A Bruiser Is the Vikings’ Final Puzzle Piece
The Minnesota Vikings have overhauled their roster this offseason, particularly in the trenches, which have undergone a significant boost. On defense, that should help the line get after the quarterback without additional rushers, and on offense, the QB should be kept cleaner, and the ground game has a better shot at working.
A Bruiser Is the Vikings’ Final Puzzle Piece
That rushing attack will be led by a new duo.
New RB Duo
At least 50% of that duo is new. Aaron Jones re-signed ahead of free agency. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, but the front office made sure he wouldn’t go anywhere after a Pro Bowl-worthy season. The veteran has been underrated for years, as he is efficient on the ground and through the air, in addition to being a fantastic blocker.
The downside of employing Jones as the RB1 is the fact that he is 30 years old and won’t get any younger, and he has frequently gotten banged up in the last couple of seasons. To combat that, the Vikings needed someone to be good enough to take carries off him without hurting the offense.
That guy was found via trade. The 49ers were willing to give up Jordan Mason as Christian McCaffrey is ready to return from his injury, and Mason wanted some extra cash. Minnesota handed him a new deal.
Combined, those two give the Vikings a respectable one-two punch with different skill sets. Jones is a shifty but lighter back; Mason is stronger and bigger, but not as nimble.
One guy could complete the running back puzzle.
Vikings Should Add Gus Edwards
One available player is Gus Edwards. Gus the Bus is now 30 years old. He entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2018 out of Rutgers. The big back signed with the Ravens and immediately rushed for over 700 yards in his debut season despite only playing in 11 games.
In the following two seasons, he also gained over 700 yards each year. Unfortunately, he missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL, which also cost him the beginning of the 2022 campaign. Still, he gained 433 yards. His statistically best season came in 2023 when he rushed for 810 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Ravens allowed him to walk after six seasons, and he signed with the Chargers, where he was the RB2 behind J.J. Dobbins and accumulated 365 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games.
Now, at the tail end of his career, Edwards surely is cheap. At 6’1″ and nearly 240 lbs, he is a massive runner to bring down and could be a sweet insurance for Jones and Mason. If one guy (or even both) were forced to miss time, Edwards could just pick up where they left off, and if they don’t, he could still function as a short-yardage back.
Depth on the Roster
At this point. Ty Chandler is the incumbent RB3. He was dropped from RB2 in each of the last two seasons for Cam Akers, and it’s become quite obvious that the coaching staff doesn’t fully trust him. Whether it is his pass protection or the tendency to pick the wrong holes, his explosiveness isn’t enough to get him on the field.
The Vikings employ two other runners: Tre Stewart and Zavier Scott.
Stewart is an undrafted rookie who was highly productive in his final college season at Jacksonville State. He registered 1,638 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns in 2024 alone.
Scott went undrafted in 2023 and spent a year with the Colts. All of last year, he was on Minnesota’s practice squad. He has yet to make his NFL debut.
Those two guys need a huge preseason to unseat Chandler, but also to prevent the Vikings from dipping into the free agency pool.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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