Free Agent the Vikings Can’t Afford to Lose Has Been Named
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a lot to do in the next couple of months as half his team is scheduled to enter free agency. He has to keep some of them while also acquiring new reinforcements and filling out the roster.
Free Agent the Vikings Can’t Afford to Lose Has Been Named
Among the top in-house free agents are the three cornerbacks Byron Murphy, Shaq Griffin, and Stephon Gilmore, as well as safeties Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum. On the offensive side of the ball, Aaron Jones needs a new contract if the front office wants him in the building for another year.
PFF’s Dalton Wasserman, however, thinks Dalton Risner is the guy the Vikings can’t afford to lose.
Risner made nine starts for the Vikings this season and earned a career-high 76.1 PFF pass-blocking grade. Interior protection has long been a problem for Minnesota, but Risner is an affordable option who has been around for two seasons already. Credible pass protection will be key for young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is recovering from a serious knee injury.
The Vikes hired Risner after the second week of the 2023 campaign. After a few contests with the club, he was inserted into the starting lineup because of a minor injury to starting left guard Ezra Cleveland. The Vikings ultimately traded Cleveland, handing Risner the job for the remainder of the season.
He previously hadn’t gotten the desired interest in free agency and settled, signing a cheap one-year deal. Risner surely hoped for a better market the second time but, once again, joined the Vikings on another short-term deal.
It seems unlikely he can land a huge contract in his third attempt, which is why the Vikings should be interested in bringing him back for a third season. Risner is a solid guard who struggles in the rushing game but he is one of the better pass blockers at his position, and, as Wasserman mentioned, that would help rookie J.J. McCarthy.
The interior of the offensive line could undergo some massive changes in the upcoming offseason.
After the disappointing playoff loss, head coach Kevin O’Connell suggested it would be a point of emphasis: “There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin (Jefferson), Jordan (Addison), T.J. (Hockenson), we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket. There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”
Risner is the only starting-caliber interior lineman to enter free agency. Unless the Vikings release him, fellow right guard Ed Ingram will return for the final year of his rookie contract. He was benched halfway through the season when Risner returned from his back-related IR stint.
Ingram has yet to make the desired jump the Vikings expected when they acquired him in the second round of the 2022 draft, and they hoped for when they stuck with him for the first two-and-a-half seasons of subpar play.
Left guard Blake Brandel was promoted after years of backup duties to starting left guard. He is a low-end starter but a versatile reserve who can play most spots on the front five. Center Garrett Bradbury is also scheduled to return but could be another cut candidate depending on who the Vikings can lure to the Twin Cities in free agency.
Risner is an enticing re-sign candidate because he provides the best baseline of the three starting guards from the 2024 season, but aiming higher to finally repair the interior line woes might also make sense.
Risner will turn 30 in July and is about to enter a familiar free agency journey.
Vikings Offseason Week 2: What We’ve Learned
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