Trade and FA Options for Vikings at RB — If Needed
The Minnesota Vikings chipped off the New York Jets in London on Sunday, defeating Aaron Rodgers and Co. 23-17 in likely his final matchup against the purple team.
Trade and FA Options for Vikings at RB — If Needed
Along the way, standout veteran RB1 Aaron Jones left the game with a hip injury, and according to Pro Football Talk, he should be “good to go” after the team’s bye week. The next Vikings game is 13 days away.
But what if Jones is not good to go? Well, these are the options.
Free Agency
The Options:
Matt Breida
Melvin Gordon
DeWayne McBride
Jerick McKinnon
Latavius Murray
James Robinson
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could sign any of the above-listed men at lunchtime if he so chose. That’s the free-agent RB market with five regular season weeks in the books.
Oddly, a few former Vikings are available, and almost no fan would bemoan Murray or McKinnon on the current Super Bowl-contending roster. They’re that loved.
On the whole, Breida probably makes the most sense because, in his prime, he could catch the rock out of the backfield, too. He’s 29 now but was known for speed in his heyday.
A Trade — or — Practice Squad Steal
The Options:
Dalvin Cook (Dallas Cowboys)
D’Onta Foreman (Cleveland Browns)
Royce Freeman (Cleveland Browns)
Frank Gore Jr. (Buffalo Bills)
Chris Rodriquez (Washington Commanders)
Miles Sanders (Carolina Panthers)
Jamaal Williams (New Orleans Saints)
Ke’Shawn Vaughn (San Francisco 49ers)
Most of these men, excluding Foreman and Sanders, can be swiped off their respective teams’ practice squads. Two years ago, the Panthers stole EDGE defender Luiji Vilain from Minnesota’s practice squad. That’s legal if the stealer is willing to put the player on the active roster.
In Carolina, rookie standout Jonathon Brooks will be healed from injury soon, so Sanders makes the most sense via trade — and can probably get got for a conditional 7th-Round pick. Such trades are common in the NFL.
Do Nothing
The Options:
Ty Chandler
Myles Gaskin
Zavier Scott
Otherwise — maybe the most likely option — the Vikings can “do nothing” and roll with what they have.
To be sure, Sunday’s win in London was scary per RB performance once Jones hit the shelf, but it doesn’t have to always be that way. Chandler played effectively down the stretch of 2023 and might need a fairer shake in 2024.
Meanwhile, Minnesota won’t face the Jets’ blustery defense weekly, and that will help Chandler and Gaskin hit their strides.
Too, nobody knows much of anything about Scott. He could be an undercover baller.
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.
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