Dalton Risner Might Have a New Team Soon
Dalton Risner ended up as a starting offensive guard for the Minnesota Vikings in back-to-back seasons, but it seems a three-peat may not be in the cards.
Dalton Risner Might Have a New Team Soon
The veteran offensive lineman has not signed anywhere in the NFL as of April 5th, but left up to him, Risner would become the newest member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Source? The man personally.
Dalton Risner Wants to Play for Bengals
Risner found a post on TikTok that endorsed him to the Bengals’ roster — and he loved it. “I would love to be a Bengal,” Risner commented on a video.
The 29-year-old has a history of expressing such comments on social media, unafraid to proclaim his interest in joining new teams, and in fact, posted similar statements on X, then known as Twitter, in 2023 shortly before he joined the Vikings.
There’s little mystery; Risner would probably sign in Cincinnati today if offered a contract.
Bengals’ Current Guards
At right guard, Cincinnati employs Cody Ford, a 2nd-Round pick by the Buffalo Bills from the 2019 NFL Draft — the same draft that Risner turned pro. Ford posted a 50.6 Pro Football Focus grade last season, which is quite terrible and explains why fans may want an alternative in Risner. Struggles for Ford affected pass protection and run blocking equitably, producing 50.2 and 49.8 marks, respectively.
While Risner isn’t a superstar, he’d be an upgrade over Ford.
At the other starting guard spot, Cordell Volson performed a bit better, banking a 59.3 PFF score. Volson is a better run-blocker (65.6) than pass-protector (49.4), a split Risner would flip if he signed in Cincinnati. Risner protects quarterbacks better than he plows lanes for runners.
Cincinnati Fans Are In
StripeHype.com‘s Ryan Heckman backed the Risner addition in an article after the TikTok comments. “Risner is in a different world when it comes to pass blocking. He is by far and away better than both Ford and Volson. It isn’t close,” he wrote.
“And, in line with keeping quarterback Joe Burrow happy by securing his top two targets in the passing game, the Bengals also need to do whatever it takes to improve his security in the pocket. Risner wouldn’t cost a whole lot at this point in the free agency process, and considering he’s begging the team to sign him, what’s the holdup?”
Cincinnati fans actually sound like Vikings faithful who have asked for better guard play for about a decade. To them, Risner might be quite the prize.
Heckman concluded, “Cincinnati should get this deal done as soon as possible. There are no excuses, now. Risner knows the Bengals’ financial situation. He’s no stranger to what’s going on around the league. And yet, he still wants to be in Cincinnati.”
Vikings’ OL without Risner
Apparently not in a hurry to re-up with Risner for Year No. 3, Minnesota signed guard Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts last month, along with his Colts teammate Ryan Kelly at center.
If the season started this week, head coach Kevin O’Connell recently mentioned that Blake Brandel would be the frontrunner to play at right guard — Risner’s spot in 2024 — with a youngster like Michael Jurgens competing this summer.
Other veteran guards, those not named Risner, like Will Hernandez, Shaq Mason, and Brandon Scherff, could be available to Minnesota — or Cincinnati — unsigned through four weeks of free agency.
Minnesota has also been linked to interior offensive linemen like Grey Zabel (North Dakota State), Tyler Booker (Alabama), and Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) early in this month’s draft.
All signs point to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah rolling with Brandel, drafting a rookie, or exploring the post-draft free-agent market for a guard when signing one won’t affect his 2026 compensatory draft pick formula.
Risner’s Performance
Risner fetched a 67.0 PFF grade in Minnesota last year, including an impressive 76.2 pass-blocking score. His run blocking never mirrors his pass protection, but if Joe Burrow and friends want a pass-pro specialist, Risner can be their man.
That’s his special sauce — keeping quarterbacks upright. Just don’t expect him to efficiently block for Chase Brown. That is not his special sauce.
How Much?
This is the perk of Risner to Cincinnati? Price. He should be attainable for about $3 million per season, a steal of a deal for a man with a 76.2 pass-blocking grade from PFF.
Traditionally, free agents’ price tags don’t spike as the offseason persists, so the Bengals could onboard Risner for cheap, just like the Vikings have done in the last two seasons.
A Bengal Coming the Other Way?
Interestingly, Bleacher Report recommended “the other way around” for Cincinnati, Minnesota, and free agency this week. It suggested the best landing spots for the league’s top remaining free agents, claiming that cornerback Mike Hilton would look good in purple, especially with his blitz-happy prowess paired with Brian Flores’ blitz-happy defense. Hilton has played in Cincinnati since 2021.
If Risner vamoosed to Cincinnati and Hilton eventually signed on the Vikings’ dotted line, the clubs would basically swap the two veterans. A faux trade.
Cincinnati has about $26 million in cap space as of early April. Like Minnesota, Cincinnati general manager Duke Tobin could explore Zabel, Booker, or Jackson early in the draft, as the Bengals have the 17th pick.
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