After losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs two months ago, head coach Kevin O’Conell promised to fix his offensive line’s interior.
Vikings Sign Another Massive Free Agent
He and his boss delivered.
The Vikings signed offensive guard Will Fries on Tuesday, the top free-agent guard on the market, adding Fries with the largest free-agent contract of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era. Fries — after Vikings fans asked for him since February — is a Viking.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted, “Guard Will Fries is headed to the Vikings for five years and $88 million, sources told ESPN. One of the top interior linemen on the market is now off the board.”
The Kansas City Chiefs franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith two weeks ago, wiping the top interior lineman after the market, but Fries became the primary target for many OG-needy teams. A day earlier, the Vikings signed Fries’ teammate from the Colts, Ryan Kelly, a center.
In a period of hours, Minnesota has fundamentally fixed its interior trenches.
Here’s Fries’ tale of the tape from Pro Football Focus:
- 2024: 86.9
- 2023: 61.2
- 2022: 58.4
- 2021: 54.8
Fries broke his leg last season, so his 2025 trajectory isn’t absolutely sterling. Most expect him back by the start of the regular season, but there are some “yeah buts” with Fries. For example, the first section of 2024 — before the leg fracture — was the first time Fries was actually good-good in four seasons.
Still, the Vikings took the plunge on his free agency, unafraid of Fries’ downside.
This is what a prospective Vikings offensive line might look like in 2025:
LT: Christian Darrisaw
LG: Blake Brandel
C: Ryan Kelly
RG: Will Fries
RT: Brian O’Neill
Most onlookers expected iOL change this offseason, especially after Kevin O’Connell’s comments about the Wildcard loss to the Rams. O’Connell was sure to call out the trenches. With the Kelly and Fries additions, change is here.
“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 losing in the postseason.
“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.”
Minnesota’s offensive line can improve on these already lofty marks:
Vikings OL Rankings,
2024:
ESPN Pass Block = 2nd
Sharp Analysis = 9th
Pro Football Network = 10th
ESPN Run Block = 15th
PFF = 18th
Fries will turn 27 next month.
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.