5 free agents the Vikings could still sign in 2023

Dalton Risner - OG

2022 Team: Denver Broncos

To the naked eye, it seems to be a surprise that Dalton Risner is still available on the open market. He came into the league and dominated, appearing to be a steal as a second-round pick. Since his breakout rookie season, his play has declined, and now he apparently believes he is worth more than teams are willing to dish out to a guy who struggles mightily in pass protection.

The Vikings could have a use for Risner. Ed Ingram is a second-year player who had his ups and downs as a rookie. He was pretty solid in the running game, showing a nastiness and willingness to hit just about anyone in his path.

His pass blocking left much to be desired as he was beaten often, at times being almost two steps slower than the pass rusher across from him. Ingram also collected flags like they were going out of style and he needs to clean up a lot of his technique.

There's hope he'll do just that with a year under his belt and another full offseason to hone his craft. If he does struggle either in camp or in preseason games, then it could time to bring in Risner.

Risner could step in for Ingram if his play decreases. He is a versatile player who can play basically any position on the line adding depth across the board. He could also be kept as a potential replacement for Ezra Cleveland, who could look for a huge payday when he hits free agency in March.

While Risner hasn't been great the last couple of seasons and was seen pushing a teammate on the sidelines last year. He is still young and could benefit from a change of scenery. If things fall a certain way, that scenery could be the beautiful facilities at TCO Performance Center.