Dec 9, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A detail view of the cleats of Minnesota Vikings running back Kene Nwangwu (26) prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.
Most Minnesota Vikings fans thought earlier this summer that 2023 running back Cam Akers would re-sign with the purple team, and that’d be that.
ESPN even claimed that Akers had rejoined the Vikings’ roster pending a physical, but then nothing happened thereafter, and he signed with the Houston Texans. So, Minnesota needed another running back for depth while training camp and preseason games got underway.
Or did they?
The preseason has proved that two men in-house may be up for the job.
For three years — going on four — Vikings fans have screamed their desire to get Nwangwu’s speed involved on offense. But nothing ever happened on that front. Nothing at all.
Fast forward to the 2024 preseason, and Nwangwu has been utilized as a ball carrier, so much so that he looks the part of more than “just a kick returner.” He even broke off this touchdown at the Las Vegas Raiders in the first preseason game.
A week later, Nwangwu dialed up 45 rushing yards on 7 carries over the Cleveland Browns’ reservist defense, an impressive mark netting 6.4 yards per carry.
While Nwangwu very visibly doesn’t have the juice for an RB1 job, he might just do the trick as an RB3, which is probably why Minnesota drafted him three years ago. Because Minnesota has signed no new running backs this offseason, Nwangwu might’ve been the RB3 plan for 2024 all along.
In the aforementioned contest at Cleveland, Gaskin, the current RB4, tallied 45 rushing yards on 5 attempts — also a commendable mark for a would-be RB3.
The Vikings signed Gaskin last year as a fringe RB3 solution before adding Akers, and he mostly lived on the practice squad. The 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 Brian Flores’ second year as Miami’s skipper.
Like Nwangwu, Gaskin won’t be tabbed for RB1 duty — that belongs to Aaron Jones and possibly Ty Chandler if Jones encounters injury.
However, Gaskin has played commendably this summer, and the bar to clear for an RB3 on a roster isn’t that high.
Finally, to reiterate, Minnesota has not signed, drafted, or worked out any notable running backs in the last seven months. The Nwangwu + Gaskin platter might be enough.
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 Vikings 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.