Vikings place second-round tender on Nick Easton

The rebuild on the offensive line for the Minnesota Vikings will continue this offseason, but it appears that they want one of their primary starters from last season to continue to be a part of the crew.

The team has announced that they have placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent guard Nick Easton, a move that will pretty much take him off of the free agent market. The second-round tender is worth $2.914 million to Easton whenever he signs it.

Easton was acquired by the Vikings in 2015, as the Vikings traded linebacker Gerald Hodges to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Easton and a sixth-round draft choice. He made the move from center to guard in 2017, and wound up winning the starting spot at left guard. He started 12 games for the Vikings at the position in 2017 before his season was ended by a fractured left ankle he suffered in Week 16 in Green Bay.

With the tender being applied, it would certainly appear as though the team wants Easton back in the mix on the offensive line in 2018. A team that’s looking for guard help could sign Easton to an offer sheet if they feel that he’s worth a second-round pick, but it would be a bit of a surprise if that were to happen. While the Vikings are still expected to spend more capital on the offensive line this offseason, whether in free agency, the draft, or both, Easton should still have a decent chance of reclaiming his starting spot in 2018.