March 21, 2026, 9:31 a.m. CT
Building depth in the trenches is a great way to build a winning program. It’s great to have top-end starters, but should they go down, it’s great to have someone waiting in the wings who can serve as a viable backup or stopgap option. That is what the Minnesota Vikings are doing with the signing of former Buffalo Bills tackle Ryan Van Denmark.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis first reported the news.
Van Denmark started four games for the Bills last season, grading out well, but thrived in the run game. He played a key part in James Cook having another strong year, and dependability when Josh Allen would scramble out and look to create plays with his feet. Van Denmark likely won’t push for a starting job by any means, but should prove to be quite the valuable backup.
The Minnesota Vikings are bringing in guys on smaller contracts, as they likely learned their mistakes from the cap misery they have been in as of late. All their moves to get under the salary cap just to sign guys to massive contracts don’t make much sense.
So, look for Minnesota to add a few more guys on team-friendly deals.
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