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Contract Details: Fries, Hargrave, Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins, Bengals, Bills

March 14th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to during free agency:

  • Will Fries, G (Vikings). Five years, $87.72MM. Unlike other splashy Minnesota deals this week, Fries’ initial numbers were close to the true value. Fries will see $34MM guaranteed at signing. If he is on the Vikings’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, another $10MM becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Up to $6MM in incentives are also included in this deal.
  • Camryn Bynum, S (Colts). Four years, $60MM. The ex-Viking will see $26MM at signing, per OverTheCap, while KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds $32MM is guaranteed in total. The remainder of that guarantee impacts Bynum’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries. Of Bynum’s 2026 salary ($10MM), $6MM is fully guaranteed. Of Bynum’s 2027 base ($13.47MM), $4MM is already guaranteed for injury. That $4MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the league year, giving Bynum some advanced protection.
  • Carlton Davis, CB (Patriots). Three years, $54MM. This checks in $6MM south of the initial report, but Wilson notes Davis will still see $34.5MM at signing. Davis’ 2025 and 2026 base salaries are fully guaranteed, with a $15MM 2027 base nonguaranteed.
  • Javon Hargrave, DL (Vikings). Two years, $30MM. Minnesota is guaranteeing Hargrave $19MM at signing, while Wilson adds $4MM of the veteran DT’s $14.2MM 2026 base salary is already locked in. Hargrave’s full guarantee on a two-year deal nearly matches Jonathan Allen‘s ($23.26MM) on a three-year pact.
  • Ernest Jones, LB (Seahawks). Three years, $28.5MM. Jones will receive $10MM at signing and $15MM guaranteed in total. Of Jones’ $7.15MM 2026 base salary, Wilson notes $5MM is guaranteed for injury; that $5MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Mike Gesicki, TE (Bengals). Three years, $25.5MM. A $6.5MM signing bonus represents the full guarantee, as per usual for the Bengals’ non-quarterback deals (though, Cincinnati’s receivers may have something to say about this policy soon). A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • James Daniels, G (Dolphins). Three years, $24MM. $7.26MM is fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The Dolphins guaranteed $3.48MM of Daniels’ $6.49MM 2026 base salary for injury at signing, per Wilson; that $3.48MM shifts to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
  • Jarran Reed, DL (Seahawks). Three years, $22MM. Seattle guaranteed Reed $8MM at signing, per OverTheCap. After a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary, $2MM of Reed’s $5.49MM 2026 base will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • Michael Hoecht, DE (Bills). Three years, $21MM. Buffalo is guaranteeing Hoecht $13.43MM at signing. Both Hoecht’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. His $5.74MM 2027 paragraph 5 number is nonguaranteed.

Bengals Seeking More Than First-Round Pick For Trey Hendrickson; Latest On Tee Higgins

March 14th, 2025 at 12:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Hendrickson remains with the Bengals, but another record-setting contract — for Myles Garrett — has affected the edge rusher market. With T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons in contract years, the cost of deploying an elite player on the edge is rising. That will interfere with the Bengals’ Hendrickson situation.

While not an open-and-shut candidate to land a deal close to where Garrett went, Hendrickson is the reigning NFL sack leader who is in a contract year. As the Bengals have let Hendrickson shop for a trade, they have made it clear Tee Higgins will be their preferred extension recipient behind Ja’Marr Chase. Nothing has transpired on the Higgins front, and the Bengals have set a high price on Hendrickson.

Cincinnati wants at least a first-round pick for the 30-year-old pass rusher, with NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reporting the AFC North franchise wants more than that. In speaking with a GM about the Bengals’ Hendrickson price, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicates that exec views it as “ridiculous.”

Teams are prepared to pay Hendrickson the new going rate on the edge, Russini adds, but Cincinnati’s asking price in trades has complicated this market. As it stands, Hendrickson is tied to his one-year, $21MM add-on agreed to in 2023. He is due a $15.8MM salary next season. For now, the Bengals can accommodate that, but it will be interesting to see where this goes. The Bengals are not one to give into player demands, as they shut down Hendrickson, Higgins and Jonah Williams trade requests over the past two years.

