The Minnesota Vikings‘ ground attack is in desperate need of some assistance, as they ranked 29th in the NFL in rushing this season.
Could the Vikings search the free-agent bargain bin to try and shore up their backfield this March? Andrew Krammer of The Minneapolis Star Tribune thinks so.
In his latest mailbag, Krammer said that Minnesota will be in the market “for a running back (or two)” this spring, but qualified his statement by saying that he does not expect the Vikings to spend big at the position.
Minnesota currently has just under $30 million in cap space going into the offseason, so it will certainly need to allocate its funds wisely.
But Krammer sees a potential low-budget target who could definitely help the Vikings’ ailing running game: Houston Texans halfback Devin Singletary.
Krammer mentions that Singletary signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million in guaranteed money with the Texans last year, and based on his 2023 production, he should be fairly affordable once again.
Singletary played in all 17 games this year, rushing for 898 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry. He also logged 30 catches for 193 yards.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Florida Atlantic, was originally selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He enjoyed an incredibly efficient rookie campaign, registering 771 yards and a couple of scores on the ground, recording a robust 5.1 yards per attempt. In addition, he caught 29 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns.
Singletary proceeded to spend the first four years of his career with the Bills, with his best season coming in 2021 when he posted 870 yards and seven touchdowns while tallying 4.6 yards per tote. He added 40 receptions for 228 yards and a score.
The Vikings employed Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler in their backfield in 2023, with Mattison rushing for 700 yards without a touchdown. He also averaged a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry. Chandler totaled 461 yards and three scores behind him.
Singletary may not be Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry, but he could represent a great bang-for-your-buck option for Minnesota this offseason.
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