Minnesota Vikings Sign Huge OL Upgrade

It took a bit of patience from Minnesota Vikings fans, as the NFL legal tampering period opened on Monday, prior to the new league year — which begins on Wednesday. If patience is a virtue for you, however, then you’ve been paid off big time over the past 15 hours.

Monday evening, the Vikings made their first OL upgrade, agreeing to terms with 31-year-old Colts center, Ryan Kelly, before landing on a lucrative 3-year deal to bring back 27-year-old CB1 Byron Murphy Jr. And if patience isn’t your thing, then Tuesday has been a good morning.

Before most MN Vikings fans had gotten their kids off to school for the day, Kwesi & Co agreed to terms on a 3-year contract for Commanders DT Jonathan Allen, the No. 10 ranked free agent at The Athletic, who stayed in town overnight after visiting TCO Performance Center on Monday.

Minnesota Vikings sign top guard Will Fries

But even after the Allen signing on the iDL and Kelly on the iOL, Minnesota still needed to get better in the trenches. So after suring up one side, the Vikings immediately turned their focus back to the other, agreeing to terms with the No. 14 ranked free agent in The Athletic’s Top 150 — 26-year-old Will Fries — to a 5-year deal worth $88 million.

Fries’ five year deal is the longest of any deal the Minnesota Vikings have handed out so far this week. The former Penn State Nittany Lion was drafted in the seventh round in 2021 and has completely blown his draft projections out of the water.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Signings – 2025

As a rookie, Fries played in three games, all at tackle. He moved to right guard during, for his second season, where he started nine of 16 games for the Colts. In 2023, he started all 17 games, but filled in all over the OL. Last season, Fries was back at right guard, where he started five games before suffering a season-ending broken tibia.

Fries is expected to make a full recovery from his injury, something the Vikings are clearly confident in, given the massive deal they just gave him. By adding Fries to the fold, Kevin O’Connell made good on his offseason promise to improve the interior offensive line.

Vikings offensive line upgraded

The presence of Kelly and Fries, alongside both Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, presents one of the more formidable offensive fronts in the league, on paper. Now, the question remains what the Minnesota Vikings plan to do at the other guard position, and with their now backup center, Garrett Bradbury.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Signing New Pro Bowl Center

Blake Brandel started at left guard for Minnesota last season. His results went downhill, upon Christian Darrisaw exiting for the season, with a knee injury. 2022 2nd round pick, Ed Ingram is an expected cap casualty, at some point between now and the start of the regular season. No matter how it all shakes out, this group is already significantly better than what the MN Vikings put on the field last season.