The Vikings made it clear they wanted the offensive line to be fixed after it showed major cracks down the stretch of the 2024 season.
They upgraded the interior line especially by signing Ryan Kelly and Will Fries from the Colts to play center and guard. They followed that up by drafting Donovan Jackson to play the other guard spot opposite Fries which now leaves Blake Brandel in limbo.
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Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has a suggestion of what to do with Brandel that he may not be a fan of: release him. Knox identified one cut candidate for each team ahead of training camp, and for the Vikings, it was the former undrafted guard turned 17-game starter.
He writes, “Guard Blake Brandel was a 17-game starter for Minnesota last season after spending his first year on the practice squad and three as a depth player. However, his time as a starter may already be over. The Vikings acquired Will Fries in free agency before drafting Donovan Jackson in Round 1. This likely pushes Brandel back into a depth role, and the Vikings could save $1.6 million by releasing him.”
We pointed out how all those moves left him out in the cold, so the move makes sense.
That being said, though, Brandel staying for such a value would be a good backup option. The team saw injuries down the stretch, so stashing him in case of emergency isn’t the worst idea.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Analyst suggests a Vikings 2024 offensive starter could be cut