With the arrival of the team's next great running back, hopefully, and the departure of their greatest running back, unfortunately, it felt like the perfect time to look back on the best backs in the history of the Minnesota Vikings.
Flea Flicker's Top 10 All-Time Running backs of the Minnesota Vikings
10. Chester Taylor
Taylor would be higher on the list if not the player at #1. After four solid seasons as a backup in Baltimore he signed with the Vikings for a shot at being a top ball carrier in 2006. And he was for a single season. Taylor rushed for 1216 yards in 2006 but that didn't stop the Vikings from selecting a certain running back in the 2007 NFL Draft. Taylor gained 844 yards in 2007 but he was mostly the second option/3rd-down back for his remaining days in Minnesota.
9. Darrin Nelson
Nelson is probably best remembered by Vikings fans for a catch that he didn't make and for not being Marcus Allen. Despite that he was a fun, versatile, and effective running back. At a generous 5'9" and 184 lbs, Nelson didn't have the size to be an every down NFL but he still managed a nice 11-year career. 10 with the Vikings.
Nelson is the first of two former Stanford backs with whom I have had a love-hate relationship. Christian McCaffrey is the other. I loved watching both play in college but hated seeing them do so for the Cardinal.
8. Ted Brown
Brown was drafted with the 16th pick of the 1979 NFL Draft to replace Chuck Foreman as the Vikings top ball-carrier. A tall task. Brown had some nice moments. 912 yards rushing and 62 catches for 623 yards receiving in 1980. 1063 yards rushing and 83 catches for 694 yards receiving in 1981. Unfortunately those were the only seasons in which he played 16 games in his eight years with the Vikings. Injuries whittled away at his promising career.
7. Dave Osborn
Osborn played for the Vikings from 1965-75. He was one of the top contributors in an effective running game by committee. He had modest rushing totals with a high of 972 yards in 1967.
6. Tommy Mason
Mason was the first overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft and the first draft pick in Vikings history. He had a terrific start to his career earning Pro Bowl honors from 1962-64. He played for the Vikings from 1961-66 but injuries made his last two years a shadow of his first four.
5. Terry Allen
Allen might be better remember for his Redskins years but he started his career with the Vikings. A knee injury kept him on the sideline for his rookie season in 1990. 563 rushing yards in 1991, 1201 yards in 1992, and 1031 yards in 1993. He was a solid, productive runner for the Vikings. It's a shame he moved on in 1994.
4. Bill Brown
Brown was often more substance than style. He was also one of the best fullbacks in the league throughout the 1960s. An era in which the fullback was often a team's top running option and one that included Jim Brown and Jim Taylor for most of it. Brown was a Vikings backfield mainstay for nearly all of his 13 years with the team (1962-73).
3. Robert Smith
The Vikings' dynamic offenses of the late 1990s is best remembered for their pass catchers but Smith kept defenses honest. He could score from anywhere and often did. Screen passes to Smith were beautiful to watch. Because of his speed and smooth running it often looked like the game was too easy for him. If it weren't for the injuries that hampered the early years of his career and his sudden retirement at 28 Smith might be #2 on this list.
2. Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman could do it all. He was one of the best running backs in the league in the mid-1970s. He probably could've been one of the best receivers. His versatility and ability made a potent Vikings offense go. If not for the injuries that whittled away at the later years of his career Foreman would be honored in Canton. He still has a strong case for it.
1. Adrian Peterson
The best. Peterson has been the best running back in the league for a decade. He's one of the best to ever run with the football. His NFL career isn't over but his Vikings career is. It's a damn shame.
Now it's Dalvin Cook's time.
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