Inside The Vikings

Report: Vikings Signing Top Free Agent Guard Dalton Risner

Risner joins the 0-2 Vikings and could quickly find himself in the starting lineup at either guard spot.
Will Ragatz|
Report: Vikings Signing Top Free Agent Guard Dalton Risner
Report: Vikings Signing Top Free Agent Guard Dalton Risner

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are signing Dalton Risner, the top free agent guard still on the market, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport.

The Vikings originally hosted Risner for a visit at their facility on August 1st. Just last week, he was responding to Vikings fans on social media, saying he was ready to go. Now, after starting 0-2, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made the call and got a deal done.

According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, it's a one-year, $4 million deal with $2.25 million guaranteed.

Risner, 28, presumably isn't coming to Minnesota on that kind of contract to be a backup. He figures to compete for a starting job at either guard spot — and perhaps enter the lineup as soon as Sunday's game against the Chargers. Risner has exclusively played left guard during his NFL career thus far, so he could be a candidate to replace Ezra Cleveland, who is in a contract year. The Vikings' bigger weakness may be with second-year right guard Ed Ingram, though, and Risner has the theoretical flexibility to play there as well.

Vikings offensive line coaches Chris Kuper and Justin Rascati are already quite familiar with Risner, having coached him with the Broncos from 2019 to 2021. During his time at Kansas State, he was a standout right tackle for three years after playing center as a freshman.

Risner is a former second-round pick who started 62 games at LG for the Broncos over the past four years, posting consistently strong marks in pass protection (PFF pass-blocking grades above 69 in all four seasons). He's far more solid than great, but he's a durable starter in the prime of his career. Players like that usually aren't still available in mid-September.

The Vikings have started 0-2 largely due to turnover issues, but their inability to run the ball has also been a major problem. Cleveland has actually been solid as a pass blocker but has struggled in run blocking, according to PFF. Ingram's poor play has continued into his second season, as he has surrendered seven pressures, four QB hits, and a sack in two games.

For the time being, Risner joins Blake Brandel and Austin Schlottmann — currently starting for the injured Garrett Bradbury — as the Vikings' top backups on the interior. But Risner's track record and contract makes it seem likely that he winds up starting at one of the guard spots sooner rather than later.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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