The Vikings Lose a Rugged Playmaker to Retirement
In veteran fullback C.J. Ham, the Vikings had someone who didn’t get enough credit for his athleticism and wiggle.
True, nobody would watch Ham and then reminisce about vintage Barry Sanders, but the long-time Vikings playmaker didn’t fare too poorly. He’s a heavy, sturdy runner — he stands at 5’11 and weighs a hearty 250 pounds — who could bench press defenders. So, too, could he show off his silky mitts catching passes and sometimes get worked into the mix as a goal-line touchdown scorer. He’ll now be retiring.
The Vikings Lose C.J. Ham to Retirement
The update gets relayed on the NFL’s website after gleaning the insight from Ham’s agency off social media.
Consider the word: “Ham, 32, played 141 games in his career, establishing himself as a stellar blocking fullback. He totaled 42 carries for 119 yards and six touchdowns, while adding 84 receptions for 681 yards and two more TDs. Ham joined the Vikings in 2016, seeing his first playing time in 2017.”
As things stand, the Vikings are working through some uncertainty.
Most notably, there’s the status of J.J. McCarthy alongside the competition that needs to be added. Look for a more established player to get added into the mix. Re-welcoming Carson Wentz makes some sense, but he alone isn’t going to solve all that ails Minnesota at quarterback. The formula is going to involve McCarthy, Wentz, and: ________.
Next up would be the decision to move on from GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Minnesota is moving ahead with Rob Brzezinski as the fill-in at general manager. After the chaos of March and April, the Vikings will begin looking around for a new captain of the front office. Someone like George Paton has picked up some miles flying around in the Vikings speculation, but note Ray Farmer as a sneaky name to remember.
In some ways, a fullback is an artifact of the NFL of yesteryear. C.J. Ham, and players who occupy his position, are a dying breed. But, crucially, that doesn’t mean there’s no value in having a fullback on the roster. Does Minnesota continue agreeing that having a designated fullback makes sense for a 53-man roster?
Pivoting off of fullback brings the tight end position to mind. T.J. Hockenson is leading the spot. Behind him are all of Josh Oliver, Ben Yurosek, Gavin Bartholomew, and Bryson Nesbit.
Could Oliver get shuffled around while being tasked with getting deployed in a more versatile manner? He’s unusually rugged and appears to cherish charging through defenders like a snow plow flying through Minnesota’s snow-packed roads. Maybe Mr. Oliver could get tossed into the backfield with some consistency.
Otherwise, a player like Yurosek stands out as someone who may have the grit and work ethic to take on some fullback responsibilities.
Mr. Ham should be remembered as an all-time Vikings great. He was an all-effort, intelligent player capable of handling beefy workloads on both of offense and special teams. Losing his leadership will be difficult to overcome.
Next up for retirement news will be safety Harrison Smith. If Smith decides to hang up his cleats, too, then Minnesota will get very close to fully leaving the Mike Zimmer/Rick Spielman days behind.
