The new league year has arrived and Matt Kalil is still a Viking.
The Vikings are hanging on to the fifth-year left tackle and will pay him $11.1 million in 2016. That base salary became fully guaranteed at 3 p.m. today when the league year, and the start of NFL free agency, began.
Before last month's NFL scouting combine, general manager Rick Spielman conceded that Kalil has "probably been up and down" since the Vikings picked him fourth overall in 2012. But they never gave any indications that they were strongly considering moving on from Kalil this offseason.
It looks like Mike Harris will also remain with the Vikings even though the Vikings signed fellow free-agent guard Alex Boone.
Harris, who started at right guard last season, is signing a one-year deal with the Vikings, according to a source. Harris wanted to be back in Minnesota and is willing to battle for a starting job at guard or tackle.
That means the team's starting five offensive linemen will be back in 2016, and the Vikings are hoping for healthy returns from center John Sullivan and right tackle Phil Loadholt. Throw in Boone and potentially an early draft pick, and the competition along the line should be better in 2016.
We'll see if all that is enough to turn what was a weakness into a strength.