Hendrickson’s Bengals situation differs from his 2024 issue, as the team — which has shown more interest in a Higgins extension that it did last year — has let Hendrickson shop. But teams are waiting to see if the Bengals will drop their asking price, Wolfe adds. Cincy will carry a major need at edge rusher if it does move on from Hendrickson, as longtime starter Sam Hubbard retired. The team did re-sign Joseph Ossai on a one-year, $7MM deal and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway adds a pursuit of four-year Giants EDGE Azeez Ojulari commenced before the Ossai deal. Though, Conway classifies the Bengals’ Ojulari interest as preliminary. Ojulari remains in free agency.

In confirming the Bengals want at least a first-rounder for Hendrickson, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder offers that it is highly unlikely the Colts reunite him with DC Lou Anarumo. The Colts did let Dayo Odeyingbo walk (to the Bears) but still have Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu and Samson Ebukam rostered. They also have a big-ticket DeForest Buckner extension and an eight-figure-per-year Grover Stewart contract on their books. The Colts also deviated from their Chris Ballard-era free agency blueprint by giving big-money deals to DBs Camryn Bynum and Charvarius Ward this week.

Higgins is “not happy” with being re-tagged, Wolfe adds, indicating talks with the Bengals on an extension have not progressed. This continues a refrain for Higgins. Although he has expressed interest in staying with Chase and Joe Burrow, he views himself as a WR1. The market appears to as well, as $30MM-per-year prices were thrown around when Higgins was viewed as a potential free agent target. The Bengals have set a “crazy” asking price on a Higgins trade, per Wolfe, and teams have called about a player that was once viewed as likely to leave Cincinnati in 2025.

With a Burrow-driven push seemingly changing the Bengals’ Higgins view, he remains on the team’s extension radar. As Hendrickson keeps looking around — after the Falcons and Commanders showed early interest — the Bengals will need to ramp up their efforts on a Higgins extension soon. Even though the Bengals have until July 15 to extend Higgins, the team exited the 2024 season having not seriously negotiated with its high-end WR2 since the first half of 2023. A show of good faith would stand to help that relationship, as Higgins has now been denied two free agency trips.

A new deal would drop Higgins’ 2025 cap number (currently at $26.2MM), while a Chase contract would reduce his $21.82MM figure. New contracts for the wideouts could allow the Bengals to keep Hendrickson in a contract year, but that obviously would not go over well with a player who wants to be extended — after back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons — before age diminishes his value.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/25

March 13th, 2025 at 9:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

OL Notes: Becton, Texans, Smith, Jags, Rams

March 13th, 2025 at 12:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles‘ Mekhi Becton signing proved to be a highly effective one. The former Jets tackle was able to have success upon moving inside, and he helped his market after playing on a $2.75MM ‘prove it’ contract in 2024.

Becton’s preference would be to remain in Philadelphia, but he is of course an attractive option to teams eyeing upgrades up front. PFR’s No. 22 free agent in 2025 could look to capitalize on the strength of the guard market, which saw the likes of Robert Hunt, Jonah Jackson, Kevin Dotson, Damien Lewis and Jon Runyan Jr sign deals averaging eight figures per year in free agency. Becton will likely not be able to match many of their earnings, but an Eagles departure could still be looming.

ESPN’s Tim McManus reports there has not been tangible progress between team and player to work out a re-signing in this case. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is among those who would like to see Becton, entering his age-26 season, brought back. As the Eagles move forward with a line already featuring four lucrative deals, though, keeping him in place may not be possible.

Here are some offensive line notes from around the league:

