Yet Another Bit of Bad News Ahead of Vikings/49ers
Lately, the bad news has been coming fast and furious for the Minnesota Vikings.
Today’s practice offers the latest bit of bad news. Per The Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling, starting left guard Ezra Cleveland was nowhere to be seen during practice: “Ezra Cleveland wasn’t practicing for the second straight day. #Vikings could be in line to start Dalton Risner for the first time at guard on Monday night if Cleveland isn’t ready to return from his foot injury.”
Cleveland had to leave the most recent game due to the injury Goessling mentioned. As a result, Dalton Risner got his first shot to pick up some snaps with the offense.
More Bad News for the Vikings
Thankfully, the Vikings have Risner as the LG2.
In most offenses, Risner would be the starter, but his late addition and the relative strength along the Vikings’ iOL has kept the former Bronco on the bench. The injury to Cleveland is opening the door for Risner to show what he can do in Minnesota.
The back and forth between Cleveland and Risner is something that has been explored previously.
Generally speaking, Cleveland has been doing a nice job of keeping his QB upright. PFF lists Cleveland as their 9th-best guard, largely due to his 72.3 pass blocking grade. They think he’s only responsible for allowing a single sack and 3 QB hits for the season.
If Cleveland needs more time to get back to 100%, then having Risner as the replacement is a nice spot to be. The veteran guard signed a 1-year deal to find employment in Minnesota, carrying a cap hit that’s at $2.625 million. So, above a league minimum deal but far from backbreaking when it comes to the team budget.
Right now, the Vikings are having a difficult time finding a rhythm on offense. Not having Justin Jefferson is a major part of the issue, but there’s enough talent to still have a strong group. After all, we’re talking about an offense that boasts a top-12 NFL QB, the best pair of OTs in the game, a true TE1, and a promising rookie WR to fill in for Jefferson.
Put simply, the results need to be better. Losing Justin Jefferson and Ezra Cleveland can’t be an excuse for another poor performance. Minnesota cannot compete unless the offense starts operating at an elite level.
Ezra Cleveland, 25, is operating on the final year of his rookie deal. His age and upside make him appear to be a perfect fit for the competitively rebuilding Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. After all, the GM has made a concerted effort to get young talent to town, the kind of players who are both strong contributors now and for the future. Keeping players who already fit that criteria would seem to be a no-brainer.
Keeping Cleveland would allow for Minnesota to build around a super athletic left side for years to come. Christian Darrisaw is the starting left tackle and the widespread expectation is that he’ll sign a major deal before too long. The hope for many Vikings fans is that Cleveland could be retained on a deal that lets him continue working alongside the LT1.
Earlier in the week, the Vikings’ injury report also featured corner Akayleb Evans, edge rusher Patrick Jones, and receiver Jalen Nailor.
Kickoff between the Vikings and 49ers will occur at 7:15 p.m. CDT on Monday, October 23rd.
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