Tag: Ed Ingram

Is the Vikings longterm answer at guard playing in the Senior Bowl?

Could the team look to the offseason for help? For Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the answer may be found at the Senior Bowl. 

The Minnesota Vikings have started to experiment with offensive line pairings in recent weeks following Dalton Risner’s return. The team had been using Ed Ingram through the start of the season, but his inconsistent play led them to a change. 

However, Risner also struggles at the right guard spot. Could the team look to the offseason for help? For Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the answer may be found at the Senior Bowl. 

Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy does a great job creating a roster full of NFL talent. The players then face off against each other during practices in front of all 32 NFL teams, and that is where the Vikings front office can find its answer. 

There is one player specifically who could be the answer in Grey Zabel out of North Dakota State. 

Zabel has received national attention since the Summer, and his 2024 season has kept those coals hot. He is sound technically as a run-and-pass blocker but also athletic enough to play either guard or tackle at the next level. Having something with his skill set could be a fun chess piece for the Vikings upfront. 

If it isn’t Zabel, there are other offensive linemen going to the event, but the soon-to-be-former Bison is getting the edge early on as a good fit.  

Vikings activate Dalton Risner ahead of Week 9 matchup with Colts

The Minnesota Vikings made the roster decision to activate guard Dalton Risner from injured reserve.

The Minnesota Vikings made the roster decision to activate guard Dalton Risner from injured reserve. The move comes with Monday’s deadline looming before they would lose him for the season.

The team reported the move, as well as defensive tackle Taki Taimani’s corresponding placement on injured reserve for a minimum of four weeks.

For Risner, the move comes at a critical time for the interior of the Vikings offensive line. Guard Blake Brandel has shown he can be a starter for this group and reliable. Opposite him is Ed Ingram, who has been very hot and cold this year. Some have speculated that Risner could replace Ingram with the starters sooner rather than later, especially being activated before their matchup with the Colts when it could have waited for Monday.

The Vikings will hope that whether Risner plays or not on Sunday night that the offense looks the way it did the first five weeks.

Are the Vikings thinking about making a switch on the offensive line?

Once he returns, it sounds like the Vikings might make a switch at right guard in favor of Dalton Risner.

It was another tough out for Minnesota right guard Ed Ingram against the Lions on Sunday. He remains one of the worst-graded guards in all of football, per PFF.

With veteran guard Dalton Risner ready to return any game, is Minnesota thinking about making a switch from Ingram? According to Ben Goessling, it’s a real possibility that Risner could become the next starting right guard.

“Ed Ingram had another tough day today. Maybe… we’ll see what happens,” Goessling said. Everybody keeps saying, ‘Why are you guys talking so much about Dalton Risner possibly being the starter’? That’s what we keep hearing, is that is something [replacing Ingram with Risner] they are considering very seriously. So, again… I said it to somebody on Twitter this week. We generally, our approach at the Star Tribune, is not to just spout opinions, especially on this show. I think, when we say stuff, it’s generally something we’re hearing, and that we’re fairly confident they’re at least thinking about doing.”

Ingram has been known as the better run-blocking guard between him and Risner, but even that has been poor lately. Since becoming the starter, Ingram has been overly suspect in pass protection, and that hasn’t gotten better. It would appear Risner is a viable option at this point.

PFF Grades: Best and worst from Vikings Week 7 loss to the Lions

The NFL season will sometimes show us what we want to see from players; other times, we may see something bad when it isn’t there. For fans and media, there has to be a way to check and balance things to avoid favoritism or bias in a negative light. …

The NFL season will sometimes show us what we want to see from players; other times, we may see something bad when it isn’t there. For fans and media, there has to be a way to check and balance things to avoid favoritism or bias in a negative light.

Thanks to PFF, we will always have an extra set of eyes to examine the football game.

The team’s loss to the Lions led to the team realizing they are, in fact, human. They showed resiliency and a drive to fight back as they made a defensive play to get the lead late in the fourth quarter. This time, more than most this year, the PFF grades are going to be very interesting.

Here are the best and worst from the PFF grades for the Vikings’ win over the New York Jets.

