Sporting Sota
Fansided

Way too early Vikings 53-man roster prediction

By Jake Andersen

Oct 18, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer (L) speaks with general manager Rick Spielman (R) prior to their game against the Kansas City Chiefs at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer (L) speaks with general manager Rick Spielman (R) prior to their game against the Kansas City Chiefs at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 11
Next

Running Back

Mar 3, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

RBs: Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, Jerick McKinnon, C.J. Ham

The running back position is an easy one to predict, as rookie Dalvin Cook will share the backfield with the newly signed Latavius Murray and incumbent start Jerick McKinnon.

It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur rotates the backs, but he sounds up for the challenge. In an interview with Vikings.com‘s Mike Wobschall, Shurmur comments on the trio:

"“I’ve said before, it kind of takes a village at running back,” Shurmur said. “Ideally, if you have a running back that’s very good at running the football – so he’s got vision and collision balance, and he understands the importance of ball security – but then also he can catch the ball, and also is proficient at pass protection. That’s what you’re looking for, is a guy who can do all three things. Because then as a play-caller, it doesn’t matter who’s in there – they can run it if you want to run it, if you want to throw them the ball, they can catch it, and when they’re asked to pass protect, they can do that as well. So if you have a few guys in the room that can do those three things, then that’s ideal.”"

Shurmur will have the luxury of having backs that can do a variety of different things, whether it’s running the ball, catching the ball out of the backfield, or pass blocking.

Each should have guaranteed spots on the roster, making C.J. Ham the player to keep an eye on as the summer goes on. Ham is making the transition from running back to fullback and I am a huge fan of the move.

At 5-foot-11 and 235 pounds, Ham has the frame and makeup to be a fullback. Whether the transition goes well, that remains to be seen, but if he is able to pave holes for the backs, he would also be a great asset in the backfield as a runner.

As of now, I have him included on the roster since Zach Line was not re-signed and there is no other fullback on the roster, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go without a fullback.

Home/Minnesota Vikings