Trade Pitch Nets Vikings Former 1st-Round RB, Super Bowl Champ

The Minnesota Vikings still don’t have a good answer to the question of who will back up new starting running back Alexander Mattison once the season kicks off in two weeks.

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report suggested a trade on Wednesday, August 23, which would land Minnesota former first-round rusher Clyde Edwards-Helaire from the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

“With Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon taking over clearly defined roles down the stretch for the Chiefs last season, it’s hard to find a role for Clyde Edwards-Helaire,” Ballentine wrote. “For the Chiefs, there’s not a lot of incentive to keep him around, and they would save $2.1 million by trading him.”

But in the modern NFL, one franchise’s failed 24-year-old running back is another’s reclamation project during a competitive rebuild. The facts are that Edwards-Helaire possesses a skill set that made him a first-round pick just three seasons ago, while the Vikings are in need of more talent and depth at the RB position.

“Edwards-Helaire has a first-round draft pedigree and can do some damage as a receiver out of the backfield,” Ballentine continued. “The Vikings are one of the few teams who could still add a back to their offense. With Dalvin Cook gone, they’ll be relying on Alexander Mattison to shoulder most of the workload. But there’s room for someone like CEH to work as a third-down back.”

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Vikings Can Trade for Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire with Relative Ease, if He’s Available

Edwards-Helaire wouldn’t be a cheap addition in Minnesota, but he wouldn’t be overly burdensome either.

The Chiefs declined the former No. 32 overall pick’s fifth-year option, which means the RB has one season remaining on his four-year, $10.8 million rookie contract before he reaches unrestricted free agency. Edwards-Helaire carries a salary cap hit of $3.44 million in 2023. Minnesota had $10.7 million in available cap space as of Thursday.

That kind of deal affords the Vikings several options amid minimal risk. The NFL running back market being what it is, if Edwards-Helaire has a solid season and the Vikings recognize him as a value-added player, an extension could be worked out at a reasonable price.

If not, there is no commitment beyond this year. Minnesota adds some depth and talent to its RB room, creates an insurance policy behind Mattison for one season and then moves in another direction next summer. As far as the trade cost to acquire Edwards-Helaire is concerned, a Day-3 draft pick is a logical starting point for negotiations.

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Vikings’ Options at RB Remain Thin Behind Starter Alexander Mattison

Behind Mattison on the Vikings’ depth chart are return specialist Kene Nwangwu and second-year running back Ty Chandler. Minnesota also drafted rookie DeWayne McBride in the seventh round back in April.

Chandler suffered a thumb injury during his rookie campaign and ultimately played in just three games last year, logging six carries for 20 yards. Nwangwu is currently listed as the team’s backup, but he has been sidelined by injury since before preseason games began and is widely believed to now be running third in the race for positioning inside the RB room.

The Vikings added undrafted rookie Aaron Dykes on August 17, who also has a history as a kick returner. The move puts Dykes in direct competition with Nwangwu in both the offensive and special teams phases of the game. Minnesota also signed running back Abram Smith after a successful workout on August 3.

The actions of the front office indicate that the Vikings are aware they need to find another answer in the backfield if Mattison goes down or fails to pan out as the starter. It is uncertain if that player is already on Minnesota’s roster, though he might be on Kansas City’s.

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