Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers (31) looks to elude Carolina Panthers cornerback D’Shawn Jamison (29) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings kicked off their annual training camp on Sunday with the arrival of the rookies. One guy who will not be part of Minnesota’s training camp ‒ and the roster in general ‒ is running back Cam Akers, who the team eyed to re-sign after his lone season with the organization was cut short.
Cam Akers Has Found His 2024 Team
Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers (31) runs with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Everything changed on Sunday when Houston Texans journalist Aaron Wilson reported that the veteran runner had a workout with the AFC franchise: “The Texans are signing veteran running back Cam Akers following a successful workout on Sunday, according to a league source.”
A few hours later, Ian Rappaport tweeted: “The Texans are signing FA RB Cam Akers, who most recently was with the Vikings. Akers worked out for them today.”
Wilson supported the announcement almost simultaneously: “Texans are signing Cam Akers per a league source.”
Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers (31) catches a pass in the second half as Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) closes in to defend at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
The situation took quite a strange turn. Akers returning to the Vikings was considered a possibility all offseason, but the rumor mill hadn’t accelerated until June. On June 30, Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press reported in his column: “If running back Cam Akers, recovering from Achilles surgery last November, passes an upcoming physical, look for the free agent to re-sign with the Vikings.”
There are only two possible reasons for the different results. He either failed the physical, and the organization decided to go a different way when they checked his Achilles, or the Vikings wanted him, but the Texans made a better offer.
Akers’ acquisition would’ve been a good idea simply because Minnesota could use another established running back. Alexander Mattison was cut early in the offseason, and the front office lured former Packers rusher Aaron Jones to his rival team. The veteran played extremely well down the stretch in the 2023 season, capping his campaign with five straight games over 100 yards rushing. Still, injuries limited him for most of the season, and he is already 29 years old, which is borderline ancient for a halfback nowadays.
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler (32) celebrates his touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
He will be supported by Ty Chandler, last year’s late-season breakout player. However, it remains to be seen if he can carry the running game if Jones misses some time. There might be a reason why Minnesota keeps adding other players instead of handing him the keys to the backfield.
If healthy, the duo is a massive upgrade, and folks can be optimistic about an improved and more balanced running game. The problems begin behind Jones and Chandler, as the Vikes employ the trio of kick returner Kene Nwangwu, last year’s seventh-rounder DeWayne McBride, and veteran Myles Gaskin.
Through three seasons, Nwangwu hasn’t shown much on offense. McBride and Gaskin were stuck on the practice squad, and the coaching staff didn’t give them carries when the ground game needed a spark, which can safely be viewed as a bad sign for their future.
Sep 10, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers (3) prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Akers was acquired for a minimal price after Week 2 of the 2023 season when he landed in the doghouse of Rams head coach Sean McVay. He then played six games before suffering his second Achilles tear, rushing for 138 yards and tabulating 70 receiving yards.
The Vikings should be expected to try out some other RBs in the upcoming weeks.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
Source link : https://purpleptsd.com/2024/vikings/top_news/cam-akers-has-found/
Author :
Publish date : 2024-07-21 20:30:04
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.