PFT says Gaskin is RB3 and KR

It'll also be interesting to see what happens with Nwangwu, who was waived by the Saints with a failed physical designation on Thursday.

Seems like an odd position to risk on the PS, guess they figure they have McBride in case Gaskin gets taken. Would think you would take that gamble with a different position especially when RB1 is likely to not be healthy for all 17.

We just let McBride and Jeshaun Jones go and signed RB Zavier Scott and T Ricky Lee, doesn't seem like an upgrade over McBride.

I really wish they would put Gaskin on the 53, I don't get the strategy in really devaluing the RB depth.

StickierBuns wrote:
I like Gaskin: he's tough, gets his nose in there on pass protect, smart and elusive. Good guy on 3rd down, versatile. Could do worse for RB3.

McBride is never going to amount to anything. Nwangwu will hurt the team with mental lapses and inability to understand football concepts at the pro level. Not an instinctual runner.

McBride came in with some hype and went poof. Kinda like a cheaper Lewis Cine. :)

ArizonaViking wrote:
It'll also be interesting to see what happens with Nwangwu, who was waived by the Saints with a failed physical designation on Thursday.

His failed physical with the Saints is a bit of a shock.  That provides some additional insight perhaps into why he was cut.
All of a sudden the team brass is looking a little smarter, aren't they?

Even with his injury last year, given his past accomplishments, Nwangwu seemed part of Minnesota’s future. The Vikings didn’t use Nwangwu much as a running back; he only had 27 rushing attempts for 88 yards in three years. Still, he’s a threat to score as a returner, and there should be fewer touchbacks with the NFL’s new kickoff rule.

Therefore, it was surprising that Gaskin and Nwangwu were competing for a roster spot. The previous regime took Nwangwu in the fourth round of the 2021 draft; Gaskin was Miami’s seventh-round pick in 2019, and they had released him a year ago. Nwangwu is a year younger, more proven as a returner, and wasn’t on the fringe of the roster while healthy. He had had a good camp and had more draft status.

“It was more about Myles,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Kene has been a good player for this organization since he’s been drafted. Great person. … Myles just has a really diverse skill set to help us on special teams and offense. Kene is a really talented player. Kick return in this league at a high level for a long period of time.

“We just thought that for roster value, Myles was just a better decision.”

Reading between the lines, the Vikings like that they can use Gaskin as a running back and a kick returner. Still, by cutting Nwangwu, Minnesota left Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler as the only running backs on their active roster unless you count C.J. Ham. Nwangwu struggled as a running back in his first season, and the Vikings must feel they can elevate Gaskin from the practice squad and use him as a returner and emergency running back.

“There’s a lot of time left before that first game in regards to the kick-returning role,” said Kevin O’Connell. “We’re going to work through some different guys, Myles being one of them.

“But really, that move was about Myles Gaskin. His versatility to be a true three-down back from a standpoint of what he had improved on during his time here, the work he put in that changed his physical style as a player, from the quickness to the strength to some of the things that showed up in the non-returning phase of the kicking game from a physicality and play style that really, we felt like he had earned the opportunity.”

The Vikings also had to factor the 53-man roster and Nwangwu’s health into their decision. They released Gaskin and put him on their practice squad without another team picking him up. Practice squad players are not on the active roster; they only practice against the rostered players. Therefore, other teams can pick up released players or the players on the practice squad.

“I wouldn’t discount the 48, the game day roster, not just the 53,” added O’Connell, referring to the 48 dressed players on game day. “You’re trying to make sure your depth, not only at the running back position, but at multiple other positions.

https://zonecoverage.com/2024/minnesota-vikings-news/the-vikings-found-myles-gaskin-through-the-looking-glass/