BRISTOL, Conn. -- The Minnesota Vikings began their offseason workout program with just five linebackers under contract for the 2017 season.
The group is young enough (only Emmanuel Lamur is over 25) and familiar enough with Mike Zimmer's system (Lamur's final two years in Cincinnati were the only NFL seasons any of the linebackers have played apart from the coach) that it's conceivable the Vikings would only add another player or two for depth. But things might not be so simple.
Chad Greenway's retirement at age 34 means the group will have a new leader in 2017; even though Greenway's role had diminished in recent years, he still established the standard for how the Vikings' young linebackers would approach their jobs.