The Funny Item of the Ed Ingram Trade
Earlier this week, the Minnesota Vikings signed two former Colts blockers. Center Ryan Kelly, a four-time Pro Bowler, is in the final years of his long career, but he will still take the job from Garrett Bradbury, who is expected to be released if the front office can’t find a trade partner.
The Funny Item of the Ed Ingram Trade
At guard, the Vikings won the bidding war for Will Fries, perhaps the crown jewel of this year’s interior offensive line options. His spot is on the center’s right. Ed Ingram had that assignment for a while, but Fries’ arrival landed him on the chopping block.
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings can find someone willing to spend some draft capital for Bradbury, but they facilitated such a deal for Ingram, sending him to Houston for a 2026 sixth-rounder.
Ironically, that pick initially belonged to the Vikings, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reported.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has already made numerous trades with the Texans. About a year ago, he acquired pick 23 for a pair of second-rounders, preparing himself to trade up for a quarterback. That pick was then traded to Jacksonville for Dallas Turner.
In 2022, he traded for defensive lineman Ross Blacklock. He was gone after one season, and that deal didn’t really work out.
And, finally, the trade that landed the 2026 sixth-round choice in Houston. Last season, the Vikings wanted to add another running back, and they found an old friend in Houston’s backfield. Cam Akers was a trade acquisition in back-to-back seasons. Now that the sixth-rounder from that exchange has returned to Minnesota.
Ultimately, the Vikings traded Akers for Ingram.
The guard came to Minnesota in 2022. He was Adofo-Mensah’s third draft pick after Cine and Booth Jr., and unlike the defensive backs, actually had a longtime starting role. His rookie season was shaky, but he still claimed the gig between Bradbury and Brian O’Neill over some veteran competition.
Ahead of his sophomore campaign, the Vikings hoped for a performance jump, but not much happened. Last year, he remained in the starting unit. Dalton Risner was re-signed but suffered a back injury in training camp, forcing him to miss some time.
Once he was back, the coaching staff made the move to bench Ingram and never looked back. He started 41 games of the 48 contests he appeared in. At the age of 26, the Texans want to get something out of the former second-rounder, and they have an opening at guard after trading away Kenyon Green.
Akers, meanwhile, carried the ball 64 times in his second stint with the Vikings, rushing for 297 yards and a touchdown. He added two receiving touchdowns.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt