canton, Ohio, in Jim Marshall. And Gary Larsen was a two-time Pro Bowler himself.

The 2022 Vikings offensive line will be led by O’Neill, who is coming off his first Pro Bowl. Darrisaw will hopefully develop into the franchise’s cornerstone left tackle, and Ezra Cleveland showed solid progression in his second season as an NFL guard after playing tackle in college.

The questions lie on the interior, where former first-rounder Garrett Bradbury is already heading into his fourth year and has had a bumpy career thus far. Mason Cole is scheduled to be a free agent. And Olisaemeka Udoh, despite starting 16 games in 2021, likely isn’t viewed as a surefire starter again in 2022.

Some pieces are in place up front for the Vikings, and it’s a welcome sight that offensive line is not a position of need in the first round of mock drafts this year.

But I don’t think you can hope that any position group plays like the Purple People Eaters. They are in a class of their own, and rightfully so.

And finally, speaking of the Purple People Eaters, a shoutout to my colleague, Lindsey Young, for this great story on the 50-year anniversary of Page becoming the first defensive player in NFL history to win the MVP award.

Please look at training a couple of the backup linemen as fullbacks on goal-line plays. They are used to hitting and blocking.

A nice idea, but the last time I checked C.J. Ham is still on the roster.

He’s good enough to be in the mix every year for the Pro Bowl, and likely would be if not for San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk.

Ham is among the best in the league at his position, and his ability to open holes near the goal line is a big reason for that. Cook has 35 rushing touchdowns in his past three seasons, 20 of which have come from the 4-yard line or closer.

If you’re looking for a backup lineman to make an impact, it’s arguable that Blake Brandel did so in 2021.

The former sixth-round tackle was the focus of this story, and chipped in as an extra lineman — even running a few routes as a tight end.