Once Promising iOL Hits the Open Market
If you watched the Minnesota Vikings’ utterly depressing playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams seven weeks ago, it was rather evident that the organization could stand to improve the offensive trenches.
Vikings Free Agency: Once Promising iOL Hits the Open Market
In fact, the club vowed to do so, and if the Vikings strike out on big-name offensive guards next week during free agency, a once-promising option hit the open market on Monday.
He’s former Cincinnati Bengal Alex Cappa. The 33rd Team‘s Ari Meirov tweeted, “The Bengals are releasing veteran G Alex Cappa, who started 50 games during his three years with the team.”
Why is Cappa noteworthy for the Vikings’ sake? Simple — the free-agent offensive guard market took a sizable hit last week when the Kansas City Chiefs franchise-tagged Trey Smith, who was on tap to headline the OG market. Will Fries of the Indianapolis Colts is now the top prize among guards, and Vikings fans hope the purple team will secure his services.
If it does not, however, men like Cappa — decent, mid-tier options — would morph into Plan B.
Here’s Cappa’s Pro Football Focus resume to date:
- 2024: 50.5
- 2023: 64.9
- 2022: 67.6
- 2021: 71.3
- 2020: 67.7
- 2019: 62.7
- 2018: 40.1
Drafted by the Tampa Buccaneers in Round 3 seven years ago, this is Cappa’s destination resume:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018–2021)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2022–2024)
- TBD (2025)
For now, Minnesota has guards Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel under contract for 2025, along with long-time center Garrett Bradbury. But most fans expect iOL change, especially after Kevin O’Connell’s comments about the Wildcard loss to the Rams. O’Connell was sure to call out the trenches.
“There’s no question that we got to be able to find a way to give a quarterback time. Especially with players like Jordan Addison, Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, we got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket, starting first and foremost,” O’Connell told reporters in January.
“There can be a thousand excuses made. 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.”
On the whole, with Cappa now in the mix, these are the free-agent guard options for the Vikings:
- Aaron Banks
- Mekhi Becton
- Alex Cappa
- Will Fries
- Will Hernandez
- Teven Jenkins
- Patrick Mekari
- Brandon Scherff
- Kevin Zeitler
Cappa turned 30 in January and should have a decent free-agent market with the teams that miss out on Fries. He’s started 96 games in seven seasons.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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