Fate for One Vikings Player Could Be Sealed
The Minnesota Vikings will feature a roster cut or two within the next month, and per popular consensus, offensive guard Ed Ingram could be on the chopping block.
Fate for One Vikings Player Could Be Sealed
Ingram, a 2022 selection from the 2nd Round of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft, hit the bench midseason in 2024, paving the way for Dalton Risner to start the rest of the campaign. Now, as the Vikings presumably plan to improve the offensive line’s interior, Ingram could be an odd man out, according to Star Tribune.
Ben Goessling wrote last week, “Ingram, 26, lost his starting job in 2024, but he’d be in line for an even higher cap number in 2025, thanks to the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator program that would raise his base salary to $5.2 million for 2025.”
“It seems highly unlikely he’d return at that number; the Vikings would take on only $385,000 of dead money if they cut him.”
And few would disagree.
Without the Escalator tidbit, here’s the financial skinny on Ingram:
Dead Cap if Cut: $385,000
Cap Savings if Cut pre-6/1: $3.3 million
Cap Savings if Cut post-6/1: $3.3 million
That’s a low dead cap penalty if Minnesota wishes to move on. Ingram started for 2.5 seasons at right guard before being benched in favor of the aforementioned Risner in 2024. Minnesota gave him 48 games to develop, but to date, he’s a below-average offensive lineman. If the Vikings drop Ingram, some team would probably take a flyer on the former 2nd-Round pick.
The Los Angeles Rams set an NFL playoff record for sacks when they beat the Vikings in the postseason’s Wildcard Round, knocking Sam Darnold flat 9 times. The Rams defeated the Vikings 27-9, ending Minnesota’s 14-3 win season.
Recognizing offensive line turmoil, head coach Kevin 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 after the loss.
O’Connell added, “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.”
Fans construed those comments as a call for reform, meaning existing players like Ingram could be left behind.
If Minnesota prefers an OG solution from free agency — so, Ingram’s replacement — players like Trey Smith, Will Fries, Teven Jenkins, Kevin Zeitler, Brandon Scherff, and Mekhi Becton will headline the market.
Ingram produced a 54.4 Pro Football Focus grade in 2024.
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 Vikings 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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