  • The Eagles, of course, have a deal in place to add a guard in the form of Kenyon Green. The former Texans first-rounder is one of three O-linemen the team is moving on from as part of its offseason plans. Veteran Shaq Mason was recently released, while left tackle Laremy Tunsil is on his way to the Commanders. The offensive line group increasingly became a problem in Houston last season, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. Tunsil is respected in the organization, Breer adds, but making sweeping changes up front this offseason allowed the Texans to avoid a third lucrative commitment to the 30-year-old. Houston will look for a noticeably different combination and a new culture along the O-line in 2025.
  • Colts general manager Chris Ballard said at the Combine right tackle Braden Smith intended to continue playing in 2025. That will indeed be the case, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting an agreement has been reached on a restructured contract. The pact will pay out a $2MM roster bonus next week in addition to a $3.96MM base salary, per Over the Cap. Smith, 29 later this month, has served as a full-time starter since his arrival in 2018 but he missed the last five games of the 2024 campaign due to an undisclosed personal matter. He will still be a free agent next spring as things stand, but Smith’s return (at a cap charge of $10.4MM) will be welcomed on a Colts O-line which is set to lose Ryan Kelly and Will Fries after they both agreed to Vikings deals this week.
  • The Ravens managed to take care of one of their most important offseason priorities with the re-signing of left tackle Ronnie Stanley. That three-year, $60MM deal features $44MM in guarantees. The latter figure includes a $20.25MM signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 details. Stanley has dealt with several injuries in his career, but this latest pact guarantees $22MM in pay for 2025 and ’26, according to Over the Cap. The two-time Pro Bowler is also scheduled to collect a $4.04MM option bonus next March.
  • Prior to the Stanley deal, Alaric Jackson agreed to a three-year pact to remain with the Rams. The deal can reach a maximum value of $60.75MM and includes $35.43MM in guarantees, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes. $30MM is fully guaranteed at signing, with most of Jackson’s compensation over the next two years locked in. $1.45MM in per-game roster bonuses are present in every year of the deal, and a $5.43MM injury guarantee will shift to a full one if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year.
  • Patrick Mekari parlayed his Ravens tenure into a three-year Jaguars contract at the outset of the negotiating period. That pact features $22.5MM in guarantees, including a $10MM signing bonus, per Wilson. The former UDFA has $10.5MM in 2026 salary locked in for injury, and remaining on the roster early in the 2026 league year will lead to further guarantees. Per-game roster bonuses totaling nearly $30K along with a $500K Pro Bowl incentive are present in every year of the deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew Lock–Geno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

Colts To Sign RB Khalil Herbert

March 12th, 2025 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts are signing veteran running back Khalil Herbert to a one-year deal, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. After backing up Chase Brown down the stretch last year, Herbert will move to a Jonathan Taylor RB2 role.

Having flashed at points in Chicago, Herbert will bring more to the table than the Colts’ array of 2024 backups did. Indianapolis did not opt to do much to replace Zack Moss, whom Cincinnati eventually acquired Herbert to fill in for last season. Herbert could provide more cover for Taylor, who has battled injuries after a healthy start to his career.

Working in what amounted to a role as Justin Fields‘ ground-game sidekick, Herbert impressed in 2022 by gaining 731 rushing yards — at a slick 5.7 per carry — and helping the Bears lead the NFL in that category. The former sixth-round pick managed to get there despite starting only one game. Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric placed Herbert fourth that season, but he gradually fell out of favor with the Bears as his rookie contract progressed.

Herbert, who had played behind David Montgomery that year, made nine starts in 2023. He saw his YPC number drop to a still-respectable 4.6, but the team signed D’Andre Swift last year, giving the former Lions and Eagles starter $14MM fully guaranteed. Herbert entered the Bears’ 2024 training camp on the roster bubble and was ultimately shipped out for a sixth-round pick weeks after the Bengals lost Moss for the season.

After Moss fared well as a Taylor 2023 fill-in — during his contract impasse and later amid the starter’s injury absence — the Colts saw backup Trey Sermon average just 2.8 yards per tote. Sermon is unsigned for 2025, but Tyler Goodson, who performed a bit better as a third-stringer, remains under contract. Herbert will be positioned to spell Taylor, and he should be fairly fresh. The ex-Bears and Bengals contributor has accumulated just 400 career carries.

Contract Details: Horn, Pats, Pack, Vikings

March 12th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

It’s that time of year. It is time to begin sorting through the contracts agreed to early in free agency. We will start with some of the biggest deals to emerge this week.

