Vikings Snag Some O-Line Reinforcements
Good news for the Vikings.
Per Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, LG/RG Dalton Risner is going to return to action soon. The word: “OL help on the way: The #Vikings have designated G Dalton Risner to return to practice off Injured Reserve.” Minnesota’s official social media has since confirmed the move.
Vikings to Get Dalton Risner Back
For a little while, Mr. Risner has been nursing a back injury. Getting the chance to return to practice suggests that his injury is now in the rearview mirror.
In fact, Andrew Krammer of The Star Tribune relays the words from the veteran lineman. Check it out: “I’m in football shape. I’ve been ready. … This isn’t the first day I’ve been healthy. So, I’m ready to roll. Grateful to be out there practicing.”
Don’t miss that small detail at the beginning: being in football shape. Folks, there’s a difference between being in shape and being in football shape. Plenty of people are healthy and strong but aren’t capable of stepping onto an NFL football field. So, too, do players need to ensure that their bodies aren’t just being conditioned for weight lifting but for the rigors of football itself.
So, good news on that front.
Ben Goessling, also of The Star Tribune, followed up the Krammer tweet with a different thought: “It could be a quick return for Risner, especially if he practices well this week. Worth watching how soon he returns, and whether he’ll eventually replace Ed Ingram.”
So far, Mr. Ingram has been the weak spot on Minnesota’s offensive line. The third-year guard is sitting on a paltry 52.7 PFF grade. The pass-blocking portion is sitting at a horrendous 29.4, suggesting he allows pressure with regularity. The same site dings him with allowing 3 sacks, a hit, and 17 pressures across the opening five games.
Last year, Risner’s strength came as a pass blocker. He played in fifteen games, starting eleven, while soaking up 746 snaps for the offfensive line. Keep in mind, though, that he did so as a left guard, the position he has played in his NFL career. Kicking over to the right side and finding identical success isn’t a guarantee (read some of Blake Brandel’s thoughts on the challenge of going to different sides).
The 6’5″, 312-pound Risner has been in the NFL since getting scooped up at No. 41 back in the 2019 NFL Draft. He is 29.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.