Dalton Risner #66 and Cameron Fleming #73 of the Denver Broncos leave the field following a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 17, 2022 in Inglewood, California. The Chargers defeated the Broncos 19-16 in overtime. ((Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings are continuing training camp at TCO Performance Center on Tuesday, but a new face at the practice facility might have a few eyebrows raised.
The Vikings are hosting offensive lineman Dalton Risner on a free agent visit. Risner was a second round draft pick by the Denver Broncos in 2019, and started 62 games over four seasons. Kevin O’Connell addressed Risner’s visit after the Vikings had morning walk-through on Tuesday.
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Vikings bring in OL Dalton Risner for free agent visit
Despite all five starters from last year's offensive line returning, the Vikings are hosting free agent Dalton Risner for a visit at training camp.
"We’re always looking for ways to find good football players when they’re available. We really just wanted to bring him in and get to know him a little bit better, use the process of a visit to do that and see if we can possibly take what we think is a strong group and make it even better," O’Connell said.
Those are interesting words from the head coach. The Vikings have all five offensive line starters back from last season – Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram and Brian O’Neill. Risner isn’t signing with a team to be a back-up after 62 starts over four seasons, so will he get a chance to win a starting job if he signs with Minnesota?
O’Connell says it’s about competition making teammates better.
"We want this to be as competitive at all positions as we possibly can, hoping to put the best 11 guys out there in each phase of our team. Competition tends to make everybody better," O’Connell said. "Purely about taking something that we feel is pretty strong and investigating the possibility of making it even better."
Perhaps it's O'Connell sending a message to his offensive line after Kirk Cousins was sacked a career-high 46 times last year? We don’t know if Risner will end up signing with the Vikings, but he’s at least having meetings and doing a physical.
Cousins came out to practice Tuesday wearing a No. 66 jersey, which was Risner's with the Broncos. But apparently it's an ode to Ryan Wright's number at training camp last year.
O’CONNELL TALKS JORDAN ADDISON
For the first time since training camp opened, O’Connell talked about rookie receiver Jordan Addison making plays on the field, and not his pre-training camp citation for speeding.
In Monday’s practice, Addison worked a route into the corner of the end zone. Kirk Cousins dropped in a perfect pass, and Addison made the catch with both feet dragged in bounds for a touchdown in a team situation. It’s the type of play the Vikings hope he can make when it counts in games.
"He’s done some things instinctively just playing football within the confines of our scheme. People probably saw that catch in the corner of the end zone. That’s him improv(ing) with a 12-year NFL quarterback to be in the right place at the right time," O’Connell said.
MULTIPLE PLAYERS INJURED IN TUESDAY'S PRACTICE
The biggest objective during training camp is to stay healthy, and the Vikings had a tough day on that front Tuesday. Trishton Jackson, who made a diving, one-handed catch on a deep ball Monday, was carted off the field with an apparent right knee injury. Defensive back Andrew Booth Jr. left the field with a trainer, and staring running back Alexander Mattison hobbled off after a team drill. He said, "I should be OK" before heading inside the team facility.