Report: Danny Isidora to start at center for Vikings on Sunday

Even with the preseason in the rear view mirror, the Minnesota Vikings still have some questions along the offensive line that need answering before Sunday’s season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. According to one prominent NFL insider, the answer to one of those questions appears to be one that I don’t think anyone was expecting.

Brian Baldinger is reporting that the Vikings’ starting center on Sunday afternoon will be none other than Danny Isidora.

Isidora’s first start at center. . .at any level. . .came in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans this past Thursday. His second one will apparently come on Sunday when the Vikings open the regular season at U.S. Bank Stadium.

This obviously means that, as speculated, the Vikings will not have the services of regular starting center Pat Elflein on Sunday. Elflein, who was removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list at Saturday’s 53-man roster deadline, is still likely a few weeks away from hitting the field. He just wasn’t so far away that the Vikings felt they needed to have him miss the first six weeks of the season.

Unless I miss my guess, this also means that the newly-acquired Brett Jones will be starting at left guard rather than center on Sunday. Jones did start two games at left guard for the New York Giants over the past couple of seasons, but had the majority of his starts in the pivot.

So, based on this intel, it appears that the Vikings starting offensive line on Sunday is going to be:

• LT Riley Reiff
• LG Brett Jones
• C Danny Isidora
• RG Mike Remmers
• RT Rashod Hill/Brian O’Neill

I’d expect Hill to get the start at right tackle, but I can’t completely count out O’Neill, who put together a much better preseason than I think most people expected.

What do you think of the decision. . .should it be true. . .that the Vikings will start Danny Isidora at center on Sunday afternoon?