The Eye-Opening Revelation about Vikings Free Agency
Minnesota Vikings free agency is all but over, although the team could still add some newcomers after the draft when signings won’t affect the compensatory draft pick formula.
The Eye-Opening Revelation about Vikings Free Agency
The team conducted quite the haul, adding newcomers right and left, allowing Minnesota to effectuate a much-anticipated spending spree. And according to a recent eye-opening revelation, Minnesota didn’t think it was possible to add guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly, two free agents from the same team.
Vikings Didn’t Expect to Land Both Will Fries and Ryan Kelly
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis revealed the finding this week: “The Vikings never planned to add both center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries, according to O’Connell. Kelly became a possibility, then he helped the Vikings land Fries, who had countless suitors. Acquiring both players speaks to what the Vikings have built from a cultural standpoint to attract talent.”
“Minnesota has become a destination for players seeking the best facilities and resources, even if that means opting against their previous team.”
Of course, leading up to free agency, Vikings fans wanted both men, two dudes who’d totally repair the offensive trenches after a playoff game that featured a dubious NFL record — 9 sacks surrendered by the purple team against the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s rare for a fan-driven wish list to be granted so seamlessly, and even the Vikings, as an organization, didn’t think Fries and Kelly were attainable as a package deal.
Ryan Kelly’s Take on the Vikings
Last month, Kelly’s words to Vikings.com jibed with Lewis’ reporting. “I think there were a few teams [interested]. And as I started looking at it, Minnesota was the most appealing place. I can probably go into super depth in this answer, but even in the AFC South, watching some of the NFC North teams, you watch different offensive lines throughout the year, and I think you can watch a team and how they play, their head coach, who they play for.”
“Obviously, the NFLPA Report Card comes out every single year, and [the Vikings are] always number one or number two. So all those things kind of go into it. And what I saw from afar, more descriptively, was just how well the offensive line played together.”
Kelly replaced Garrett Bradbury, Minnesota’s longtime center, who later joined the New England Patriots.
“You could tell that team really relies on the offensive line and their true ‘band of brothers’ mentality, and that’s what I was looking for,” Kelly added.
Will Fries Speaks
Fries, too, spoke in March about his background and new role as right guard with the Vikings: “There’s no expectation when you’re a seventh-rounder. Maybe you make the roster, maybe you don’t, maybe you’re on the practice squad.”
“But I always knew that I belonged in the NFL, and I knew I belonged to be a starter, and I knew I could play at a really high level. And that’s what I expect to bring here, is to play at a high level and be the best I can for this team.”
Minnesota has not re-signed Dalton Risner this offseason, the team’s starting right guard down the stretch of 2024, and traded Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans. Ingram was pulled out of the 2022 NFL Draft to hold down the RG spot once and for all, but he has not panned out through three seasons. Now, he’s a Texan, and Fries is a Viking.
“The way he sees the game, and he’s able to help me watch film and improve my game, it’s been huge, and for us to see the game through almost the same lens of eyes, that’s a big plus for the both of us,” Fries said about his pal, Kelly.
The NFLPA Report Card Matters
The Vikings, as an organization on the whole, ranked second leaguewide per the NFLPA’s annual report card in 2025, fetching “A” grades almost across the board.
That grading system is announced every February, and the only folks who discount it are fans of the teams that rank near the bottom. The New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson, the only owner to receive an “F” in 2025, said this week about the report card, “My first thought was it’s totally bogus.”
Well, it’s not bogus, as evidenced by Minnesota’s acquisition of Fries and Kelly as a package deal.
Even Minnesota’s brass was surprised by how much the report card played into free agents’ decision-making.
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