NFL roster cutdown day always yields a few surprises. Sometimes it can be as jarring as a team moving on from a previously established incumbent starter who had a bad camp behind the scenes. Other times its more on the margins in terms of how teams identify role players to round out their roster. For the Vikings it was the running back position that provided the surprise. They seemed to be settled with three backs with established roles and veterans like Myles Gaskin on the outside looking in.
Then, of course, cut day happened and the Vikings raised eyebrows by waiving running back Kene Nwangwu. Nwangwu was cheap and considered an explosive return man and figured to benefit from the new kickoff rules. That immediately raised the question of who was going to return kicks and serve as the RB3 in Minnesota. The Vikings appear to have answered that question by bringing back Gaskin to the practice squad.
Although he isn’t currently on the active roster, that figures to change with Minnesota currently only carrying two running backs. The Vikings are likely anticipating another pending roster move that will open the spot up. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seemed to indicate as much in his recent comments as well, seemingly confirming Gaskin’s role. It may end up being a prudent move for the organization, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if Gaskin serves a significant role this season.
Myles Gaskin Outperformed Nwangwu in Key Area
Even in his days as the starting running back in Miami, Myles Gaskin has always performed best as part of a timeshare backfield. That would make him an ideal candidate to touch the ball a handful of times a game for Minnesota this year. In 2020, his best season, Gaskin paced a Dolphins backfield that had three backs over 250 yards. He shined as a pass catcher out of the backfield tallying over 40 receptions in both 2020 and 2021. Perhaps most importantly Gaskin is also an exceptional pass protector, which will help him see the field on passing downs.
That pass-protection element is likely what cost Nwangwu his job for a team in need of a third back. In limited action on the field over the past three seasons, he had more memorable blown blocks than any back on the team. It was a very noticeable problem. With a nonmobile quarterback like Kirk Cousins to protect, the Vikings just couldn’t trust Nwangwu to take continued offensive snaps. Even with Sam Darnold under center this year, it appears the Vikings prioritized a third running back who could block. While it remains to be seen if Gaskin can effectively return kicks, it’s safe to assume that he will impact the Vikings backfield more than Nwangwu has been able to the past few seasons.
Gaskin’s Strong Preseason Showed He Still Has Some Juice
Being a smaller back, Gaskin’s game has always been predicated on elite acceleration. That’s the trait that happens to age the worst as running backs start to hit their late 20s. Especially when a running back whose game is built on quickness starts bouncing around the way Gaskin has, it typically means that the player’s lost a step. Based on what he showed in preseason that doesn’t look to be the case for the 27-year-old back.
Gaskin played extended minutes in the first two games, which is indicative of his standing on the on-the-bubble roster. He looked visibly explosive in and out of his cuts, repeatedly ripping off big runs. He also showcased the elusiveness that signified his prior success with the Dolphins. To cap his impressive preseason Gaskin gashed the Eagles repeatedly in the first half of the Week 3 preseason game, going for 61 yards before ceding the second half to DeWayne McBride. That performance likely solidified his roster, which is standing in the minds of the coaching staff and front office. If he can carry any of the momentum into the regular season and show the ability to effectively return kicks, Gaskin should have an unexpectedly significant role for the 2024 Vikings.
