INDIANAPOLIS – As the Vikings begin the 2019 edition of what now feels like an annual exercise — attempting to improve their offensive line before the upcoming season — coach Mike Zimmer feels like he's got an additional ally to help solve the problem.
In the postmortem of their disappointing 8-7-1 season, the Vikings have shed additional light on the degree to which the death of offensive line coach Tony Sparano affected their season. When Sparano died last July 22 from complications associated with heart disease, the Vikings lost a mentor for their offensive linemen, a sounding board for Zimmer and a bridge between the coach and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.