Vikings May Get Reinforcements for Week 4 against the Panthers
The Minnesota Vikings have gotten off to an 0-3 start, and in order to salvage their season, they desperately need to get a win this weekend.
In Week 4, they meet up with the Carolina Panthers, who are equally desperate for a win after their own 0-3 start to the year. Luckily for Minnesota, it appears that they may be getting a few reinforcements this weekend from their recent acquisitions as well as players coming back from injury. Here is a look at a few of those players.
Vikings May Get Reinforcements for Week 4
Dalton Risner
Last week, the Minnesota Vikings finally made the decision to sign offensive lineman Dalton Risner. During his press conference on Wednesday, Kevin O’Connell revealed that Risner would be getting reps with the first-team offense this week, indicating that he may be in line to start for the Vikings on the offensive line.
Risner was a 2019 second-round pick by the Denver Broncos where he spent the entirety of his first four NFL seasons. In all, he started 62 of a possible 66 games, proving to be an extraordinarily healthy player for the Broncos.
The offensive lineman has been a strong player over the first few years of his NFL career, particularly in pass protection. With Ed Ingram continuing to have struggles with the Vikings to start the 2023 season, it seems likely that Risner’s addition to the offense would also come with the 2022 second-round pick’s subtraction.
Against a Panthers pass-rush that has recorded 10 sacks through the first three games, the Vikings could use some more help in this department to keep Kirk Cousins upright.
Cam Akers
Shortly after acquiring Risner, the Vikings also swung a trade with the Los Angeles Rams to bring in RB Cam Akers. The running back did not appear in Week 3, but the expectation is that he will be active this week in Carolina.
Akers spent his first four seasons in Los Angeles after being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In total, he recorded 360 carries for 1443 yards and 10 TDs with the Rams. His 2021 season was cut short due to a torn Achilles, but he was able to return to the field for the playoffs and helped them win the Super Bowl.
Akers played Week 1 of this season for LA, but his final game in a Rams uniform ended with a brutal statline of 22 carries for just 29 yards. Now, he reunites with his former offensive coordinator, Kevin O’Connell, in Minnesota and hopes to take some pressure off Alexander Mattison in the backfield.
Garrett Bradbury
During his presser, O’Connell also alluded to the idea that Garrett Bradbury may be getting back on the field this weekend and is expected to get a “full allottment” in practice. He was listed as limited in Wednesday’s injury report, but this is more promising news moving into the week.
The Vikings starting center played just seven snaps in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before leaving with a back injury. Since then, it has been Austin Schlottmann taking snaps at the position.
Bradbury has been criticized in the past for his pass protection, but he is very productive in terms of his run-blocking prowess. If he were to come back this weekend, that will hopefully be a further boon for the Vikings rushing attack.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
