The Minnesota Vikings need running back help this offseason.
They are unlikely to seek it from one of the top available free agents this offseason. But they can still find solid production at a good value.
“The Vikings will be in the market for a running back (or two) this offseason after their backfield combined for four rushing touchdowns last season,” Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer wrote in his latest mailbag on January 25. “But I would not expect this front office to spend big at the position.
“How about Texans’ free-agent Devin Singletary? An underrated back with efficient feet who took the starting job in Houston last year behind questionable blocking. He signed for $2.5 million guaranteed last year and since earned a pay raise that could still be affordable.”
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Singletary, 26, was a third-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2019.
He set a career-high with 898 rushing yards during the regular season despite the Texans finishing tied for the second-fewest yards before contact, per Pro Football Reference.
Minnesota ranked 28th in rushing attempts, 29th in rushing yards, and 30th in rushing touchdowns. Coming off a one-year, $2.7 million contract, and with a projected market value of $4.3 million this offseason, per Spotrac, Singletary could be a cost-effective boost to the backfield.
That price point is key.
Minnesota has $29.1 million in cap space before making any other moves and a plethora of free agents and roster holes to fill.
Devin Singletary Could Bolster Vikings’ Backfield
A smaller back listed at 5-foot-7, Singletary has been durable, appearing in at least 16 games in each of the last four seasons. He tallied 715 rushing yards on 167 carries from Week 9 through the end of the season after securing the starting job.
That is a 284-carry, 1,216-yard pace for an entire 17-game season.
The Vikings wouldn’t have to worry about overtaxing Singletary, either. They still have last season’s top two rushers – Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler – under contract.
Minnesota also returns third-year Kene Nwangwu, though he is mostly a special teams contributor. They brought back former Miami Dolphins runner Myles Gaskin, who spent time with the team this past season, appearing in two games.
Alexander and Chandler both set new career highs last season with 700 and 461 yards, respectively.
Gaskin’s career-high for rushing yards in a season is 612 yards, set in 2021.
Vikings Unlikely to Target Big-Money RB Under Kevin O’Connell
Running back may not be very high on the Vikings’ list of needs this offseason. And that is not just because they have so many other holes to fill. Krammer notes that it just isn’t as much of a priority in terms of spending heavily to address the position under Head Coach Kevin O’Connell.
“O’Connell wants a better run game, and has said he values the counterpunch it can offer to a prolific passing attack. Some of that falls on his shoulders in the game planning process,” Krammer wrote. “But the Vikings are likely never going to be a run-focused team under O’Connell, so why would they use limited salary cap resources on the position?”
That could mean they eschew free-agent running backs altogether and look to add an explosive runner in the draft.
