Minnesota Vikings Running Backs

Through the last two offseasons, change has been a Minnesota Vikings theme. It hit the running back room on Friday with the release of Dalvin Cook. Alexander Mattison is now the leader of the Vikings backfield. 

Minnesota Vikings Running Backs:

Alexander Mattison

Ty Chandler

Kene Nwangwu

DeWayne McBride

and fullback C.J. Ham.

The Vikings are going from Cook’s 1282 carries to 432 combined carries from Mattison, Chandler, and Nwangwu. 

It’s a big change. It’s also a big opportunity for an unproven backfield. Through four seasons, Mattison has proven to be a capable running back. He’s played well nearly every time Cook has come off the field. The main objective for the Vikings running game this offseason and moving forward was and is to become more efficient. They have to turn those frequent 2nd-and-longs into 2nd-and-shorts. Mattison might not have Cook’s ability to score from 70 but he might have a more consistent ability to dent the defense for more than a yard or two on first down. Continued improvement from the offensive line should help the running game. The addition of free agent tight end Josh Oliver should also help. The Vikings running game must improve and it must improve without one of the best backs in franchise history. 

I really have no worries about Mattison being a capable lead back. If he stays healthy, I can easily see him sail past 1,000 yards. With 17 games, a running back only needs about 59 yards per game to top that benchmark. Even in today’s passing NFL, 1,200 yards rushing is probably a more reasonable target for a quality season of running the ball. If an efficient running game is truly the goal of head coach and play caller Kevin O’Connell, Mattison should gain at least 1,200 yards. I’m not worried about Mattison. 

I’m intrigued by the running backs behind Mattison. No one in the Vikings backfield is very big. 

Mattison: 5-11/215

Chandler: 5-11/204

Nwangwu: 6-1/210

McBride: 5-10/209

Mattison will get some chunk yards but he’s more pounder than explosive. Chandler and Nwangwu are explosive. Both have speed. Chandler has run a 4.38 40. Nwangwu has run a blazing 4.29. Both will provide an outstanding change of pace with Mattison. One of the great disappointments of last season was the lack of offensive opportunities for Nwangwu. It felt like his unique explosiveness was wasted. The unknown of the group is the rookie. After an outstanding college career at Alabama-Birmingham, McBride somehow fell to the seventh round. He rushed for 1713 yards and scored 19 TDs last season. His highlights are a blast. I was surprised that he was still available in the seventh round. Perhaps it was his pedestrian 4.52 40. Perhaps it was the level of competition in college. Who knows? I believe that the Vikings got a seventh-round steal. His balance through contact is unique. It’s still so early and I’ve yet to see McBride take an NFL carry but I can’t help thinking that he’ll be the Vikings lead runner in a couple seasons. 

And don’t forget about the versatile and reliable C.J. Ham. 

Change. The Vikings roster has been churning the last two offseasons. That churn hit the running backs last Friday with the release of Cook. After Mattison’s re-signing in March, it became a likely move. Despite being a seventh-round selection, it became even more likely with the addition of McBride. A young, new, and unproven backfield is now tasked with making the Vikings running game more efficient.