It Might Be Panic Time for 1 Vikings Weapon
The Minnesota Vikings have made some splashes in free agency. Former Pro Bowlers Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave were signed to finally address the lack of interior pass-rush. On the other side of the ball, former Colts blockers Will Fries and Ryan Kelly will provide better pass protection than their predecessors but also help in the running game.
It Might Be Panic Time for 1 Vikings Weapon
On Saturday, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made another move that will help in that regard, trading for 49ers running back Jordan Mason.
Mason replaced superstar Christian McCaffrey last season and did quite well when the 49ers needed someone to carry the rock. Still, entering the fourth season, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch shipped him to Minnesota for a sixth-round pick and a late-round pick swap.
The Vikings immediately handed him a two-year contract worth $7 million. Barring another big addition, he will be Aaron Jones’ sidekick in the upcoming season.
That surely put Ty Chandler on notice. Another player who’s entering his fourth season might be the odd man out. He is now the RB3 on the roster, and one more addition in the draft or free agency would lead to him being a long shot in making the 53-man roster.
Chandler was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, the first one under the new regime led by Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell. He registered a 40-yard dash of 4.38 seconds and rushed for almost 1,100 yards in his final collegiate season at North Carolina. He had spent his previous four campaigns at the University of Tennessee.
A thumb injury and a crowded running back room with Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison leading the way limited him to only three games and six carries for 20 yards in his debut season.
Following the season, Cook was released, but the front office didn’t add a reasonable replacement. Both Mattison and Chandler were promoted. A few games into the season, however, the Vikings traded for Cam Akers, seemingly not trusting Chandler in the RB2 role.
Akers suffered a torn Achilles, so Chandler returned to the backup position. When Mattison missed some time later in the year, Chandler took most of the carries and became the team’s first 100-yard rusher in a game all year. Overall, the speedy runner gained 620 yards from scrimmage and scored three times. He clearly showed some promise, especially in his strong game again the Bengals.
Jones was signed ahead of Chandler’s third year. Once again, Chandler’s RB2 stint didn’t last long as Akers was once again acquired via trade. His numbers dipped to 224 yards and he didn’t find the endzone all year.
Whether it is his inconsistency in finding and hitting the hole, his problems in pass protection, or something else, for some reason, the coaching staff doesn’t want him on the field.
Combined with him having close to no guaranteed money on his contract, that makes him a premier cut candidate if the Vikings find a running back (even a late-rounder) in the draft. The organization would save $1.1 million against the salary cap by moving on from their ex-draft pick.
The running back is set to turn 27 in May and has sufficient experience in the league. Therefore, it is questionable whether his current issue can be resolved in the future.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
The Funny Item of the Ed Ingram Trade
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt