New Roster Addition Named “Perfect Fit” for Vikings
On a mundane ‘ol Saturday night two weekends ago, the Minnesota Vikings swung a nifty trade with the San Francisco 49ers for running back Jordan Mason.
New Roster Addition Named “Perfect Fit” for Vikings
Mason will now pair with Vikings RB1 Aaron Jones in 2025, a commendable one-two punch in an area where the purple team has vowed improvement for three consecutive offseasons.
And according to Pro Football Focus, Mason is a “perfect fit” for Minnesota’s offense.
The PFF Skinny on Jordan Mason
PFF outlined five “perfect fits” from free agency around the NFL, including center Drew Dalman to the Chicago Bears and safety Jevon Holland to the New York Giants.
For Mason and Minnesota, PFF’s Mason Cameron called the fit perfect and explained, “Kevin O’Connell’s reputation as one of the NFL’s premier quarterback whisperers may be what draws in the headlines, but the Vikings running game’s effectiveness is well worthy of praise also. Although Minnesota has seen an increased rate of gap concepts over O’Connell’s tenure, stretching defenses with outside zone remains the bread and butter of this Vikings offense, underscored by their 37% usage in 2024 (ninth-highest).”
“The Vikings offense struggled at times to find consistent production out of outside zone runs, ranking sixth in stuff rate, as over 25% of their carries ended in loss or no gain.”
Minnesota’s rushing offense ranked 20th in 2024 per DVOA, a climb from 27th in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Fans hope Mason will help nudge the efficiency closer to the Top 10.
Cameron added, “While Aaron Jones produced a respectable 71.3 PFF rushing grade on outside zone runs, Jordan Mason is a significant upgrade when running the concepts. Over the past three seasons, the former San Francisco 49ers running back has earned the third-highest PFF rushing grade (90.7) at the position when running outside zone.”
“Mason generated 5.8 yards per carry and recorded a first down or touchdown on 26.8% of attempts – the highest rate of any back over that span (minimum 100 carries).”
How Jordan Mason Got Here
During free agency’s first week, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded maligned offensive guard Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans for a 6th-Round pick. The trade surprised the masses because most didn’t expect Ingram to fetch any trade bait via draft capital. In fact, many predicted an outright roster release for Ingram.
However, Adofo-Mensah did the thing, sending the “Ingram” pick to San Francisco, Adofo-Mensah’s former employer, for Mason.
The New Free Agent List
Not all seized perfect fit treatment from PFF, but this is the complete list of Vikings newcomers:
- Isaiah Rodgers (CB, Eagles) — 2 Years, $15 Million
- Bubba Bolden (S) — 1 Year, $840 Thousand
- Ryan Kelly (C, Colts) — 2 Years, $18 Million
- Jonathan Allen (DT, Commanders) — 3 Years, $60 Million
- Will Fries (G, Colts) — 5 Years, $88 Million
- Javon Hargrave (DT, 49ers) — 2 Years, $30 Million
- Tavierre Thomas (CB, Buccaneers) — 1 Year, $2 Million
- Justin Skule (OT, Buccaneers)
- Eric Wilson (LB, Packers)
- Jeff Okudah (CB, Texans)
- Rondale Moore (WR, Falcons)
Fans rejoiced at Kelly, Fries, Allen, and Hargrave from free agency, especially because Minnesota, alas, built the trenches after years of pleas from Vikings enthusiasts.
RBs for Vikings in the Draft?
Minnesota probably ruled itself out of drafting a running back in the first three rounds with the Mason trade. Still, if Adofo-Mensah wants an RB3 behind Jones and Mason, these men could reasonably be available in Round 4 or later:
- Dylan Sampson (Tennessee)
- D.J. Giddens (Kansas State)
- Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech)
- Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State)
- Devin Neal (Kansas)
- Damien Martinez (Miami)
- R.J. Harvey Jr. (Central Florida)
- Trevor Etienne (Georgia)
- Jarquez Hunter (Auburn)
The NFL draft is one month from today, and Mason’s 26th birthday is two months from today.
The Dark Horse QB2 for Vikings
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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