After trying to trade him for months, the Minnesota Vikings are expected to finally release running back Dalvin Cook on Friday, according to NFL Network. Minnesota is expected to make one final attempt to deal Cook on Thursday but will cut him tomorrow if no trade partner is found, per ESPN.
With Cook gone, Alexander Mattison is expected to step into a featured role in the Vikings’ backfield, but other players will also be involved. Now that Cook is headed for the open market, let’s break down Minnesota’s running back depth chart.
Alexander Mattison Is the Minnesota Vikings’ Post-Dalvin Cook RB1
Mattison had been Cook’s primary backup since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in the 2019 draft. He earned 404 total carries over those four seasons and was generally effective when asked to fill in for an injured Cook. Mattison has made six starts during his Vikings career and managed at least 90 rushing yards in four games.
Now entering his age-25 campaign, Mattison could have theoretically found a new home in free agency this offseason. But despite the presence of Cook, Mattison re-signed with the Vikings on a two-year, $7 million deal with $6.35 million fully guaranteed.
While general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Cook and Mattison could co-exist “in theory,” it always seemed likely that Minnesota would move on from Cook this offseason, paving the way for Mattison to take over as the club’s starter. For his part, Mattison’s comments this week indicated that he expected to become the Vikings’ RB1 in time.
“I love it here, so that was part of it,” Mattison said. “But some other things on the business side and understanding how it’s all laid out, how it’s all going to work out — it’s the best fit.”
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Mattison is a physical runner who can create yardage after contact and has enough receiving ability to stay on the field in passing situations (32 receptions in 2021). He’s also become an excellent pass blocker in recent seasons, which should fortify his role with the Vikings.
“It’s been really good to see Alex Mattison take a few more reps and really show that all three-down kinda ownership that he’s been capable of for a long time,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said last week.
Minnesota is expected to place more of a focus on the run game in 2023. Last season, the Vikings ran the ball on just 35.62% of their offensive plays, the third-lowest rate in the NFL. They finished sixth in pass rate over expectation, meaning they called passing plays even more often than their situations and game states may have called for.
“We all knew the run game was an area of improvement we needed, so coming into this year, there’s more emphasis,” Mattison said during Minnesota’s organized team activities (OTAs).
“Being in Year 1 in this offense, it was something that throughout the process is learning new things. So that’s a year of foundation that we have, can look back on that and what we need to correct and do well, what we don’t do as well and improve. It’s definitely been a little more emphasis.”
If Mattison can stay healthy and produce, he’ll be in line to collect financial incentives. He can earn $250,000 for topping 750 yards and another $250,000 if he reaches 1,000 rushing yards.
Who Else Is in the Vikings’ Backfield?
Cook played 72% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps in 2022, and Mattison should be expected to handle the same sort of workload next season. But that would still leave enough carries for the rest of Minnesota’s running back depth chart to get involved.
Ty Chandler, the Vikings’ 2022 fifth-round pick, looks like the most obvious candidate to see a larger role. The North Carolina alum battled a thumb injury during his rookie campaign and appeared in just three games, but he profiles as a back who can contribute in his second NFL season.
“I thought the last preseason, you saw a ton of natural instincts as a runner show up: toughness, great finish,” O’Connell recently said of Chandler. “We’ve seen his impact in the pass game and kind of his overall football IQ show up from Day 1. That was a huge reason we kind of fell in love with him a year ago. He’s having a really good offseason, and I think he’s excited.
“That Year 1 to Year 2 jump at that position, just the feel of, not a lot of these guys get real tangible reps of feeling our NFL run-scheme concepts, how certain combinations are hit. So I think every rep for him matters, and it did last year.”
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Chandler’s primary competition for the Vikings’ backup job will likely be Kene Nwangwu, who earned a second-team All-Pro nod as a return man last season. Nwangwu is one of the most athletic backs in the NFL — his 9.89 Relative Athletic Score was the 18th-best mark among the nearly 1,500 running backs in Kent Lee Platte’s database.
“Between Kene and Ty, there already seems to be a really nice competition brewing there because both those guys are having solid springs and showing their versatility,” O’Connell said.
“Can they impact us not only in the run game but the pass game? To me, it’s about their ability to win when they’re running routes, but you gotta be willing to step in there and block a little bit in pass pro.”
Seventh-round rookie DeWayne McBride might also factor into Minnesota’s backfield equation, while the Vikings could theoretically sign a veteran running back like Kareem Hunt, who would come at a much lower price than Cook was scheduled to cost.
But for the most part, this looks like Mattison’s show — the only question is whether he can translate his success in a limited role into production as a full-time, three-down back.