The Vikings’ Roster Spot that Looks Like a Slugfest
The leader in the clubhouse is Blake Brandel, a great pro who has earned the right to be considered the favorite to be Minnesota’s LG1. Nevertheless, the left guard position is a spot on the Vikings’ roster that’s looking like a slugfest.
Brandel will get the first-team reps to kick things off, but he’ll be pushed. At the very least, Minnesota is going to see what Michael Jurgens and Walter Rouse can do. The possibility exists, as well, that another interior lineman is added from free agency and/or the draft (which is to say nothing of undrafted free agency). If so, then the competition will heat up just a bit more.
The Vikings’ Roster Spot that’s Going to be a Battle
Consider, for instance, what Vikings executive Ryan Grigson previously had to say about Mr. Rouse, a college tackle who may get tasked with switching to NFL guard.
Grigson explained that “Rouse is a very big man” who is a “high-level worker” and “smart.” He goes on to explain that he has “the traits to be [an] NFL starter” who has “the work ethic and intelligence.” Grigson also suggests that Adofo-Mensah is “really excited” about Rouse.
Since saying those words, the Vikings have signed Will Fries, meaning there’s no longer a competition at right guard. Rouse, if he wants to make it as a guard, will need to do so as a left guard or settle into being a backup right guard.
Earlier in the week, Janik Eckardt took some time to chat about Jurgens and the opportunity that’s ahead of the soon-to-be sophomore.
“In last year’s preseason,” Eckardt writes, “Jurgens exclusively played left guard. It’s hard to say, though, whether the Vikings just wanted him to get acclimated to that spot to increase his overall flexibility and the line’s in general or if they actually view him as a guard rather than a center. He showed promise as a run blocker, but his pass protection was a little shaky. Regardless, how much stock should we really put into a rookie’s three preseason contests?”
For a little while, the competition had the potential to include Ed Ingram and Garrett Bradbury. The former has been traded away; the latter has been cut. The interior of the offensive line is going to be looking different, a reality that will be welcomed by most Vikings fans.
Crunch the numbers and that leaves three obvious candidates to battle for that final spot: Blake Brandel, Walter Rouse, and Michael Jurgens.
The possibility exists, as well, that Dalton Risner could be brought back. After all, the 2024 Vikings right guard had been a left guard for his entire career, so there’s at least some chance of a reunion taking place even if it doesn’t seem particularly likely.
Four of the five starting spots are written in ink. Christian Darrisaw is the left tackle, Ryan Kelly is the center, Will Fries is the right guard, and Brian O’Neill is the right tackle. Only an injury can undermine those certainties (keep in mind that Darrisaw is working back from major injury and so, too, did Fries miss most of last season due to getting hurt).
Blake Brandel will probably be the starting left guard, but the offseason competition is going to be intense. A slugfest, even.
The Vikings still have more than $30 million in cap space if there’s a desire to add a new player.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
