Vikings Re-Sign Swing Tackle Rashod Hill; Will They Restructure Riley Reiff's Contract?
The Vikings have agreed to terms with offensive tackle Rashod Hill. Hill's agent announced the move on Friday night, and the team confirmed it on Saturday.
Hill will retain his role as the team's swing tackle: the No. 3 OT on the roster, who can fill in at both right and left tackle. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Hill is known as a solid pass-protector who isn't very effective in the running game. Last year, in 172 snaps, Hill had an excellent PFF pass-blocking grade of 79.2 but a run-block grade of just 48.8.
He started seven games in 2017 while filling in for Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers, and eight games in 2018 in place of Reiff and Brian O'Neill. Hill played over half of the Vikings' offensive snaps in each of those seasons. But with Reiff and O'Neill staying healthy in 2019, Hill played on less than 20 percent of the team's snaps.
After going undrafted out of Southern Miss in 2016, Hill began his career with the Jaguars. But he never appeared in a regular season game, and was signed by the Vikings off of Jacksonville's practice squad. He made his first NFL appearance in Week 17 of that year.
The contract details for Hill's new deal have not been announced, but his 2020 cap hit figures to be in the range of the $2 million that it was last season. The Vikings have four tackles on their roster: Reiff, O'Neill, Hill, and 2019 seventh-rounder Oli Udoh. They have been linked to a number of 2020 tackle prospects, including potential first-rounders Josh Jones (Houston) and Austin Jackson (USC).
Related: NFL Combine Winners: Offensive Tackles Who Could Interest Vikings
The Vikings could still look to cut Reiff – which would free up $8.8 million in cap space – or restructure his contract. Even if Reiff is cut, the team likely doesn't view Hill as a potential starting option. In that case, they would likely pursue a free agent with the cap savings.
Reiff has been a solid left tackle since the Vikings signed him before the 2017 season, but he's still one of the most obvious avenues for creating cap space.
