Usachi
If the Minnesota Vikings had one nickel each time they traded for running back Cam Akers, they will have two after the 5-0 NFC North leaders traded him for the second year in a row on Tuesday. I will have it in my hands. Two nickels isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
Which team won the contract for Akers? This gives the Vikings depth in the backfield, with lead back Aaron Jones aiming to return in Week 7 from a hip injury sustained in Week 5. The immediate evaluation of the migration is as follows:
Minnesota gets: RB Cam Akers, 2026 conditional seventh-round pick Houston gets: 2026 conditional sixth-round pick
Vikings: B
The move made perfect sense for Minnesota. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell selected Akers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft from Florida State University to serve as offensive coordinator for Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams. Between two seasons in Los Angeles (2020-2021) and three-quarters of a season with the Vikings last year, Minnesota’s offensive play-caller had reliable running back depth with the recovering Jones. are.
This is important because Jones has had durability issues in Green Bay, appearing in only two games worth an entire regular season in his eight years in the NFL (2019 and 2022). . He turns 30 on Dec. 2, so Akers is now there in case he needs a spot start. 2022 fifth-round pick Ty Chandler ranks next on the running back depth chart, with 628 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 150 career carries over the past three seasons, per carry. He is averaging 4.2 yards per game. Chandler has 42 carries for 147 yards and zero rushing touchdowns this season.
It is difficult to fully evaluate Houston as the terms of the traded picks are currently unknown. But moving up one round in the draft in exchange for a running back who was at best No. 3 on the strength chart behind starter Joe Mixon and backup Dameon Pierce is a smart move. I’m also giving them a B because it’s hard to give Houston an incredibly high grade without knowing the terms of the pick.
