Offensive lineman Nick Easton had a chance to return to the Vikings. He chose to join the Saints.
Easton, who agreed to a four-year, $24 million deal with New Orleans on Sunday, will replace Max Unger as the starting center. Unger retired last week.
“Obviously, you have a well established offense and an unreal quarterback room that they have down there,” Easton said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Not to mention one of the most well respected offensive lines in football. It’s pretty obvious why I chose to go down there. And I’m fired up to be part of it.”
Easton, 26, missed all of last season with a neck injury that required surgery. He started 12 games in 2017 before a fractured ankle ended his season in December.
Easton appeared in 23 career games for Minnesota with 17 starts. He played 665 snaps at left guard and 463 at center for the Vikings.
“If you look at a breakdown of my snaps with the Vikings, I was just about 50-50 between guard and center because if there was ever an injury at the center position, I would slide over in my time there,” Easton said. “I actually made my first start as a Viking as a center, so I’ve got pretty good experience at center.”
