The Question About Ed Ingram’s Start
K. Joudry
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Currently, Ed Ingram looks like the leader in Minnesota’s right guard competition. Jesse Davis is the main competition, a veteran who most recently played for Miami. On Saturday night, Ingram started the game for Minnesota. Upon first glance, that’s a good sign for Ingram’s chances at being the starter, but is that actually the case?
Minnesota was resting its starters. As Kevin O’Connell confirmed in his post-game press conference, the Vikings sat 27 players because of what they accomplished from the earlier practices with the 49ers.
Does the fact that Ed Ingram got the start at right guard suggest that he’s still in the middle of a roster battle? He was out there with Minnesota’s second-string OL. Does that mean he’s viewed as the team’s second-string RG?
Davis is nearing his 31st birthday. He has been in the NFL for five seasons. In all five years, he has started the majority of the games. In fact, the past four seasons have featured Davis starting at least fifteen games per year.
Of course, recent time as a starter doesn’t guarantee he’ll be with the 1s when the Green Bay Packers come to town on September 11. What it does provide, though, is a strong sense of what Davis can do in the NFL. There has been a lot more time to evaluate what the veteran will provide for his team.
Ingram, in contrast, has yet to play an NFL game. His lone snaps have all come in preseason games (and, of course, practice). Giving the young player more chances to get reps makes a lot of sense. The San Francisco game allowed Ed Ingram to see 34 snaps at right guard.
To my mind, it’s wise to continue allowing this year’s group of rookies get more experience. The NFL adjustment isn’t an easy one, so more game time is a good thing. For this reason, it likely would have been misguided to sit Ingram even if he’s currently viewed as the starter.
The fact that Davis got the night off suggests that his roster spot is probably safe. If he was truly competing for a spot on the team, the coaching staff likely would have gotten him some playing time to provide more information for their analysis. Whether the rest against the 49ers means he sits atop the depth chart at RG is a different matter.
My best guess is that putting Ingram with the 2s is about allowing the rookie to get more reps. If he continues to play well, he has a good shot at being the starter in Week 1.
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