DeMarcus

Love

Love successfully had bone spurs removed from his knees. He should be fine for any OTAs. The 2011 sixth-round pick was inactive for all 16 games this season.

A sixth-round pick last season, Love failed to get into a game, and underwent scopes on both knees in January. An early-career debacle in terms of health, Love will be facing an uphill battle for a roster spot next summer.

“There is nothing that anyone else has done that could unseat him,” Frazier said. Fusco has essentially won the job by default. Veteran Geoff Schwartz missed the majority of camp due to sports hernia surgery, and DeMarcus Love has missed time with a pectoral injury. We expect the revamped O-Line to be much improved from last season.

Love came off a four-game PED suspension on Tuesday, but the Vikes are moving on. Injuries have prevented the 2011 sixth-round pick from ever appearing in a game.

Love, a 2011 sixth-round pick out of Arkansas, has never appeared in a regular season game, and his 2012 season was lost due to a torn pectoral. The Vikings don’t have a ton of offensive line depth, but Love’s spot is in jeopardy.

DT Eathyn Manumaleuna and OT Steven Baker were waived in corresponding roster moves. A fourth-year undrafted free agent, Love has yet to appear in a regular-season game.

Love is still only 25 years old, but it’s always a bad sign for an offensive lineman when he gets waived by an offensive line-needy team.

We thought Love would move inside to guard because he isn’t very athletic, but Spielman indicated otherwise. “He’s played both on the left and right side,” Spielman said. “He was a weakside tackle down at Arkansas. ... You see the position flexibility that he does have.” Love is 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds. He has 35-inch arms, helping his chances of staying outside.

A three-year starter at both tackle spots as well as guard, Love was highly regarded entering last season. His play was spotty throughout the season, however, and he struggled in the Senior Bowl. The Vikes obviously like his experience and ideal guard size, and he could end up fighting Chris DeGeare for playing time as a rookie.

Love fell to the sixth round thanks to an up-and-down senior year at Arkansas and poor Senior Bowl showing. Nevertheless, Caplan says he “had a much higher draft grade from several teams,” and may have the upside to one day replace Bryant McKinnie. As for 2011, GM Rick Spielman has said Love will serve as a “swing” tackle.