Vikings linked to reunion to bolster offensive line for J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings moved on from Kirk Cousins this offseason, who signed a massive $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings did pick up a veteran quarterback to start, if need be, at the beginning of the season in Sam Darnold. But in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Vikings selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in hopes that he can lead the franchise for the foreseeable future.

It remains to be seen if McCarthy will get the start under center for Minnesota's Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants. That's what training camp is for later this summer. If McCarthy does get the start, it would be wise for the team to add some protection at the line of scrimmage.

ESPN's Matt Bowen ($) listed the best team fits for the top remaining free agents. The Vikings were listed as a top landing spot for an offensive guard, and it just so happens that it was Dalton Risner, who played for the Vikings last season

"A return to Minnesota makes the most sense here for Risner, who logged a pass block win rate of 95.5% last season (fifth among guards) while allowing just two sacks," writes Bowen. "He can drop anchor in pass protection to close down interior rush lanes, and he displayed a rugged play style as a run-blocker in Kevin O'Connell's offense. Minnesota currently has Blake Brandel and Ed Ingram slated to start."

ESPN lists a return to the Vikings as the best fit for free agent Dalton Risner

Risner was a former second-round pick of the Denver Broncos back in 2019, where he was a relatively solid pass blocker. After hitting free agency at the end of the 2022 season, Risner wasn't brought back by the Broncos, who had just brought Sean Payton out of retirement to be their new head coach. Risner would not sign on with the Vikings until mid-September and didn't play until their Week 6 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

In 12 games with the Vikings, Risner allowed 30 pressures, 19 quarterback hurries, 11 quarterback hits, and zero sacks in 745 total snaps (485 pass-blocking snaps), per Pro Football Focus ($).

As Bowen points out, the Vikings are currently slated to have Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel as their two starting guards this season. Brandel only played in three games last season, while Ingram allowed 42 pressures, 22 quarterback hurries, 15 quarterback hits, and five sacks in 958 total snaps (640 pass-blocking snaps), per Pro Football Focus ($).

Earlier this offseason, Risner took to Twitter (or X) to say that he was only looking for a contract that would guarantee him a starting guard job, not one to break the bank. A reunion would make sense for the Vikings, but as we see, Risner is still a free agent.