RB Aaron Jones 77.9

QB Sam Darnold 76.4

WR Justin Jefferson 72.2

WR Jalen Nailor 69.5

G Blake Brandel 67.4

G Ed Ingram 38

RB Ty Chandler 45.7

TE Johnny Mundt 50.8

WR Jordan Addison 55.1

TE Robert Tonyan 55.4

Aaron Jones 75.7

Sam Darnold 67.7

Ty Chandler 52.5

TE Josh Oliver 75.2

C Garrett Bradbury 69.6

G Blake Brandel 61.4

WR Jordan Addison 60.6

WR Brandon Powell 60

TE Johnny Mundt 37

G Ed Ingram 43.7

OT Brian O’Neill 49.6

WR Jalen Nailor 52.8

OT Christian Darrisaw 56.6

OT Christian Darrisaw 85.8

FB C.J. Ham 84.1

OT Brian O’Neill 78.1

TE Josh Oliver 75.9

G Blake Brandel 74.9

TE Johnny Mundt 21.6

RB Ty Chandler 25.1

C Garrett Bradbury 37.6

G Ed Ingram 64.8

RB Aaron Jones 70.2

Edge Jonathan Greenard 92.1

LB Andrew Van Ginkel 80.2

SAF Joshua Metellus 73.5

DL Taki Taimani 71.7

CB Shaq Griffin 70.8

LB Kamu Grugier-Hill 28

SAF Camryn Bynum 34.9

Edge Dallas Turner 41.2

SAF Harrison Smith 43.2

LB Ivan Pace Jr. 47

SAF Joshua Metellus 90.5

CB Byron Murphy Jr. 74.9

DL Jerry Tillery 69.7

CB Shaq Griffin 69.2

LB Ivan Pace Jr. 68.8

LB Kamu Grugier-Hill 31

SAF Camryn Bynum 40.7

DL Harrison Phillips 45.7

DL Jonathan Bullard 51.2

SAF Harrison Smith 52.2

Edge Jonathan Greenard 93.7

LB Ivan Pace Jr. 84.5

SAF Joshua Metellus 74.9

LB Andrew Van Ginkel 69.9

DL Jonathan Bullard 66

DL Pat Jones II 50.4

DL Harrison Phillips 51.5

LB Kamu Grugier-Hill 55.8

Edge Dallas Turner 56.5

DL Jerry Tillery 57.1

LB Andrew Van Ginkel 89.2

DL Harrison Phillips 75.4

Shaq Griffin 66.2

Edge Jonathan Greenard 61.7

DL Pat Jones II 61.4

LB Ivan Pace Jr. 29.4

SAF Camryn Bynum 43.8

LB Kamu Grugier-Hill 45.4

SAF Harrison Smith 47.3

SAF Joshua Metellus 48.3

Vikings open the practice window for an offensive lineman to return

The Vikings might be getting some help on their offensive line with the veteran returning to practice.

The Vikings announced on Monday afternoon that it opened Dalton Risner’s practice window. The announcement was made before the team hit the practice fields Monday afternoon which means there will be a 21-day window to evaluate Risner.

The veteran first joined Minnesota during the 2023 season and started 11 of 15 games played. Risner re-signed with the Vikings this spring but suffered a back injury during training camp. He was placed on Injured Reserve which meant he had to miss at least the first four games of the season.

Minnesota is off to a 5-0 start, and the Vikings’ offense is rolling. But right guard Ed Ingram hasn’t been at his best. Ingram has allowed the second-most pressures of any guard in the NFL, with 17 allowed. He’s also tied for second in the league of any guard with three sacks allowed.

The Vikings could consider inserting Risner into the lineup when he’s game-ready to help with pass protection.

Former Vikings guard is highest graded pass blocker in 2024 by PFF

The former Minnesota Vikings guard has thrived since being traded with the Jacksonville Jaguars last October.

The work of Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is among the best in the entire NFL. His front office does a great job of maneuvering contract negotiations, he is aggressive in the NFL draft, but his trades may be leaving for room to grow.

One player he recently traded has since thrived in their new home, Ezra Cleveland.

The former Minnesota Vikings guard has thrived since being traded with the Jacksonville Jaguars last October. He has made himself the centerpiece of a Jaguars offensive line that was once a major question mark for the Jaguars is no longer the case.

He is the highest-graded pass-blocking guard, earning an 84.4 grade from PFF. Ironically enough, Ed Ingram, who has taken over his starting role, is graded as one of the worst. Out of 69 qualifying guards who have played, he ranks 67th with a 29.4 grade.

The offensive line has held up well, but perhaps it would have been even stronger had the Jaguars held on and invested in Ezra Cleveland the way they have.

Former NFL offensive lineman praises the work of Vikings OL group

The entire world could learn from the bond that offensive linemen have with their groups and with other linemen around the league.

The entire world could learn from offensive linemen’s bond with their groups and other linemen around the league. They are constantly looking to help each other improve and make each person’s career last forever within the NFL.

Because of that, they continue to hype up other offensive lineman groups even after they exit the league.

A.Q. Shipley, a 12-year NFL veteran, has made his offensive linemen rankings a constant on The Pat McAfee Show. On Wednesday, he ranked the current offensive line groups, and the former NFL lineman gave the Vikings a glowing one.

“The Minnesota Vikings offensive line has been doing an unbelievable job. . . They’ve been blocking the (blank) out of people.”

He ranked them fourth overall in the NFL, and for good reason. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill have done a great job of sealing the edges for Sam Darnold. Blake Brandel has been playing out of his mind this year, Ed Ingram has been consistent, and Garrett Bradbury has held up well despite being banged up.

