Vikings Could Make Next Splashy Roster Move at End of Summer
The Minnesota Vikings have a few depth concerns on offense entering training camp, mainly the identities of the WR3 and RB3.
Vikings Could Make Next Splashy Roster Move at End of Summer
At RB3, the club allegedly re-signed Cam Akers on July 2nd, according to ESPN, pending a physical, but that reporting was either flatly wrong or Akers quietly failed a physical. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler headline the top of Minnesota’s RB depth chart, but after that, it’s unclear if Kene Nwangwu, DeWayne McBride, or Myles Gaskin have the juice for RB3. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, at WR3, Minnesota has several options, including Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor, and Trent Sherfield, but those men feel like better combatants for a WR4 conversation.
So, a late-August addition of another splashy contributor cannot be ruled out. Here’s why, and these are the possible options.
RB3
NFL teams must trim their roster in five weeks from 90 players to 53. Including practice squad assignments per team, about 700 players will hit free agency.
Should Minnesota decide Nwangwu, McBride, or Gaskin won’t cut it at RB3, the roster-cutdown market could be perfect for a purple wishlist. The following players are listed as RB4s or RB5s on their respective teams at the moment:
- Michael Carter
- Royce Freeman
- Nyheim Hines
- Rashaad Penny
- Samaje Perine
- Isaiah Spiller
- Pierre Strong
- Sean Tucker
- Jeff Wilson
Of course, none of those runners can be classified as an RB1, but the Vikings don’t need an RB1. They might need an RB3. One man from that group can handle the gig.
The Vikings learned about the importance of a dependable RB3 last year when Alexander Mattison struggled as RB1, Ty Chandler was injured, and the club was forced to trade for the aforementioned Akers midseason. They might be preemptive this go-round.
WR3
The same August 27th roster-cutdown logic applies to WR3. If the Vikings realize that Powell, the WR3 frontrunner, isn’t a satisfactory fit for the job — or if Jordan Addison is suspended — WR depth will be required.
The list and player caliber is similar to RB3. These men could hit the chopping block:
- K.J. Hamler
- Mecole Hardman
- Isaiah Hodgins
- Isaiah McKenzie
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Kadarius Toney
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Robert Woods
Those options are rosier than Minnesota’s current WR3 picture.
It might be a waiting game for the Vikings, with the team’s leadership well aware that the free-agent pool will be enticing in 35 days.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.