Vikings Trade For Super Bowl Champion Running Back
The Minnesota Vikings have traded with the Los Angeles Rams for running back Cam Akers, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The trade comes only a day after Rams head coach Sean McVay publicly stated that Akers' time with the team was coming to an end.
Akers was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2022.
Here's a closer look at what Vikings fans can expect once Akers joins the club.
Akers Career Stats
Akers has recorded 1,443 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns throughout 30 games. His best statistical season came in 2022 when he tallied career-highs in rushing attempts (188), yards (786) and touchdowns (seven).
In six career playoff games, the 24-year-old has rushed for 393 yards with two scores. He's also added another 127 receiving yards.
It's been a difficult year for Akers in Los Angeles. He has had several run-ins with Sean McVay and averaged 0.7 yards per carry in the season opener against Seattle.
Vikings Desperately Need Rushing Help
There's no debate that the Vikings have struggled to run the ball through two games of the 2023 season. The team is dead last in average rushing yards per game with 34.5. That's 13.5 less than the next worst team. Minnesota is also the only NFL team without a run of 10 or more yards this season.
Alexander Mattison was supposed to be 'the guy' with the departure of Dalvin Cook in the offseason and has failed to show he's a reliable starting NFL back.
Mattison is only averaging 3.3 yards per attempt, while Ty Chandler, who had a promising preseason outing, has failed to generate a single yard on his four carries.
Is Cam Akers going to be the piece that jumpstarts this Minnesota rushing attack? I sure hope so. One note that has me encouraged is the connection that Akers has to current Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
O'Connell was the offensive coordinator for the Rams between 2020 and 2021 and therefore knows what to expect once the former Florida State Seminole enters the building.
Final Thoughts
It's refreshing to have the Vikings front office not be afraid to address issues mid-season. We saw more evidence of this earlier in the week when the team signed veteran guard Dalton Risner.
Ultimately everyone in the running back room will need to step up for this team to be successful. With the trade for Cam Akers, I'm somewhat confident they'll be able to turn it around.
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