What’s subsequent for Vikings’ backfield, free agent Aaron Jones?

EAGAN, Minn. — It appears secure to rule out at the least one risk because the Minnesota Vikings type by means of their backfield choices this spring. They don’t need to repeat their heavy use of veteran Aaron Jones, who set profession highs in touches (306), carries (255) and offensive snaps (700) in his first season with the workforce.

Jones made it by means of all 18 video games, even whereas nursing hip, rib and quadriceps accidents. He had probably the most dashing yards (1,138) and second-most yards from scrimmage (1,546) in his profession. However as he approaches free company at age 30, the Vikings have signaled that they are going to dial again his taking part in time if he returns.

“The large factor for me is we cherished having Aaron Jones, the influence he had,” coach Kevin O’Connell instructed SiriusXM earlier this month. “For the higher a part of his profession, he had form of been part of backfield committees, however for probably the most half, Aaron Jones was the function again [in 2024]. … So I might like to have Aaron again. After which we simply proceed to develop in that room, whether or not it is infusing a younger participant within the draft or perhaps one other participant in free company alongside Aaron Jones, hopefully.”

O’Connell made related feedback heading into the 2024 season, and the imaginative and prescient appeared clear throughout a Week 1 victory over the New York Giants. Jones carried the ball 14 occasions for 94 yards and a landing whereas taking part in 52% of the workforce’s snaps, and third-year backup Ty Chandler took one other eight carries and performed 35.7% of the snaps.

However the Vikings quickly misplaced religion in Chandler and, throughout a transition interval after they acquired Cam Akers as the brand new backup, Jones slid into extra of an every-down position. He performed 63% of the workforce’s offensive snaps and took 67% of the workforce’s carries by working backs the remainder of the best way.

Talking after the Vikings’ wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Jones stated he “in fact” hoped to return to Minnesota in 2025.

“We’ll see the way it performs out,” he added, “however that is the place I need to be.”

Even when he’s greatest fitted to extra of a rotational position, Jones stays among the best choices in a presumptive free agent class that additionally contains Najee Harris, J.Ok. Dobbins, Rico Dowdle, Javonte Williams and Akers. His $7 million contract final season ranked 14th amongst working backs in common per yr (APY), and he may have a number of suitors amongst groups that need to signal a veteran runner.

Many groups, nevertheless, will likely be sorting by means of what’s projected to be a deep class of working backs within the draft. ESPN’s Discipline Yates ranks Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and Georgia’s Trevor Etienne as the highest 5 accessible.

With 4 projected picks, the Vikings have the bottom complete of draft capital within the NFL. Would drafting a working again make sense for a workforce that additionally wants to handle the inside of each strains, whereas coping with a group of circumstances that has left their high 4 cornerbacks and two beginning safeties all eligible without spending a dime company?

The Vikings have made modest makes an attempt lately to construct their backfield depth by means of the draft, deciding on Chandler within the 2022 fifth spherical and including DeWayne McBride within the seventh spherical the next yr. However they acquired Akers through commerce in each 2023 and 2024 to supplant Chandler on the depth chart, whereas McBride spent 2023 on the observe squad and was waived after coaching camp final summer time.

All of this dialogue, in fact, is dedicated to what has been a secondary component of the Vikings’ offense since O’Connell arrived in 2022. Having constructed the scheme round All-Professional receiver Justin Jefferson, the Vikings ranked No. 29 in designed runs (33.6 per sport) through the 2022 and 2023 seasons mixed.

That share rose to 39 in 2024 (seventeenth in NFL) as O’Connell sought extra steadiness amid a quarterback transition from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold. That was the impetus behind signing Jones final spring, and it’ll stay a precedence because the Vikings take into account whether or not to show over their offense to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

If Jones returns, nevertheless, it can seemingly look totally different from his workhorse position in 2024.