Free agency is a stressful time for most NFL players. Their fates in the league depend on latching on with a team like the Minnesota Vikings. If they don't, they risk trying to continue playing football elsewhere or hanging up their cleats and retiring.
Former Vikings offensive lineman Dalton Risner turned 30 years old this month, but that's not an old age for an NFL player. However, he has lasted long into free agency on a few occasions now, raising the question of why he hasn't found a team for 2025.
It would be a shame if former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Dalton Risner doesn't find a team in free agency.
For a player who has had six seasons in the NFL and accumulated 81 starts between his time with the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. The six-foot-three, 312-pound blocker started eight games last season for the purple and gold and should provide some great depth for a team needing help at guard.
The former Kansas State lineman is still waiting to be added to a team with training camp starting up for most teams. Someone with his size, experience, and versatility is usually scooped up early in free agency with healthy contract. Instead, the second-round pick of the Broncos in the 2019 NFL Draft is left waiting.
What exactly is being waited on? Is it a question of the potential of the team looking to sign him? Is it an unrealistic contract expectation? Or are teams more interested in finding younger, cheaper options rather than bringing in Risner?
Perhaps teams may think they know what to expect from a veteran like Risner and instead want to use the roster spot at training camp to observe an unproven player and evaluate how they will fit with the team. That would be a great situation for Risner since it would show that he is a respected player who is not lost in the shuffle.
No matter how you look at it, Dalton Risner should be on an NFL roster by the time the 2025 NFL season rolls around. The former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman may not be needed in a purple and gold uniform after the team's efforts in free agency and the draft, but he could be a huge asset for a team looking for a quality lineman to hold down one of their starting guard spots.