Vikings Orchestrate Trade for Surplus Player

The Minnesota Vikings have been busy filling out their roster and addressing some key problems like the offensive and defensive lines. In the process, they acquired a pair of new blockers in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, making a couple of former starters redundant.

Vikings Orchestrate Trade for Surplus Player

One of those guys is center Garrett Bradbury, who won’t be starting ahead of newly-signed veteran and former Pro Bowler Kelly. Fries, meanwhile, will take the right guard spot. A few days ago, Ed Ingram was penciled in for that position because of a lack of alternatives on the roster.

Ingram, however, will earn the Vikings a draft pick rather than ending up on the waiver wire. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah once again facilitated a trade with the Houston Texans, sending the lineman to Texas for a late-round pick in 2026.

Ian Rapoport broke the news, “Trade: Vikings guard Ed Ingram is being traded to the Texans, sources say, as Houston continued to rework their offensive line. The former 2nd rounder from LSU is on the move, thanks in part to Minnesota spending big on OL in free agency.”

It’s important to note, though, that Ingram was not really the odd man out because of Fries’ arrival. He was benched halfway through the season for Dalton Risner, and the club clearly wanted to move on from him after trying to make it work for two-and-a-half seasons.

Ingram came to Minnesota in the 2022 draft. He was Adofo-Mensah’s third draft choice, behind only Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. Both started new chapters elsewhere last offseason, and Ingram will join them now.

The Texans are pretty desperate for offensive line help. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil was traded to the Washington Commanders, and guard Kenyon Green was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Veteran guard Laken Tomlinson signed a one-year contract with the Texans in free agency.

However, more moves are needed, considering the Texans had one of the worst offensive lines in the business and just traded away a pair of starters. C.J. Stroud needs better protection.

Ingram could actually be in the running for a starting role.

In his first training camp, he was chosen as the starter ahead of the veterans Chris Reed and Jesse Davis. The latter was shipped to Pittsburgh; Reed stayed as a backup for a year.

In 2023, the Vikings hoped for a sophomore jump from their second-rounder, and he played slightly better, but it wasn’t enough for them to enter another season without any competition. Dalton Risner returned for a second season, but this time, to compete at right guard after handling the left guard duties in the previous year.

His injury kept Ingram in the starting unit, but he returned after seven games and took the job from his younger counterpart.

That benching signaled the end of Ingram’s tenure with the Vikings, and it didn’t take long for him to land in a different situation. The Vikings recoup some 2026 draft compensation and save about $3.4 million in cap space, and the Texans get a once-promising lineman who they hope can turn into something for them after getting a fresh start.

Ingram just turned 26 years old and is in the final year of his rookie contract. He appeared in 48 games with 41 starts.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt