2 Former Players the Vikings Should Give a Look
The Minnesota Vikings have reached the offseason workout phase. Kevin O’Connell and his staff prepare a strong roster for a 2025 campaign that has the Vikings facing a bunch of excellent teams. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done his best to fill the roster needs.
2 Former Players the Vikings Could Still Re-Sign
Roster building in the NFL, however, is never finished and is always an ongoing process. He could sign a couple of players from last year’s squad to add even more firepower and bring in a veteran presence.
Cam Akers
Running back Cam Akers signed a one-year contract with the Texans last offseason and once again ended up on Minnesota’s roster. That cheap deal has expired, and he has been waiting for a call since March.
He entered the league as a promising runner in the second round of the 2020 draft after an 18-touchdown season at Florida State. Akers started a handful of the 13 games he appeared in during his rookie season and logged 625 rushing yards and a couple of touchdowns.
Year two was supposed to be his breakout year, but a torn Achilles cost him the majority of the season. He miraculously returned for the playoff run, ending with him winning the title. In those first two seasons, he worked under offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.
Once O’Connell departed, Akers landed in Sean McVay’s dog house, and trade rumors started swirling. Akers still registered 786 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, which has been statistically his best season to date.
In 2023, Akers was surprisingly barely seeing the field, and the Vikings took advantage, reuniting him with his former coach. The runner appeared in six games but unfortunately, suffered another Achilles tear. Last offseason, he remained on the waiver wire until July and then joined the Texans. Five games into the season, the Vikings again traded for him. In 12 games with the purple franchise, Akers logged 297 rushing yards and one touchdown.
A capable pass blocker and receiver, Akers is no longer the explosive prospect he once was, but he is still a reliable RB3. The Vikings have Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason under contract, but the RB3 position is vacant with Ty Chandler, Zavier Scott, and Tre Stewart aiming to win that battle. He’s cheap and solid. The Vikings should just skip the trade part this year.
Shaq Griffin
Another experienced veteran, Shaq Griffin, is still on the market.
He was the third player in last season’s cornerback rotation behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Stephon Gilmore, and there are some similarities to Akers. He will turn 30 in the summer and is past his prime, but Griffin is still a dependable veteran cornerback, which is just what the Vikings could use.
Murphy Jr. re-signed, and Mekhi Blackmon is back from his torn ACL. Furthermore, the Vikings signed Isaiah Rodgers from the Eagles and former third overall pick Jeff Okudah.
The problem? Besides Murphy Jr., none of the other guys has shown their talent in a full-time starting role for a whole season. Blackmon played in one NFL campaign and was a rotational player. Rodgers has never logged 50% of the snaps in a season, and Okudah has been disappointing at the pro level.
Former third-rounder Griffin was fantastic early in his career with the Seahawks after joining the Legion of Boom towards its end. After four seasons, he headed to Jacksonville on a lucrative free agent deal but couldn’t meet expectations, partly because of injuries. Stints with the Texans and Panthers in 2023 were followed by his lone year in the Twin Cities.
Running it back with Griffin would be a sweet insurance for the Vikings. If the other guys can’t develop into full-time players, Griffin could step in. He had a visit with the Seahawks earlier this month but hasn’t been signed.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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