The Vikings Might Have Found a Hidden Gem at RB
It might be a bold statement, but perhaps it shouldn’t be. The Minnesota Vikings brought back Aaron Jones this season. Needing more depth behind him, they traded for San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason. The two should create a nice running back room for Kevin O’Connell, but don’t be surprised when the fresh face leads the tandem.
The Minnesota Vikings traded for Jordan Mason this offseason, and he could be in line to lead the backfield in terms of statistical output.
Here’s the thing: Aaron Jones put up the best statistical season of his career last year. Not only did he escape the injury problems that have often plagued him, but his 1,138 yards were a mark he had not previously hit in his first seven NFL seasons. Brought back for a ninth year of his career, Jones will be playing at 31 years old.
To bank on the same sort of output from Jones this season would be foolish. That’s exactly why the Vikings went out and traded for Jordan Mason. Conventional thinking says he’ll be the yin to Jones’ yang, but no amount of synchrony should overshadow how the production may shape out.
Vikings RB Jordan Mason Might Be the Grandest Offseason Finding of Them All
Mason has filled in for a starter before. He played his first three seasons with the 49ers. Few running backs are more injury-prone than Christian McCaffrey, and that’s where Mason got to show his stuff. He has 45 games under his belt in just three seasons, and only once has he surpassed 150 carries. That means, despite showing impressive flashes, he still has fresh legs.
Last season, Mason started six of the 12 games he played in for the 49ers. He averaged 5.2 yards per attempt and found paydirt on three occasions. He also showed some ability as a pass catcher, hauling in 11 of 14 attempts thrown his way.
Jones provided the Vikings with a nice dual-threat talent out of the backfield last year. He was a significant upgrade over Alexander Mattison, showing how effective a talented runner can be in Minnesota. This year, the Vikings invested in the trenches and have an offensive line like they have not experienced in years. Jones and Mason will both benefit from that.
I wouldn’t expect to see Mason getting starts early on in the season, but there’s no way that Jones makes it through another year with a high usage rate. Given how well Mason has shown when given room to operate, there’s no reason to believe he can’t make the most of the new opportunity he should have.
The Vikings are going to have a good running game in the year ahead. It might just not be led by the starter you expect to shoulder the load.
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