Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries isn’t the most popular impending free agent, but the former seventh-round pick should receive a massive raise at the start of the league year. Despite entering the NFL with limited fanfare, the Penn State product has gradually turned himself into one of the league’s better guards. While injuries limited him to just five games last year, his 86.9 PFF grade would’ve ranked second in the league if he had enough snaps to qualify.
Will Fries is not the second-best guard in football, but he is an above-average starter in a league where quality offensive linemen are hard to find. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently wrote that the offensive lineman will “attract serious interest” across the league, suggesting the Colts won’t be able to keep him around. While Fowler didn’t give specific landing spots, it’s easy to imagine these five teams pursuing him.
Report: Will Fries Drawing “Serious Interest” Across NFL
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have never been particularly good at keeping Joe Burrow upright, and those struggles continued in 2024. Despite having an elite quarterback and the NFL’s best wide receiver duo, the team somehow missed the playoffs. While the subpar defense was the biggest culprit, the Bengals must do something about their offensive line. With Alex Cappa a likely cap casualty, Cincinnati can use a portion of his freed-up salary to upgrade the position with Will Fries.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens never found true replacements for Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson in 2024. While they got by with the duo of Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari, there’s plenty of room for improvement here – especially since Mekari himself is an impending free agent. Baltimore has come within inches of winning the AFC in each of the past two seasons, and now it’s time to push for a Lombardi Trophy. Will Fries create rushing lanes for Derrick Henry could create the league’s most unstoppable rushing attack.
Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith is a good quarterback, but he’s not capable of singlehandedly carrying a flawed roster to the playoffs. While the team narrowly missed the postseason last year, adding someone like Will Fries could get this team over the hump in 2025. Laken Tomlinson is an adequate starter, but this team has no solution at right guard. Adding Fries to the mix should give Smith adequate protection to connect with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and D.K. Metcalf.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have one of the worst offensive lines in football, and Will Fries would go a long way in fixing it. As of this posting, nobody knows if the Saints will move forward with Derek Carr under center. If they do, they’ll need to improve the interior offensive line, as Carr is one of the league’s worst passers against pressure. If they trade Carr, they’ll need someone to support their next young quarterback. Entering his age-27 season, Fries can help Kellen Moore’s team in both the short- and long-term.
Chicago Bears
First-overall pick Caleb Williams didn’t play as well as Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye last year, but the USC product still had a promising debut season. Completing 62.5% of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions, Williams should thrive in Year 2 with offensive guru Ben Johnson calling the shots. However, Chicago must invest in the offensive line for Williams to reach his ceiling, and Will Fries is one of the best options out there. While Trey Smith is probably their top target, Fries is a fine Plan B if they can’t land the Pro Bowl guard.
Main Photo: Grace Smith – Imagn Images
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