The Vikings Had a Roster Casualty on Tuesday
The Minnesota Vikings traded for running back Cam Akers last week, a transaction to bolster the RB room after the club struggled to run the football in Weeks 1 and 2.
The Vikings Had a Roster Casualty on Tuesday
A few days later, Minnesota has offloaded a veteran running back to clear room for Akers — recently-signed tailback Myles Gaskin.
Gaskin will now hit free agency and can sign anywhere in the NFL.
From Week 4 on, the Vikings will showcase an RB room consisting of Alexander Mattison, the aforementioned Akers, and second-year runner Ty Chandler. Kick returner + running back Kene Nwangwu remains on injured reserve.
Gaskin was the team’s RB3 for the last few games but did not see any action on offense. Before too long, Akers should slide into RB2 duties, while Chandler will likely take Gaskin’s job at RB3.
Minnesota is at a crossroads at 0-3, probably too far in the hole to turn around the season entirely but not down enough to die altogether. The Vikings have never reached the playoffs after starting a season with no wins and three losses.
Gaskin, a former 7th-Round draft pick, is a dual-threat RB, tabulating 101 receptions since 2019 for 701 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 361 rushing attempts for 1,355 yards and 7 scores. He was at the peak of his powers in 2020, tallying 972 yards from scrimmage in Flores’ second year as Miami’s skipper.
Released by Miami at the NFL’s roster cut deadline, the Dolphins kept several running backs on their 53-man roster, including Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, rookie De’Von Achane, and Salvon Ahmed, making Gaskin evidently expendable. He wasn’t destined to remain a free agent for too long, and Minnesota grabbed him soon after the release.
But the relationship didn’t last long. Twenty-seven days to be precise.
Here’s Gaskin’s Pro Football Focus resume to date:
2022: 66.5
2021: 64.8
2020: 74.5
2019: 57.4
He’ll likely latch onto a team before too long, especially at age 26, with at least a few seasons left in the tank.
The Vikings travel to Carolina this weekend without Gaskin, hoping to finally get off the schneid with a win. The Panthers are also 0-3, struggling in new head coach Frank Reich’s first few games. Carolina’s quarterback situation is unclear, as rookie passer Bryce Young missed Week 3 with an ankle injury. Veteran Andy Dalton filled in last weekend as the team lost 37-27 to the Seattle Seahawks.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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