Vikings Agree to Terms With Former Broncos Guard/Center Austin Schlottmann
The Vikings have agreed to terms with former Broncos interior offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann, the team announced Wednesday evening. It's reportedly a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. He's 6'6", 300 pounds and can play all three interior positions.
Schlottmann spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos after going undrafted out of TCU in 2018. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad, but made the active roster out of training camp in 2019. Schlottmann started the final four games of that season at right guard and played fairly well.
In 2020, he started two games at right guard and also filled in at LG a couple times, but the results weren't as good (at least according to Pro Football Focus). Schlottmann made one start at center last season.
All in all, the 26-year-old has started 7 games over the past three seasons and played a total of 581 offensive snaps in his career. He's also seen some time on special teams.
This move makes sense given that the Vikings' new offensive line coaches — Chris Kuper and assistant Justin Rascati — both came over from the Broncos this offseason. So they have familiarity with Schlottmann and must think he has some upside.
This is a decent depth pickup for the Vikings, who let Mason Cole and Dakota Dozier leave in free agency. It would be concerning if Schlottmann is viewed as a legitimate starting option, but it's fine if he's a backup with positional versatility. For now, the Vikings' presumptive starters at their two unknown OL spots are Garrett Bradbury at center and Wyatt Davis at RG. We'll see if they add more talent to those positions via free agency or the draft going forward.
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