The Vikings’ Riskiest Free Agency Signing
The Vikings’ riskiest signing may also be the most celebrated: bringing in right guard Will Fries.
The cost reached soaring heights, getting to five years and $87,720,000. The per year average is a hearty $17,544,000. As Janik Eckardt discussed, there were several teams competing for his services, creating a bidding war. Albert Breer offered the clarity: “There was a lot of action on Fries—the Colts were trying to bring him back, and the Patriots, Giants, Seahawks and Cardinals were also involved.”
The Vikings’ Riskiest Signing: RG Will Fries
Kick it over to the Vikings writers for their favorite signing: Mr. Fries was the most common name.
No doubt, Minnesota needed a meaningful upgrade. The tackles — Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill — are excellent whenever they’re healthy. The inside of the line is where major repair was needed. Picking up Will Fries made a lot of sense.
The 26-year-old — his 27th birthday hits in early April — stands at 6’6″ and weighs 305 pounds. He was drafted in the 7th back in 2021, climbing up from being the No. 248 pick to being a strong starter for a Colts offensive line that demands a lot of respect.
In 2024, Fries played in just five games, spending the majority of the season injured. That’s part of the risk, folks. Minnesota put some major money into someone who missed the vast majority of last season.
When healthy, Fries was putting together some excellent football for Indianapolis. PFF was giving him an elite 86.9 grade, insisting that he was guilty of committing 1 penalty, allowing 2 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 6 pressures. For whatever it’s worth, the run blocking grade (84.9) comes in quite a bit higher than the pass blocking grade (74.9).
Keep in mind, though, that previous season haven’t involved nearly as flattering grades. PFF assigned a 54.8 grade in 2021, a 58.4 grade in 2022, and a 61.2 grade for 2023. So, an average guard up until recently.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the lineman’s game has been developing. Players are allowed to improve and refine their craft, taking steps forward as their career progresses. Minnesota is investing a lot of money into the right guard with that precise hope: Will Fries continues getting better.
Consider, for instance, how PFF assessed the deal: “This is a significant contract, but considering Fries was one of the best guards in football through the first five weeks of the 2024 season, it’s a move that makes sense for Minnesota. His deal will place him just outside the top 10 in average annual value, and based on his trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him grade among the top five guards in 2025.”
And then what they had to say about the right guard prior to free agency: “Fries made tremendous strides over the duration of his rookie contract and could be the next guard to cash in during the free agency period after a wave of big deals landed in 2024. Unfortunately, Fries fractured his tibia in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and underwent immediate surgery, but he had earned an 86.8 PFF overall grade up to that point on 268 snaps.”
Optimism while nevertheless talking about the significant money.
A critical factor to keep in mind is that Minnesota is firmly committed for a minimum of two seasons. Releasing him either in 2025 or 2026 would mean taking on $34,000,000 and then $28,610,000 in dead money, which is more than what it would cost to have him on the roster.
The savings start to open up a bit in 2027 where a cut would free up $9,500,000 while seeing a dead money hit of $12,000,000. If that scenario occurs, though, then we’ll look back at the deal as a failure. Minnesota is looking for a long-term answer at right guard, so moving on going into the contract’s third year would be a disappointing development.
Will Fries is a young player who appears to be getting better. Moreover, Will Fries fills a major need, one that happens to make life easier for QB1 J.J. McCarthy. Even still, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took a risk with this deal, meaning there’s lots of upside and lots of downside.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap 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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.