This week began the always entertaining free agency week in the NFL and to no surprise, the week began with multiple signings that shook up the league with one having local ties to the Central Coast.
Templeton native and former Paso Robles High School standout, Josh Oliver, agreed to a three-year deal with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings after two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
The deal is reportedly worth 21-million dollars with 10.7-million of it guaranteed.
According to Pro Football Focus, the exceptional blocking tight end played 324 of his 513 snaps on run plays last year in the dynamic Ravens offense. He'll join a Vikings roster that despite having one of the best running backs in all of football, Dalvin Cook, they still ranked as one of the most inefficient running offenses in the league. With Oliver's run-blocking ability, the hope is that they'll become a dominant running team this season.
The 3-year veteran will line up alongside T.J. Hockenson, who presumably will be the main receiving threat at the tight end position. With that being said, Oliver is coming off a season where he caught a career high 14 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns.
Oliver played his college football at San Jose State University and originally began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This will be his third team since 2019.
