Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans react during the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Training camp will arrive shortly in the state of Minnesota when the players report to work at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota. In those few weeks before the season kicks off, athletes compete with each other for spots on the 53-man roster and for roles within the team, such as starting positions.
Vikings’ Trust in Starter Could Backfire
Aug 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler (32) celebrates with Minnesota Vikings guard Ed Ingram (67) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Those battles will include the offensive line. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill will handle the offensive tackle duties pretty much uncontested. The same can be said about center Garrett Bradbury. However, the guard spots are up for grabs.
Last year’s starter, Dalton Risner, returned after testing free agency, but his contract doesn’t even match that of longtime backup Blake Brandel. Those two guys seem to be competing for the left guard spot unless veteran Dan Feeney or rookie Michael Jurgens can somehow throw a curveball.
Sep 11, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws a touchdown pass while being rushed by Green Bay Packers defensive end Dean Lowry (94) as guard Ed Ingram (67) blocks during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Ed Ingram has become a solid blocker at right guard, especially since his second season was quite promising. Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon picked him as Minnesota’s bust candidate regardless.
A two-year starter in Minnesota, Ed Ingram is entering a crucial third season. He’s yielded 100 pressures and 16 sacks so far, according to Pro Football Focus. As the Vikings begin to build around JJ McCarthy, they probably won’t have as much patience for Ingram next offseason if he has another subpar year.
David Kenyon, Bleacher Report
Ingram joined the Vikings in the second round of the 2022 draft. He was Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s third selection, behind only Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth. In his training camp, he won the job over veterans Jesse Davis and Chris Reed and started all 17 contests in the regular season and the playoff game, playing 100% of the team’s snaps that year.
Aug 14, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Ed Ingram. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The coaching staff didn’t take action to get him off the field when his struggles were hurting the offense. He then returned as a starter in his sophomore season; the team didn’t even add any competition, and Ingram played in 15 games.
According to PFF, the former LSU blocker ranked 57th of 77 offensive guards in 2022 but climbed to 38th of 79 in his second season. Improvement was visible, although he still had occasional problems. Nevertheless, seeing him take a step in the right direction is promising.
While it didn’t seem that the Vikings would consider a change in the offseason, head coach Kevin O’Connell said on the Rich Eisen Show in June after the team added Risner to the roster: “We bring back Dalton Risner, who’s gonna compete like crazy at the guard spot with both Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel.”
A classic sentence among coaches is, “We’ll start the five best players,” and it seems like the Vikings want to do exactly that.
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
As always, the offensive line will be a vital element of the attack. The rushing game was a disaster in 2023, and it must improve with the quarterback downgrade to either Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy. Taking the heat off the passers is the key to a solid offense. In addition to that, obviously, keeping pass rushers away from them to give them more time in the pocket certainly helps as well.
There is no downside to a competition on the offensive line. The two best players will emerge, raising the group’s floor. However, if Kenyon is right and Ingram starts but underwhelms, the Vikings would’ve made a big mistake not addressing the interior offensive line in the offseason.
Despite playing better last year, Ingram, 25, will enter a crucial season for his development as he needs to make another step to become an above-average guard and secure his spot for years to come.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus, Over the Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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Publish date : 2024-07-17 20:50:00
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