Aug 16, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; A general view a Minnesota Vikings helmet during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Vikings 20-16. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports.
And then there were three.
The Minnesota Vikings will roll into the 2024 regular season, which begins in 12 days, with three running backs on the roster: Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, and Kene Nwangwu.
That’s the math after the club reportedly released veteran runner Myles Gaskin on Tuesday, just hours before the NFL’s 3:00 p.m. roster cutdown deadline. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted, “Vikings released veteran running back Myles Gaskin.”
If last year was a reasonable indicator, Gaskin could find his way back to Minnesota’s practice squad before too long, though the theory is speculative at the moment.
In January, Gaskin inked a futures contract with the Vikings, along with these players:
The way it’s trending, Trishton Jackson may be the last man standing from the group.
Gaskin initially joined the Vikings roster late in the summer of 2023 after the club auditioned men like Kareem Hunt and Mike Davis for the gig. The Dolphins cut Gaskin loose during roster trimdowns, and Minnesota pounced. Thereafter, he was the odd man out (for a while) when Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah swung a low-risk trade for Cam Akers last September. Gaskin then returned to the Vikings practice squad.
Soon after, the Rams stole Gaskin from the Vikings practice squad in October, a contingency plan when Kyren Williams hit injured reserve. But when Williams returned to the field thereafter, plus contributions from Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman, Gaskin became expendable.
Then, on November 7th, the Rams dropped him from the depth chart, and the Vikings re-signed Gaskin a week later. An adventure, indeed.
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.
Minnesota could also scour the free-agent market on Tuesday and throughout the week if it wants a fourth running back or RB beef for the practice squad.
Gaskin played impressively in the Vikings’ three preseason games.
Minnesota also dropped running backs DeWayne McBride and Mohamed Ibrahim this week.
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.