  • Jaycee Horn, CB (Panthers). Four years, $100MM. Horn’s Carolina extension covers $72MM in total guarantees (second among CBs) and $46.7MM at signing (first). Horn’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his $15.74MM 2027 base salary will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Additionally, $7.1MM of Horn’s $21.7MM 2028 base is already guaranteed for injury, per Wilson. That amount will shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2028 league year.
  • Milton Williams, DT (Patriots): Four years, $104MM. Williams will see $63MM in total guarantees and $51MM at signing, per OverTheCap. Williams’ 2027 base salary ($27MM) is guaranteed for injury; it will shift to a full guarantee if he remains on New England’s roster on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • Aaron Banks, G (Packers). Four years, $77MM. Only a $27MM signing bonus is guaranteed, via OverTheCap, as the Packers do not usually include guaranteed salary beyond Year 1. Banks is due a $9.5MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Wilson notes. The same structure is in place for 2027, with another $9.5MM bonus due. These represent future guarantee dates on this year-$20MM-AAV accord, though the Pack — as they do with Josh Jacobs — will have a natural out after Year 2 of the deal.
  • Byron Murphy, CB (Vikings): Three years, $54MM. This is significantly lower than initially reported (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), as Murphy can only reach the $22MM-AAV number through incentives. Murphy’s first two base salaries are fully guaranteed, per Wilson. Rather than being the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid CB, Murphy is tied for 13th after the true AAV emerged.
  • Charvarius Ward, CB (Colts): Three years, $54MM. This one had the correct value from the start, as Murphy’s subsequent Vikings deal matched these terms. Ward will see $27MM at signing. To reach the $34.98MM total guarantee, he must remain on Indianapolis’ roster past Day 5 of the 2026 league year. As $5MM of Ward’s $12.98MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, the rest locks in on that March 2026 date, Wilson tweets.
  • Jonathan Allen, DL (Vikings): Three years, $51MM. This also checks in lower (via Garafolo) than initially reported, which is not uncommon. Half of Allen’s $16MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, with the other half (via Wilson) locking in if the D-lineman is on Minnesota’s roster come Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
  • Jamien Sherwood, LB (Jets). Three years, $45MM. The Jets are guaranteeing $30MM, as ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes this is the second-biggest LB guarantee the team has authorized (after C.J. Mosley‘s then-record FA deal in 2019). The Jets included a $7.5MM option bonus due at any point before Week 1 of the 2026 season, Wilson notes. This, along with three void years, will reduce Sherwood’s cap hits; he will not carry a figure north of $11.5MM until 2027.
  • Drew Dalman, C (Bears): Three years, $42MM. $26.5MM of Dalman’s $28MM guarantee comes at signing, giving the ex-Falcons center the second-biggest center guarantee (passing Lloyd Cushenberry‘s 2024 Titans FA deal). $9.5MM of Dalman’s $11MM 2026 base salary is fully guaranteed at signing, per Wilson. The other $1.5MM vests if/once he is on Chicago’s roster on Day 3 of the ’26 league year. Dalman’s 2027 salary is nonguaranteed.

Colts, Daniel Jones Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 11:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Daniel Jones was known to be facing a Vikings-or-Colts decision and he has made his choice. The former Giants starter is heading to Indianapolis on a one-year deal, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Stephen Holder confirmed Jones was down to either remaining in Minnesota or heading to Indianapolis. Both teams were waiting to see which direction he went, with the call deciding how each would operate under center for the rest of the offseason. After taking Monday to weigh his options, Jones has made a commitment.

This pact will be worth $14MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. That figure represents the base value of the contract, as Pelissero notes Jones can earn up to $17.7MM. The Colts have their veteran Anthony Richardson competition in place for 2025. $13.15MM is fully guaranteed, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, with Pelissero adding that number is comprised of a $6.5MM signing bonus and $7MM in guaranteed salary. The maximum value of the deal can be unlocked via $850K in active roster bonuses ($50K per game) and playing time/wins/playoffs incentives.

The Vikings made a push to retain Jones, Rapoport reports. To little surprise, though, the chance to earn a starting gig represented a key factor for the former No. 6 pick. Richardson has not developed as planned early in his career, and Colts GM Chris Ballard made it clear his inconsistent play and injury troubles would lead to a veteran addition capable of handling QB1 duties. At a minimum, Jones will able to provide the team with an experienced backup, though Pelissero confirms an open competition is on tap. Indeed, Jones confirmed he was told he would have an opportunity to compete with Richardson (via James Boyd of The Athletic (subscription required)).

