For the Minnesota Vikings, bad news has been flying in quick and furious lately.
The most recent negative news is presented in today’s practice. Starting left guard Ezra Cleveland was nowhere to be spotted at practice, according to Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune: “Ezra Cleveland wasn’t practicing for the second straight day.” If Cleveland isn’t ready to make a comeback from their foot injury, the #Vikings might start Dalton Risner at guard for the first time on Monday night.
The injury that Goessling reports caused Cleveland to have to exit the most recent game. Consequently, Dalton Risner was given his first opportunity to play some snaps with the offense.
Additional Worry for the Vikings
Thank goodness Risner is the LG2 for the Vikings.
Risner would be the starter in most offenses, but the former Bronco has been kept off the field due to his late acquisition and the Vikings’ iOL’s relative strength. Cleveland’s injury is providing Risner with an opportunity to showcase his abilities in Minnesota.
Sep 14, 2023, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA: At Lincoln Financial Field, offensive tackle Olisaemeka Udoh (74) of the Minnesota Vikings and guard Ezra Cleveland (72) of the Philadelphia Eagles block defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98). Required Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Eric Hartline
There has already been some discussion of the back and forth between Cleveland and Risner.
Cleveland has been doing a good job of holding their quarterback upright overall. Cleveland is ranked as the ninth-best guard by PFF, mostly because of his 72.3 pass blocking score. They estimate that he will only be accountable for three quarterback hits and one sack over the season.
Having Risner as a replacement is a good move if Cleveland needs more time to recover to 100%. The seasoned guard agreed to a one-year contract with a $2.625 million cap charge in order to work in Minnesota. Thus, it’s beyond the league minimum but yet well within the team budget.
The Vikings are now struggling to establish a rhythm offensively. A big part of the problem is that they don’t have Justin Jefferson, but they still have enough quality to be a formidable team. We are discussing an attack that includes a real TE1, a pair of the best offensive tackles in the game, a top-12 NFL quarterback, and a promising rookie wide receiver to replace Jefferson.
To put it plainly, better results are required. Another subpar performance cannot be justified by the loss of Ezra Cleveland and Justin Jefferson. Unless the offense reaches a superior level of performance, Minnesota will not be able to compete.
The 25-year-old Ezra Cleveland is in the last year of his rookie contract. His youth and potential make him seem like a great fit for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who is rebuilding their team in a cutthroat manner. Ultimately, the general manager has worked hard to bring in young players who may be valuable assets both in the short and long term. It would seem sense to stick with the guys who already meet that requirement.
If Cleveland were retained, Minnesota could continue to develop their incredibly athletic left side for many years to come. The general consensus is that Christian Darrisaw, the starting left tackle, will soon sign a big contract. Many Vikings supporters are hoping Cleveland stays in the
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