The trenches were clearly the priority for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, with notable and needed additions on the offensive and defensive lines. The interior offensive line has been reshaped with the additions of center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries.
It doesn't feel coincidental that they both came from the Indianapolis Colts, and that chemistry will be helpful to an area where the Vikings have needed help for a long time.
Despite missing 12 games for the Colts last season due to a broken leg, Fries was still considered one of the top available free-agent guards this year. So, while the contract he got from Minnesota is notably sizeable - five years, $88 million according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler - it was surely what had to be done to get him.
Recently, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer confirmed the robust market for Fries's services. More precisely, the Vikings apparently outbid five other teams.
"There was a lot of action on Fries—the Colts were trying to bring him back, and the Patriots, Giants, Seahawks, and Cardinals were also involved."
Minnesota Vikings went all the way to upgrade interior offensive line with Will Fries and Ryan Kelly
For years, the Vikings have done a lot of half-measures to address an ongoing weakness at guard. Mid-round draft picks, low-end or late free-agent signings, etc.
That bargain shopping to fill out parts of the offensive line was largely dictated by the money former quarterback Kirk Cousins was making and the requisite cap space he was taking up.
Last offseason's move to get off that contract carousel with Cousins and reset under center was too easy, quite frankly. It also opened up a lot of money to spend, which Minnesota general manager Kwesi Odofo-Mensah has gone out and done in free agency the last two years.
After the team's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams put an end to their 2024 season, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell foreshadowed an increased investment in the interior offensive line.
"There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin [Jefferson], Jordan [Addison], T.J. [Hockenson], we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket.
There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at."
It's one thing to talk about doing something. But Minnesota went out and did what they had to do to get Fries by offering him more years and more total money (pending the reveal of the full structure of the contract) than any guard has received in free agency this year.