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The Minnesota Vikings didn’t hesitate when learning backup running back Alexander Mattison would be placed on the COVID-19 reserve list.
Minnesota claimed running back Wayne Gallman off waivers on Monday, per a team release. Mattison and wide receiver Dan Chisena were placed on the COVID-19 reserve list the same day along with practice-squad guard Kyle Hinton.
Mattison, who is unvaccinated, will miss a crucial Monday Night Football matchup with the Chicago Bears after testing positive for coronavirus, per Pioneer Press reporter Chris Tomasson.
Kene Nwangwu is next in line as a ball carrier in the event Mattison misses time. The Vikings also have A.J. Rose, a surprise performer in the preseason, on their practice squad.
Minnesota native Ryan Connelly was also placed on the injured reserve list.
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Gallman Exceled With Giants
A 2017 fourth-round pick out of Clemson, Gallman spent the past four seasons with the New York Giants as a backup to Saquon Barkley. He played in a limited role through his first three seasons before taking over as the starting running back when Barkley went down with a season-ending injury in 2020.
Starting 10 of 15 games played last season, Gallman took 147 carries for 682 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry while adding 114 air yards on 21 receptions.
In the offseason, the 27-year-old back signed with the San Francisco 49ers but was a cutdown day causality in a crowded running backs room. The Atlanta Falcons signed Gallman shortly after. He served as a bubble player on the practice squad and 53-man roster.
Gallman saw significant work in Week 10, rushing for 55 yards on 15 carries. However, the Falcons went a different direction, releasing Gallman on Saturday.
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Gallman Could Thrive in Vikings Offense
At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Gallman is a lengthy and physical back that lacks the explosiveness to improvise and make plays out of nothing but could thrive in a system where run lanes are made for him.
“Comes with NFL-ready body and a competitive running style. Gallman has limited instincts as an interior runner and needs lanes rather than creases, but he’s physical enough to bang out tough yardage,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote of Gallman ahead of the 2017 draft. “Gallman runs with pace and shows traits of being a one-cut runner who is better off with focused, pre-set tracks rather than searching for his own. He could be an early contributor in a committee with a future as an eventual starter.”
The Falcons’ 30th ranked run-block win rate (67%), per ESPN, likely played a factor in his lack of success in Atlanta.
A change of scenery and joining an offense that’s line has been assembled with athletic linemen who love to get out and block could be what Gallman needs in the next chapter of his career.
“A lot of backs do some pretty things with their footwork and it gets people excited and then you find out they aren’t tough enough. Give me a guy who can bang like Gallman and let the coaches put him in a position to succeed,” an AFC East area scout told Zierlein.
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