Left tackle Riley Reiff has been released, while left guard Dakota Dozier remains an unrestricted free agent. Reiff and Dozier combined to make 31 games in 2020, with Dozier starting all games.
Minnesota still has a strong trio of Brian O’Neill, Garrett Bradbury and Ezra Cleveland, but only Bradbury’s position in the center remains solidified with the 2021 NFL Draft five weeks away.
O’Neill has only played on the right in his three seasons, but can move to the left. Cleveland was a left tackle throughout the conference at Boise State, but started nine games on the right guard in his debut season. Minnesota also rehired Rashod Hill, who has been the striker.
Cole can be placed in a guard position, a position where he has two career starts.
Cole started all 16 games at the center as a rookie in 2018, but then started only twice in 2019, both on the left guard. He returned to his central place in 2020 and made 14 matches there.
According to the analytics website Focus on professional footballCole offers position flexibility based on his snap counts over the past three seasons.
PFF has Cole in 2,063 total NFL snaps, with 1,862 of them (90.3 percent) coming in the center. But he also played 149 snaps on the left guard, 47 snaps on the right guard, one on the left tackle and four on the extra tight end.
Cole played collegially at the University of Michigan. He made 51 consecutive matches along the offensive line and was honored three times by the All-Big Ten in his university career.
The Vikings currently have 10 selections in the 2021 NFL Draft.