Vikings Roster Need: A 6’6″ Large Lad Gets Tossed Onto the Market
Standing above all Vikings roster needs is the ongoing mystery that is the quarterback spot. Fair enough, but who is going to snap the football?
As things stand, Ryan Kelly is still around, but he appears likely to be cut due to his concerning concussions issues. Do-it-all depth lineman Blake Brandel could be an option and late-round center Michael Jurgens can pinch hit. But while these options have appeal, none appear to be the silver bullet. As a result, the news coming out of Detroit is worth monitoring.
Top Vikings Roster Need: A New Center to Note
Over on Pride of Detroit, Jeremy Reisman covers the news. Starting center/guard Graham Glasgow has been shown the door.
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“In a roster move that will create over $5.5 million in cap space,” Reisman writes, “the Detroit Lions announced on Monday that they have released offensive lineman Graham Glasgow.” Further from Reisman: “At this point, it’s unclear if Glasgow, 33 years old, will play another season or call it a career after 10 years in the NFL.”
Consider some of the basics for Glasgow.
The 33-year-old lineman stands at 6’6″ and weighs 315 pounds. Usually, that’s a build that gets attached to an offensive tackle rather than a guard/center, so note the large frame for the interior.
Back in 2016, Glasgow got scooped up by the Lions with the No. 95 pick (the 3rd). A lot has happened since then, folks.
The 2016 offseason had the Vikings rallying around the (sort of) new Mike Zimmer while hoping that Teddy Bridgewater would become the franchise quarterback. Case Keenum and that dominant defense was still a year away. Again, a lot has happened.
Graham Glasgow has put in work for the Lions (2016-18), the Broncos (2019-22), and then the Lions again (2023-25). Could the Vikings be next?
Per PFF, Graham Glasgow has essentially done it all as an interior o-lineman since turning pro. His career has involved 2,246 snaps at left guard, 3,484 snaps at center, and 3,053 snaps at right guard. As a bonus, there’s a single snap out at left tackle. Have the Vikings ever expressed a desire for versatile football players?
Glasgow was exclusively a center last season. He got dinged with allowing 1 sack, 8 quarterback hits, and 19 pressures while grading at a below-average level. Per Reisman, “right guard [is] his most natural spot,” but that’s a job being secured by Will Fries in the Twin Cities.
A major part of the rationale of signing Ryan Kelly was that the veteran center could help J.J. McCarthy — who is still just 23 and only has ten games of NFL experience — to decode the league’s complex defenses. Is that desire still circulating in Eagan? If so, then a move for Graham Glasgow could make sense. At this stage in his career, the cost shouldn’t be huge (which happens to fit well with Minnesota’s skimpy finances).
Otherwise, note that the Vikings roster need could get filled with other veteran talent to be kicked to the curb. Plus, there’s the 2026 NFL Draft, but that approach doesn’t involve bringing experience and wisdom to fill the position.
Less than a week before free agency takes liftoff. Much remains to be determined.
