Apparently, The Vikings Swung and Missed on 27-Year-Old RB1
The Vikings swung and missed on free agent runner Travis Etienne. That’s the update that arrives courtesy of The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
The (soon to be) former Jaguar agreed to a beefy contract. Ian Rapoport breaks the news: “Sources: The #Saints are signing Travis Etienne. Back close to home.” And then more details tacked on: “4 years, $52M for Etienne.”
Adding further context is Russini, who writes, “The Saints are signing former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, per sources. The Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to retain the Louisiana native. The Broncos and Vikings were also interested.”
Vikings Swung and Missed on Pricey RB
Take a glass-half-full approach: the cash-strapped Vikings at least got in on the action.
At the very least, there’s a willingness to do a deal with highly-regarded options. Minnesota is going to be able to land a top talent. Not every top talent, but a top talent. Being in on Etienne shows that there’s internal belief in being able to make the finances work out. The Vikings, quite possibly, will step into the batter’s box with a different free agent before then putting the ball into the stands.
No matter who is throwing the ball, the Vikings would do well to figure out the running game.
Veteran Aaron Jones is soon to be shown the door. The former Packer is coming off an inefficient season and is carrying a large cap charge. Being able to re-add $7.75 million in cap space proved too enticing.
As a result, the top runner is Jordan Mason. He has some wiggle but isn’t known for his athleticism. Rather, his game involves being a downhill, rugged runner. Mason is an efficient runner who has never been a true RB1 in his career but who has been efficient.
There’s then Zavier Scott, a running back who has a background as a receiver. The depth option possesses nice size, silky mitts, and is cheap. He’s a low-upside RB2 but an intriguing RB3.
Good chance, folks, that Minnesota’s pivot is to sign a cheap veteran before turning toward the draft. Pursuing that path means solidifying the floor (veteran) while raising the ceiling (rookie). But, alas, that’s just an educated guess; we’ll see how things unfold in the coming hours and days.
Top news coming out of the Twin Cities involves making a move for a corner and seeing a punter depart. Plenty remains unsettled, so keep swinging by. The Vikings are in the market for help at running back.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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