The group as a whole is a major reason this team is undefeated at 4-0 heading into Week 5. Not to mention, they have kept Sam Darnold upright, and it has allowed him to play at an MVP-like level.

Dalton Risner working at a new position along the offensive line

While the Minnesota Vikings try to figure out the best combo of linemen, guard Dalton Risner worked out on the right side for the first time

The Minnesota Vikings enter the 2024 season with a precarious situation at quarterback. They’re either going to be playing with a quarterback who came into the league with a ton of promise but has had some very well-publicized struggles — including claiming to “see ghosts” — or they’re going to forge ahead with a rookie. Either way, protecting the quarterback will be of paramount importance.

Minnesota locked up their left tackle for the long term earlier this offseason, and they have their right tackle in tow, too. However, the situation is less settled on the offensive line’s interior, particularly at guard. Right now, the situation appears to be three players — Dalton Risner, Blake Brandel, and Ed Ingram — battling it out for two spots.

As that battle heats up, the Vikings are searching for the best combination of players to protect their quarterback(s), and that has led to Risner trying out a position he never has before: right guard.

Risner was the starting left guard for much of last season for the Vikings and hoped to see a big contract in free agency to be the team’s permanent starting left tackle. That deal never materialized, and Risner eventually found his way back to the Vikings. Now, he finds himself embroiled in a heated position battle and taking on tasks he’s never faced before.

How well and how quickly Risner can adapt may go a long way towards determining just how successful either Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy will be this season. If he can hold up well, either quarterback should be well-protected. If not, the Vikings will be left to depend on Brandel and Ingram to keep the quarterbacks upright—a scary proposition for some readers to be sure.

Vikings guard Ed Ingram tabbed as a potential bust candidate in 2024

Minnesota Vikings guard Ed Ingram could be a bust in 2024 according to Bleacher Report NFL writer David Kenyon.

The offensive line was the subject of much talk, and much scrutiny, for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023. The team had a subpar running game, and the offensive line bore the brunt of the blame for that. Additionally, despite good play from the tackles, the pass protection could have been better on the interior of the offensive line.

By all accounts, the Vikings head into this year’s training camp with three guards — Dalton Risner, Ed Ingram, and Blake Brandel — fighting for two spots. According to Bleacher Report, one of those three could be a bust for the Vikings in 2024 and potentially on his way out entirely.

Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon went team by team to look at potential bust candidates for the 2024 season, and he’s landed on Ingram as the Vikings’ candidate:

A two-year starter in Minnesota, Ed Ingram is entering a crucial third season. He’s yielded 100 pressures and 16 sacks so far, according to Pro Football Focus. As the Vikings begin to build around JJ McCarthy, they probably won’t have as much patience for Ingram next offseason if he has another subpar year.

A porous offensive line in front of them can be a confidence killer for a young quarterback (see David Carr, among many others). As the Vikings look towards the future and rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy‘s development, that’s an aspect they’ll have to pay close attention to.

Vikings missed golden opportunity in draft-day trade that landed Lewis Cine

The Minnesota Vikings traded back in the 2022 NFL Draft for Lewis Cine. Had they stayed, the could have had one of the league’s top safeties

A lot has been made this off-season about Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine. Cine has been a popular candidate to be a roster cut-down day casualty. Even on this outlet, we’ve talked a bit about Cine and the possibility of him being a trade candidate for a team looking to take a flier on a former first-rounder.

What hasn’t been talked about much, however, is the opportunity for the Vikings to wound up squandering by making the draft-day trade with the Lions, which ended up with the Vikings taking Cine. Had they stayed where they were — originally the 12th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — they could have had one of the best safeties in the league, Kyle Hamilton.

Recently, ESPN polled several NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to get their thoughts on the top players in the league at each position. Regarding the safety position, they had Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield, Jr., son of former Viking Antoine Winfield, Sr., at the top spot and Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton right behind him at two.

Had the Vikings opted to stay where they were, they could have taken Hamilton with the 12th pick and solidified their safety spot. They were on the market for a safety either way, and Hamilton has quickly become a force to be reckoned with at the position.

Additionally, by not trading with the Lions, they would have potentially prevented their division rivals from being able to add to their wide receiver corps with Jameson Williams. Granted, Williams has not been great for the Lions yet, but the potential is still there with him.

Not making the trade would also (likely) mean that Minnesota never gets the draft capital that eventually lands them Andrew Booth, Jr., Ed Ingram, and Brian Asamoah II.

Booth was seen as somewhat of a steal at the time, but has yet to really deliver on that potential. Ingram has served as a starting offensive guard for the Vikings, but his play has left a lot to be desired, and Asamoah has been a role player in his time with the team.

Have those players made important contributions to the team? Yes. But would the Vikings have ultimately been better off by staying put and drafting Hamilton two spots before he eventually went? You can make a strong case that they would be.