Buccaneers Urged to Sign ‘Solid Bodyguard’ for Baker’s Blind Side

Last season, the Buccaneers finished right in the middle of the pack in terms of protecting their quarterback, allowing Baker Mayfield to be sacked 40 times. Despite the number of hits he took, Mayfield recorded career-highs in completion percentage (71.4%), passing yards (4,500), touchdown passes (41) and passer rating (106.8). In order to protect their Pro Bowl quarterback, Bleacher Report‘s Moe Moton suggests that they sign free agent guard Dalton Risner to serve as a “solid bodyguard” for Mayfield’s blind side.

Risner Would be an Upgrade Over Sixth-Year Guard Ben Bredeson

In his article about the one move that each team still needs to make this offseason, Bleacher Report‘s Moe Moton suggests that the Buccaneers sign Dalton Risner to replace Ben Bredeson. Risner registered impressive metrics in 2024, allowing just one quarterback hit and zero sacks in 345 pass-blocking snaps, according to PFF.

Moton points out that Bredeson has not been able to find a long-term home during the first five seasons of his career, making him “a replaceable left guard.” Moton writes that Risner “would be a solid bodyguard for Baker Mayfield, who threw the fifth-most passes last year.”

Ben Bredeson delivered a below-average performance last season, according to PFF, registering a 56.2 overall grade, ranking 93rd out of 136 guards. His pass blocking grade of 59.5 was just about average, ranking 80th. But, he struggled in the run game, registering a grade of 53.6, which was near the bottom at 112th.

Bredeson also allowed 34 pressures in 2024, which was nearly double the number that right guard Cody Mauch allowed. There is more context to add, including defensive alignment, pre-snap movement, etc. But, Bredeson’s unimpressive metrics may be part of the reason he has not been able to find a long-term home, bouncing around from Baltimore to New York to Tampa Bay in just 5 seasons.

Why Would the Vikings Move on From Risner?

Risner was the only lineman on the Minnesota Vikings that did not allow a sack or commit a penalty during the 2024 regular season. But, he registered the second-worst run blocking grade on the team at 57.4. It seems like Risner’s back injury – which he suffered during training camp and kept him out for 9 weeks – may have impacted his ability to move downfield in the run game. But, he still registered a pass blocking grade of 76.2, far above the team average of 66.4. If he can recover from last season’s run-blocking woes, Risner could solidify his spot on the Bucs’ offensive line as Baker Mayfield’s “solid bodyguard.”

Despite his production, Risner played the past two seasons on one-year deals, which may signify a lack of urgency to keep him around long-term. The Vikings are near the bottom of the league with just over $11.4 million in effective cap space, which Over The Cap defines as “the cap space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class to its roster.”

In addition to a lack of cap space, another reason to consider that Risner may be on the way out is the Vikings’ first-round draft pick. Minnesota used the 24th overall pick on a player that could be considered a replacement for Risner, selecting Ohio State lineman Donovan Jackson, who projects as a day 1 starter and can slide between left guard and left tackle.