Getty General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings have moved on from offensive guard Ezra Cleveland, trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a Day 3 draft pick.
Minnesota made the move on Tuesday, October 31, just hours ahead of the league’s trade deadline, which passed at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network broke the news on social media.
Another #Vikings trade! They’re sending guard Ezra Cleveland to the #Jaguars, sources tell me, @MikeGarafolo and @RapSheet.
“Another #Vikings trade! They’re sending guard Ezra Cleveland to the #Jaguars, sources tell me, @MikeGarafolo and @RapSheet,” Pelissero wrote.
Minnesota was able to secure a sixth-round pick in exchange for Cleveland, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
Dalton Risner Rendered Ezra Cleveland Expendable to Vikings
Courtesy of VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings entertained trading left guard Ezra Cleveland #72 during the offseason, per Darren Wolfson of KSTP.
Minnesota shopped Cleveland during the offseason, though ultimately decided to hold onto their former second-round pick. The Vikings selected the offensive guard out of Boise State with the No. 58 overall selection in the 2020 draft.
Cleveland played in 53 of 58 regular season games over his three and a half years in Minnesota, starting 49 of those contests. He lined up for at least 97% of the offensive snaps available to him over each of the past three seasons, per Pro Football Reference.
Nevertheless, Cleveland became expendable to the Vikings after the team added guard Dalton Risner via free agency in September. Risner waited his turn and after Cleveland suffered a mid-foot sprain a few weeks ago, the Vikings’ new addition stepped in. Risner has started each of the last two games in Cleveland’s stead and will presumably continue to start now that Cleveland is bound for Jacksonville.
Vikings Making Every Move with Eye Toward Future
GettyMinnesota Vikings offensive guard Ed Ingram surrendered the most pressures of any lineman in the NFL during the 2022 season.
Cleveland’s contract situation likely also played a role in Minnesota’s decision to move him Tuesday, as his Pro Football Focus player grades are all above average in 2023 and his advanced analytics indicate he’s playing considerably better than Risner at the moment.
Cleveland is bound for free agency in March and as a former second-rounder, Minnesota has no team option to lock him in for a fifth season (that rule only applies to former first-round picks). He is playing in the final campaign of his four-year, $5.5 million rookie deal and will be worth considerably more than that on the open market come spring.
That Minnesota shopped Cleveland during the offseason is a clear indication that a long-term deal for the guard was not in the Vikings’ plans. As such, moving him for any kind of draft asset now makes sense if Minnesota believes Risner can reasonably fill the void Cleveland leaves behind — at least for the remainder of 2023.
Risner is playing on a one-year, $3 million deal and will also find himself a free agent when March rolls around. The Vikings have some questions to answer in the middle of the offensive line beyond the Cleveland/Risner spot, namely what to do about Ed Ingram who occupies the other guard position.
Also a second-round pick, Ingram is playing in his second NFL season. He was among the league’s worst pass-protectors in 2022 and while the numbers say he has improved somewhat from year one to year two, Ingram still presents serious concerns. According to PFF, Ingram has allowed four sacks in eight games, while officials have flagged him for three penalties.