Myles Gaskin Is an Interesting Fit for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings running back room has looked thin heading into the 2023 NFL regular season, and that was somewhat addressed on Wednesday with the signing of former Dolphins runner Myles Gaskin. How he fits, however, remains to be seen.
Myles Gaskin Is an Interesting Fit for Vikings
Going into the regular season, the Minnesota Vikings opted to carry just four total running backs, including fullback C.J. Ham. With the departure of Dalvin Cook, the lead role was set to become Alexander Mattison’s responsibility, with Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangwu cycling in behind him. After waiving seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride (who later joined the practice squad), the true running back total was set at just three. Myles Gaskin now adds to that group.
In Gaskin, the Vikings grab a player with familiarity to the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores was the head coach for Gaskin while he was leading the Miami Dolphins. Although Flores won’t be calling plays for Minnesota, he can certainly give head coach Kevin O’Connell a good deal of insight into what to expect from the former Washington Huskies rusher.
How Gaskin fits for the Vikings remains to be seen. Nwangwu was not a traditional running back, even during his college days at Iowa State, and he shouldn’t be expected to contribute between the tackles too often. As a kick returner, he has significant value, but Minnesota also has alternatives for that role in 2023. The Vikings did place him on IR to begin the season.
It stands to reason that O’Connell will not deploy Mattison in the same manner that Cook was utilized with the Vikings. Few teams have a set-it-and-forget-it type of runner, and Mattison doesn’t appear to be one. He should get the bulk of the work, but Chandler being utilized alongside him makes a good deal of sense. With Gaskin being brought in, there’s now a third option in the fold, and he should be the best pass catcher of the bunch.
2021 was the year in which Gaskin started the most games for Miami, racking up 10 of them and playing in all 17 games. He rushed for 612 yards and three touchdowns. Last year, Gaskin played in just three contests for the Dolphins, and it seemed like he could use a fresh start. Getting that with familiarity from Flores makes a good deal of sense.
Minnesota isn’t expected to be a heavy rushing team, and they’ll look to air the ball out with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison grabbing plenty of targets from quarterback Kirk Cousins. T.J. Hockenson is also on Minnesota’s roster for a full season this year, and assuming he takes the field during Week 1, the Vikings will have better pass-catching options than they did at any point a season ago.
The Vikings brought in both Kareem Hunt and Mike Davis to look at veteran options during different points this preseason, but it’s Gaskin that they ultimately decided to find a pact. Needing to free up a spot on the 53-man roster, the Vikings decided to part ways with former first-round pick Jalen Reagor. Selected ahead of Jefferson, Reagor never produced for the Philadelphia Eagles and didn’t separate himself with the Vikings either. Rather than roster an additional wideout, Minnesota opted to bring in running back depth.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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