The Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears each came out on the losing end of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ decision to franchise tag Pro Bowl offensive guard Trey Smith ahead of free agency.
Both NFC North rivals are in need of revamping the interior of their offensive line, and both are now likely to turn to arguably the next best option now that Smith is off the table.
“Headlining the list is Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries. He fits the Vikings’ preferred free-agent benchmarks in that he’s young, versatile and productive,” Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote Monday, March 3. “How his right tibia fracture affects his market remains to be seen, but the Vikings will likely be bidding against multiple teams, including the [Bears].”
Will Fries Prized Offensive Lineman in 2025 Free Agent Class Despite Injury
GettyOffensive guard Will Fries of the Indianapolis Colts is carted off the field following an injury during an NFL game in 2024.
Matt Bowen of ESPN listed Fries as the 19th-best free agent across any position, and the No. 2 interior offensive lineman, in the 2025 class back in late January — even despite a serious injury he suffered last year.
“Before a right tibia injury ended his season in Week 5, Fries had posted career bests in both pass block win rate (92.4%) and run block win rate (74.3%),” Bowen wrote. “He might lack high-end traits, but the tape tells us he can upgrade the interior of an offensive front. He has a fundamentally sound play style, the lower-body mobility to handle power rushers and an ability to sustain blocks on contact.”
Fries, a former seventh-round pick out of Penn State, just finished his four-year rookie contract. Spotrac projects his market value at $56.5 million total ($14.1 million annually) over a new four-year deal.
Vikings May Have Even More Need for O-Line Stability Next Season With Changes to Skill Positions
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell following an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers.
Lewis noted that the Vikings have been open about wanting to beef up the middle of the offensive line and with limited draft capital to pursue top rookie talent, free agency is really the only path forward.
“Securing Fries would go a long way toward fortifying an interior group head coach Kevin O’Connell has not been shy about wanting to upgrade,” Lewis continued. “The Vikings interior has struggled mightily against stunts and other movement since O’Connell arrived in 2022. Moving defenders on run plays in the red zone has been another consistent issue.”
The need to protect against an interior pass rush will be even greater in 2025 should J.J. McCarthy win the starting quarterback job outright. McCarthy is just 22 years old and missed the entirety of last season with a knee injury. As such, he has yet to take a snap in the NFL.
Minnesota’s running game could also potentially downgrade next season, depending on whether the team can work out a contract extension with running back Aaron Jones, who joined the Vikings roster on a one-year contract ahead of last season.
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