Report: Vikings Have Not Shown Interest in FA Guard Dalton Risner

Risner is more proven than Ed Ingram, but he won't be cheap for whoever signs him.

The Vikings have not shown any signs of interest in free agent guard and former Denver Broncos standout Dalton Risner, according to KSTP's Darren Wolfson. Seven teams are showing interest in Risner, per Denver insider Mike Klis, but Minnesota isn't among them.

Risner would almost certainly be an upgrade for the Vikings at a position of need. The 2019 second-round pick has been durable and effective during his NFL career, with PFF pass blocking grades above 69 in each of his four seasons. His run blocking grades aren't as sharp, but the Vikings arguably need to prioritize pass protection on the interior of their offensive line.

Risner has exclusively played left guard for the Broncos. That position is held in Minnesota by fourth-year pro Ezra Cleveland, who finished tied for second among guards last season with 55 pressures allowed. Cleveland is the inverse of Risner in that he's had great run blocking grades but poor marks in pass protection, never exceeding 55.5 in the latter category during his first three years.

At right guard, the Vikings have 2022 second-round pick Ed Ingram, who led all offensive linemen in pressures allowed (63) during his rookie campaign, earning a 42.6 pass blocking grade with 11 sacks allowed. It was a rough season, but the Vikings are optimistic that Ingram will take a sizable step forward in year two.

Logically, the primary reason why the Vikings wouldn't go after Risner to replace Cleveland is cost. Spotrac projects that he'll earn $9.5 million per year on a new contract when he eventually signs with a team. Even if it's a bit less than that, the Vikings' current strategy of looking towards the future probably rules out signing a good-but-not-elite 28-year-old guard for anything resembling big money.

It seems like Minnesota is content to enter the season with the exact same starting five up front that it deployed last season, hoping that continuity helps the interior trio improve in their second season in Kevin O'Connell's offense.

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