return to the Vikings. He chose to join the Saints.Easton
Minnesota Vikings Jerseys 2019 , who agreed to a four-year, $24 million deal with New Orleans on Sunday, will replace Max Unger as the starting center. Unger retired last week."Obviously, you have a well established offense and an unreal quarterback room that they have down there," Easton said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "Not to mention one of the most well respected offensive lines in football. It's pretty obvious why I chose to go down there. And I'm fired up to be part of it."Easton, 26, missed all of last season with a neck injury that required surgery. He started 12 games in 2017 before a fractured ankle ended his season in December.Easton appeared in 23 career games for Minnesota with 17 starts. He played 665 snaps at left guard and 463 at center for the Vikings."If you look at a breakdown of my snaps with the Vikings, I was just about 50-50 between guard and center because if there was ever an injury at the center position, I would slide over in my time there," Easton said. "I actually made my first start as a Viking as a center, so I've got pretty good experience at center." EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings selected Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. with the 50th overall pick in the second round on Friday night
Infant Dru Samia Jersey , adding another potential field-stretching pass-catcher for quarterback Kirk Cousins.Smith became the fourth Alabama tight end drafted in the last eight years, with O.J. Howard the most recent in 2017 by Tampa Bay with the 19th overall pick in the first round. Smith is the son of former NFL tight end Irv Smith, who played the first five of his seven seasons in the league with New Orleans after being drafted in the first round in 1993 out of Notre Dame.Vikings NFL Draft CoverageHow NFL draft affected Vikings' 2019 opponentsMinnesota Vikings 2019 NFL Draft gradesMinnesota Vikings 2019 NFL draft capsulesVikings take fliers on CB Boyd, WR Mitchell, WR Johnson, LS Cutting in seventh roundVikings use sixth round to draft DT Watts, S Epps, OT UdohVikings draft USC linebacker Cameron Smith in fifth roundVikings trade up in fourth round, draft guard Dru SamiaVikings trade down four times, use third-round pick to select RB MattisonPotential Vikings Day 2 picks in 2019 NFL draftVikings select C Garrett Bradbury with 18th overall pick in 2019 NFL draft"Just seeing all his footballs, his helmets, his trophies
Dru Samia Jersey nfl draft , everything around the house, just seeing all that motivated me to put myself in the position I'm in today," Smith said, acknowledging on a conference call with reporters that, yes, his father had plenty to do with him settling at the same position."He said, 'You can either be a slow receiver or a fast tight end,'" Smith said. "I went with being a fast tight end, and it worked out."With the Crimson Tide, Smith played sparingly as a freshman in 2016 while Howard was still a primary cog in the offense. For the 2017 national champions, Smith became more involved with 14 catches for 128 yards and three touchdowns. Then last year as a junior, he flourished with 44 receptions for 710 yards and seven scores. Smith ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds at the NFL scouting combine
Replica Dru Samia Jersey , the fourth-fastest among tight ends, and he was the third player off the board at his position after Iowa teammates T.J. Hockenson (eighth overall to Detroit) and Noah Fant (20th overall to Denver) went in the first round on Thursday night."We can line him up wide. We can line him up in tight. We can use him in the backfield. He has a lot of versatility," Vikings director of college scouting Jamaal Stephenson said, adding: "We want to be more explosive on offense."As a run blocker?"He's OK. He's a work in progress, more from that standpoint, but he's certainly tough enough and willing, which are the two things you look for to project improvement," Stephenson said.The Vikings have Kyle Rudolph and David Morgan for that, for now. The ninth-year veteran Rudolph has not missed a game in five seasons, is a bulwark in the community, has two Pro Bowl selections on his resume and is coming off a strong 2018, but he's in the final year of his contract with a $7.625 million salary cap hit. Smith's presence could make Rudolph expendable
Dru Samia Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , should the Vikings seek more space under the cap."All the best tight ends in the NFL and all the greats, they're able to do both, run block and make plays in the passing game, so it opens a lot for you and it helps a team in all phases of the game," Smith said.Make no mistake, though. He's here to create a mismatch by lining up in the slot and giving defenses concerned about wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs pause about who to cover him with."I believe no linebacker or safety one-on-one can stay with me, and I'm going to keep proving to people that's how I feel," Smith said.The Vikings picked North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury in the first round on Thursday, shoring up their greatest need: the interior of the offensive line. The Vikings netted an additional sixth-rounder for Saturday by swapping spots in the third round with Detroit.