The Minnesota Vikings are bringing back a key piece of their offensive line, agreeing to a one-year contract with offensive guard Dalton Risner on Wednesday morning.
While ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news and Risner confirmed it on social media, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says that Risner’s deal includes a signing bonus, per-game, and 53-man roster bonuses and incentives if he’s the starter for the majority of the season.
Risner’s connection with the Vikings dates back to last year’s training camp, as he visited TCO Performance Center last August but didn’t sign with the team until after Week 2. Risner didn’t make his first start until a Week 7 win over the San Francisco 49ers but remained at left guard after Ezra Cleveland was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars at the trade deadline.
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Risner played in 12 games for the Vikings allowing 30 pressures on 457 pass-blocking snaps according to Pro Football Focus, but his overall grade of 57.1 was 47th and his 50.0 run-blocking grade ranked 66th among 83 qualifying guards last season.
Those numbers may have been why Risner had a difficult time finding a contract at the end of the season. The Vikings also re-signed Blake Brandel to a three-year, $9 million contract, and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips raved about Brandel’s development during last week’s voluntary offseason team activities.
"I’m really excited about Blake. I feel like he gets bigger every time I see him. He’s just a massive man on the inside. But he’s in great shape. He’s always been very coachable.
You talk about technique, fundamentals, footwork, hand placement, all of the things that are critical for the O-Line – one false step for an O-lineman could be a catastrophe – it’s been very encouraging so far with him stepping into that starting spot on the left.”
While Brandel received a glowing review, Risner’s signing adds competition and depth to the room, which also includes starting right guard Ed Ingram and seventh-round draft pick Michael Jurgens.
In some ways, it creates a similar situation that Risner walked into a year ago. A left guard by trade, many were unsure whether Risner would play his natural position or switch to the right side to replace Ingram.
This year, Risner could be competition for Brandel, but he could also be an insurance policy if Brandel doesn’t pan out or the Vikings want to keep him on the right side to replace Ingram.
However the Vikings choose to use Risner, bringing him back is a solid move that bolsters the depth along the offensive line.