The Minnesota Vikings have seemingly made their decision as to who will stick around as the third running back.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported that the team cut ties with running back Zavier Scott this morning. The 27-year-old was involved in a heated roster battle with sixth-round selection Demond Claiborne, and Minnesota is opting to move forward with the rookie.
Some are a bit surprised by this decision, as Scott put together a more complete performance over the team’s three preseason games. He finished the preseason with 12 attempts for 42 yards, while also adding four grabs for 24 yards through the air. Meanwhile, Claiborne ran for only 73 yards off his 28 attempts.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell also hyped him up when he was mic’d up during a preseason game against the Patriots last season. “And then Zai [Zavier Scott], that’s what I’m talking about. You give him the ball in space, and go let him make explosive yardage.”
VikingsOnSI’s Adam Carlson thought Scott made a strong case for himself this preseason.
“Typically, there wouldn’t be much debate about where running back Zavier Scott stands with the Vikings. He was a solid contributor last season and is having a solid lead-up to this year,” Carlson wrote. “Against the Ravens, Scott led the team in rushing yards, with 28 yards on seven rushing attempts, an average of four yards per carry. He also got involved in the passing game, catching a pass for eight yards. All this was done in 22 offensive snaps, making his contribution a bit more impressive.”
This is their second surprising cut of the day, as many also expected them to hold onto special teams ace Tavierre Thomas based on the guaranteed money in his contract.
Demond Claiborne’s Status Is Now Set In Stone
Some thought that Demond Claiborne could use a year of development on the practice squad. While the Vikings’ backup offensive line wasn’t exactly opening up massive running lanes, you would still have liked to see him average more than three yards per attempt (especially considering how many carries they fed him) during the preseason.
However, it seems like the Vikings might not want to risk him to waivers after a relatively strong showing in training camp. It doesn’t hurt that Aaron Jones hyped the rookie up earlier this month, either.
“You can see it,” Jones said. “Right away, just getting in and out of the cuts. He’s a special back in this league. I get to mentor him up and show him the way. I told him I want him to be successful, I want to see him go on and get paid and those kinds of things. He’ll be playing in this league as long as he wants to, but just got to lock in here and take care of the business.”
Zavier Scott Would Be A Strong Practice Squad Candidate
While Scott might’ve been buried behind Jones and Jordan Mason last season, he still showed versatility with the limited opportunities he received. He carried the ball 32 times for 114 yards and added another 14 catches for 98 yards through the air. The 27-year-old was also a key contributor on special teams, recording 149 snaps in the third phase.
Scott is definitely a player the Vikings would love to bring back in some capacity. If he passes through waivers (which seems like a big “if” knowing the state of RB rooms across the league), he’d be a lock to land on their practice squad.
Vikings Release “Explosive” RB Despite Kevin O’Connell’s Stamp Of Approval