1 Vikings Position Group Lets Alarm Bells Ring
The Minnesota Vikings are parting ways with various players to reach the 53-man roster limit by 3 p.m. CST on Tuesday. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is certainly experiencing the hardest day of the GM job as he has to shatter the dreams of more than a third of his players.
Three cuts, however, are quite alarming.
1 Vikings Position Group Lets Alarm Bells Ring
Ex-Gophers standout Mo Ibrahim was waived on Monday in the first wave of roster cuts. That move wasn’t a surprise, as he was only acquired to take a few handoffs in the final preseason game. He doesn’t seem to have NFL-caliber juice.
But Adofo-Mensah didn’t stop there, releasing veteran Myles Gaskin. He started for the Dolphins in 2020 and 2021, but his career has fizzled in the last two years with only ten total carries. Gaskin was stashed on the practice squad last year.
The final cut was quite shocking as the Vikings parted ways with kick return star Kene Nwangwu. He has never arrived in the league as a running back and mightily struggled on offense as a pass protector. Still, he was the third running back and the depth is non-existent without him.
Two runners remain on the roster: Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler.
The problem is that running backs are getting hurt a lot. They are getting a lot of touches and, therefore, take a lot of hits, especially those from huge defensive tackles.
It’s vital to have a third and perhaps even fourth option. At this point, the Vikings don’t have that essential depth. The problems get even worse after realizing that Jones missed time last season with two separate issues.
In addition to that, he is 29 years old (he will turn 30 in December). Aging RBs decline quickly and are more prone to suffer injuries as they get older. He was still effective last year when healthy, but that health can’t be guaranteed, and his continued high-level play isn’t written in stone either.
Chandler played well in the final stretch of the 2023 campaign, but it is still alarming to some extent that he didn’t get snaps earlier despite Alexander Mattison’s continued struggles, especially after Cam Akers got hurt.
The Vikings need to add one or two running backs. On the bright side, the other 31 teams have also released a bunch of players, including some running backs.
Ex-49ers rusher Matt Breida could be an option. He is 29 years old and no longer a significant contributor, but his experience in zone-rushing attacks makes him a viable player. The Broncos intend to part ways with Samaje Perine via trade. He would only cost a future late-round pick. If they can’t find a trade partner for the strong pass-catching back, he will be released. His path crossed with Kevin O’Connell’s when he was the QB coach in Washington in 2017.
The Chiefs waived Deneric Prince, an undrafted sophomore. He earned some buzz early in training camp and the preseason. Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers axed 2022 fourth-rounder Isaiah Spiller. Perhaps the Vikings liked him in the draft and want to see if they can kickstart his career. Former Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez rushed for 247 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie year in 2023.
The Vikings need a body behind the top duo, and they will likely acquire at least one running back in the next few days.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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