The 27-year-old raised eyebrows when he received a four-year, $160MM Giants deal in 2023. That pact – authorized by a Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime which did not draft him – did not pan out as planned, and midway through the past campaign his benching was followed up by his release. Minnesota added him on the practice squad with the potential to remain in place for 2025.

That especially remained true in the wake of Sam Darnold turning his Pro Bowl Vikings season into a lucrative Seahawks agreement. With Jones now out of the fold, though, Minnesota is set to rely on 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy as their starter moving forward. The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie campaign due to a meniscus tear, but he will be healthy in time for the 2025 season. A modest free agent signing can be expected to operate as his backup.

Richardson earned the starting gig right away as a rookie, but he was limited to only four games that year due to a shoulder injury. The 2023 No. 4 pick managed 11 appearances this past season, but he was temporarily benched in favor of Joe Flacco as the Colts offense underperformed. Richardson, 22, posted a completion percentage of just 47.7% and a negative touchdown-to-interception ratio last season. A notable step forward will be required in 2025, and the first step in his efforts in that regard will involve winning an offseason competition with Jones.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/25

March 11th, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Anger is a 13-year veteran who has spent the last four years in Dallas, which included Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2023. He will stay with the Cowboys on a two-year deal, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Tonyan had a few strong seasons in Green Bay earlier in his career, but he has struggled to produce over the last two years. He spent 2024 in Minnesota, but only played 15 snaps on offense with zero targets. He will add tight end depth in Kansas City.

Stoops received a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will be eligible to participate in training camp and preseason games, but will be sidelined for the first two games of the regular season.

McNichols is staying in Washington on a one-year deal, according to Pelissero. The seven-year veteran appeared in 17 games for the Commanders in 2024 and rushed for 261 yards and four touchdowns on 55 attempts. McNichols will likely continue as Washington’s RB3 behind Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler.

Vikings, G Will Fries Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 8:37am CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings added one former Colt along the offensive line in the form of center Ryan Kelly yesterday, and another is also headed to Minnesota. Guard Will Fries has a deal in place, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This will be a whopping five-year, $88MM pact, Fowler adds. KTSP’s Darren Wolfson’s reported yesterday that the sides were discussing a deal, so it comes as little surprise one has now been worked out. Fries will face massive expectations upon arrival given the nature of this commitment.

Fries does not have a connection to Ryan Grigson like Kelly does, as Fries is a first-time free agent who had joined the Colts in the 2021 draft. Despite not joining a team on Day 1 of the legal tampering period, Fries will cash in. While this is on the longer end of the term-length spectrum — especially as the cap has climbed like his has this decade — Fries is receiving a big number to join the Vikings. Guarantees will provide more illumination, but it is clear Minnesota eyed Fries from the start.

The Vikings have been busy Tuesday, agreeing to deals with two high-profile street free agents (Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave) to beef up their defensive line alongside Harrison Phillips while adding Fries as their other new piece with Kelly. The two Colts defections come as Indianapolis added long-rumored Minnesota Sam Darnold fallback option Daniel Jones. As Jones prepares to take a run at another starting job, two Colts blockers will prepare to help J.J. McCarthy transition after missing his rookie season.

A Colts starter for roughly two seasons, Fries is coming off a season-ending injury. He sustained a broken leg early last year; that halted considerable momentum. The fifth-year veteran is not yet 100%, per ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder, but all indications point to him having no issues being ready for next season on time. This contract certainly displays Vikings confidence on this front. The Vikings needed to go big for Fries, whom the Colts tried to re-sign. Pushes from the Patriots, Giants, Seahawks and Cardinals drove the market to this place, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes, as Fries did very well for himself despite the early-season injury.

Fries, who emerged out of the 2021 seventh round, graded as the league’s second-best guard (per Pro Football Focus) and had won his run- and pass-blocking matchups at a career-best rate (per ESPN) before the Week 5 setback. This came after a 17-start 2023, as Fries had taken over for less effective starter Danny Pinter during the 2022 season.

Not on the younger end among this year’s free agent class, Fries (27 in April) will be asked to start at one of the Vikings’ guard spots. Former second-round pick Ed Ingram‘s Vikings future is in doubt, after a 2024 benching, and Dalton Risner — who has not seen free agent markets come close to Fries’ new level — is again out of contract.

Adam La Rose contributed to this report.

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