Vikings Named Trade Suitor For Intriguing Chiefs’ Trade Chip

Kenneth Teape

August 30, 2023

There was a lot of roster movement for the Minnesota Vikings during cutdown day on August 29th. They had to trim their roster down to 53 players in preparation for the regular season and there were some intriguing takeaways from that.

Arguably the biggest surprise for the Vikings was that they kept only three running backs on their roster. Alexander Mattison is expected to take over as the lead back after Dalvin Cook was released earlier this offseason, but the depth behind him is shaky.

Ty Chandler will likely be his primary backup after an okay preseason as he is the only other healthy running back. Kene Nwangwu has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and missed nearly the entirety of training camp.

The Vikings did make a move on a running back after cutdowns, signing Myles Gaskin. Gaskin was released by the Miami Dolphins but quickly found a home with Minnesota. He could factor into the mix right away given the uncertainty surrounding Nwangwu and the inexperience of Chandler, a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina in the 2022 NFL Draft.

If Minnesota does look to make another move in the backfield, there are still some players available that could help them out. They could dip into free agency, targeting someone such as Kareem Hunt or Leonard Fournette. Or, they could turn to the trade market.

One player who could make sense in that regard is Clyde Edwards-Helaire of the Kansas City Chiefs. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report suggested that the Chiefs trade the former first-rounder to the Vikings in a recent piece.

“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.”

Gaskin has experience as a pass-catching back, as he recorded 90 receptions in 2020 and 2021. But, Edwards-Helaire has done it at a higher level and comes with some playoff experience from his first three seasons with the Chiefs.

Keeping only three running backs, one of whom is injured, certainly pointed toward the Vikings wanting to make some additions at the position. Gaskin could be enough, but if they want more depth, Edwards-Heliare should be attainable for an affordable price.