Next season, the Minnesota Vikings will start a number of new players on both sides of the ball.
But at some point during the offseason, a well-known face hopes to rejoin the team. Cam Akers, a free agent running back, was acquired by the Vikings via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, and played for them during the previous season.
In Week 9 of the previous season, Akers sustained an Achilles tear.
“The other day, as I enter the TCO Stadium turf for practice,… On June 11, Darren Wolfson stated, “There’s Cam Akers, working out,” on “Minnesota Sports with Mackey & Judd.”
“You do realize that he’s staying in town for a reason? His desire is to rejoin the Vikings. Hey, they can tell us as much as they want about Ty Chandler’s attractive appearance. Yes, Aaron Jones has a nice appearance. Is a second running back possible? I suppose we can discuss whether Ty Chandler has a ceiling or not.
Just to let you know, Cam Akers has hope. Nothing has changed as of yet. However, Cam Akers has a purpose for remaining in this town. His desire is to stay with the Vikings. Rehab at Training Haus, which is adjacent to the Vikings facility, is being conducted by the free agent.
Akers, a 2020 second-round selection by the Rams (at pick No. 52 overall), played for the Vikings until the end of the 2023 season.
On 38 attempts, he gained 138 yards and one touchdown through rushes.
With the Rams, Akers won the Super Bowl in 2021. However, he had 786 yards and seven touchdowns on 188 carries in his best season. Over his career, he has also had to deal with injuries.
Cam Akers Needs to Get Past His Prolonged Injury History
Cam Akers, Vikings of Minnesota
Getty Cam Akers, the Los Angeles Rams’ number 23.
Akers, who is listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 217 pounds, has only played in double digits twice, in 2020 and 2022 as a rookie.
He almost missed that run to the Super Bowl due to a similar injury to the other leg.
In November 2023, The Associated Press via Fox Sports reported that “Akers tore his right Achilles tendon in an offseason workout before the 2021 season with the Rams and made a remarkably fast recovery to return in less than six months for the playoffs for the eventual Super Bowl champions.”
Even if Akers is fully recovered, it would be dangerous to depend on him to manage a heavy workload given his history of injuries. With Chandler and especially Jones in place to handle the majority of the carries, the Vikings do not need to do that.
As fullback C.J. Ham can handle part of the short-yardage responsibilities, Akers’ role would be limited to being a spark plug in a change of pace role for the Vikings.
With 38 receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown during his career, he possesses some receiving ability.
Vikings Could Use Cam Akers to Revitalise Their Running Game
Cam Akers, Vikings of Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings’ #31 player is Getty Cam Akers.
The Vikings dropped two spots from the 2022 season to finish 29th in rushing yards last season. Their lowest result since Dalvin Cook, who battled injuries and finished second on the team in carries behind Latavius Murray, in the 2018 season.
Since 2010, they have only finished lower than that once, in 2016, when Adrian Peterson missed the following 12 weeks (11 games) due to a meniscus tear suffered in Week 2.
Jones made 11 appearances despite dealing with injuries the previous season.
Jones and the Vikings might benefit more from a 1-2 punch with Chandler because he has performed best when sharing the workload in the backfield. Myles Gaskin, Kene Nwangwu, and DeWayne McBride are also players for the Vikings.
Since 2010, the Vikings have consistently had a potent running game, finishing in the top 10 in terms of yards gained on the ground several times. Historically, the system has been featured-back.
However, they need the committee to take the lead and redesign the quarterback room.
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