Good news:Minnesota Vikings finally signed him..

admin | December 12, 2023 | Minnesota Vikings | No Comments

Vikings Sign $4 million, one-year player Dalton Risner

The Minnesota Vikings ultimately made the decision to strengthen the interior offensive line by signing the best free agent available at the position following a discouraging 0-2 start. According to people close to Ian Rapoport, the Vikings and former offensive guard Dalton Risner of the Denver Broncos have reached an agreement. $2.25 million of the $4 million contract is guaranteed at signing for a duration of one year.

In his four seasons with the Broncos, 28-year-old Risner (drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft) started 62 games. With just 10 sacks allowed on 2,304 pass-blocking snaps, Risner quickly established himself as an above-average starting left guard. He also had the 10th-best run-block win percentage (74%) among starting guards in the previous season. He has also consistently maintained excellent overall PFF grades, ranging from 69 to 72.

Risner has a close relationship with two Vikings coaches. During his time in Denver, he had previously trained under offensive line coaches Chris Kuper and Justin Rascati; Kuper had even been to Risner’s wedding. During training camp in August, Risner worked out with the Vikings, but an agreement was not reached. “We really just wanted to bring him in and get to know him a little bit better, use the process of a visit to do that and see if we could possibly take what we think is a strong group and make it even better,” said Kevin O’Connell, confirming that they brought Risner in for a workout.

There was silence for some time. As of Monday, September 12th, the Vikings had not contacted Dalton Risner’s representatives or signed him during training camp.It appeared that head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were very committed to sticking with the starting five from the previous season in the hopes that consistency on the offensive line would result in better performances. The interior offensive line struggled in pass protection against the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, indicating that clearly hasn’t happened.

Considering that both Philly and Tampa have excellent interior defensive lines, the Vikings could have easily rested on their laurels. But with Kirk Cousins in his contract year and the NFC North very much in reach following the division’s defeat in Week 2, the Vikings felt compelled to strengthen a position that has long been their weakest point. Christian Darrisaw, Oli Udoh, and Garrett Bradbury’s injuries might have also contributed to the Vikings’ decision to sign Risner.

What the starting offensive line will look like in a crucial game against the Los Angeles Chargers is still unknown. The Vikings are doing everything in their power to stay competitive despite their 0–2 start, that much is clear.

Marcus Davenport Signs Minnesota Marcus Davenport, an NFL veteran edge rusher, has agreed to a new deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Former first-round selection Davenport has played his whole career for the New Orleans Saints.

Marcus Davenport’s season in 2022 was one to remember. The Texas-San Antonio product played in 15 games, starting nine of them. Despite this, he finished the season with only 29 tackles, 0.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits. Despite finishing the season with a 76.8 PFF grade, good for 27th among edge rushers, the former first-round pick’s underlying metrics suggest his play was better than the raw numbers suggest.

In his second season in the league, Davenport gained a starting position and started to display the innate skill that made him a top draft pick. The edge defender concluded his second season with six sacks, 31 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, 16 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles after starting and participating in 13 games.

Following a largely underwhelming 2020 campaign in which he only managed 1.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits, Davenport bounced back in 2021 to record what is likely his best-ever season. With a career-high nine sacks, 39 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 16 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery, Davenport saw action in 11 games.

Marcus Davenport has played in 63 games since signing his rookie contract and has amassed 21.5 sacks.