The Minnesota Vikings are adding more insurance up front as they try to steady an offensive line that has been a problem all season.
One day after the team signed Corey Robinson II to the practice squad, Minnesota made another move on Thursday by bringing in guard C.J. Hanson, another lineman who worked out for the club this week. Hanson was a seventh-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 NFL Draft, and the Holy Cross product has appeared in four games in his NFL career.
The timing fits the moment. The Vikings are coming off their first loss of the season and now have to sort through a list of issues before hosting the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
The running game has been one of the biggest headaches, and the problems in the trenches have been part of that story. Right guard Will Fries has not played at the level expected from the interior force he’s being paid to be, while starting left guard Donovan Jackson is out for the year and has been replaced by swing offensive lineman Joe Huber.
First-year general manager Nolan Teasley has been trying to find answers wherever he can, reportedly exploring trades while also targeting free agents who might have slipped through the cracks.
The depth chart makes the urgency pretty clear. Minnesota does not have a guard listed behind Fries and Huber, and while the line could be rearranged, that would only create more uncertainty elsewhere.
Hanson now joins Henry Byrd and Josh Priebe as guards on the Vikings’ practice squad, and Kevin O’Connell could choose to elevate one of them for the matchup with Buffalo.
In Other News...
Vikings Are Wasting A Defense That Should Change Everything
The Vikings keep showing the same frustrating split: a defense good enough to change the shape of the season, and an offense that keeps making that harder than it should be. In Week 8, Minnesotas defense again did its part against Detroit, limiting a quality opponent and reinforcing the idea that this unit has become one of the leagues best at squeezing out possessions and forcing teams into uncomfortable football.
What makes it sting is how little help the defense is getting from the other side of the ball. Minnesotas offense has struggled to stay on schedule and finish drives, leaving the Vikings stuck in a familiar place where elite defensive play is being asked to cover for too much. For a team with a defense this strong, thats the kind of imbalance that can define a season if it doesnt get corrected soon. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Be Mishandling Ivan Pace Jr At The Worst Time
Ivan Pace Jr. has remained a familiar part of the Vikings' game-day mix this season, but mostly on special teams, even as the defense has settled into its current linebacker rotation. Through seven games, his role on defense has been limited, which stands out for a player who flashed enough as a rookie to make you wonder whether Minnesota should be doing more with him right now.
The timing matters because Pace is on a one-year contract, and the Vikings do not appear set up to make a long-term commitment at linebacker with other options already entrenched in starting spots. If Minnesota is going to consider moving him, giving him a bigger defensive platform would help clarify what kind of value he might have around the league, and the next stretch of games could determine whether he stays buried in a depth role or gets a real chance to raise his stock. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings History Still Turns On One Franchise Defining In-Season Trade
The Vikings are still sitting at 6-1 and on top of the NFC North even after a recent loss to the Lions, but the franchises history keeps circling back to one move that helped define its identity. In ESPNs look at the biggest in-season trade in team history, Jim Marshalls arrival in 1961 stands out as the kind of transaction that shaped far more than a roster spot.
Marshall went on to become one of the most durable and respected players in franchise history, setting an NFL record for consecutive games played and serving as a longtime captain. His number is retired by the Vikings, a reminder that some trades are remembered less for the moment they happened than for the standard they helped establish. [Read more 🡒]