Report: Vikings Worked Out Another Veteran Running Back
The Vikings worked out veteran running back Mike Davis on Tuesday, according to Jordan Schultz. This comes after the team previously worked out RB Kareem Hunt on Friday.
It remains to be seen if the Vikings will add a veteran to their backfield before the start of the season, but it's clearly something they're at least exploring. Behind Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu is injured and rookie DeWayne McBride is still in the early stages of adjusting to the NFL level.
Davis, 30, has played for six teams in eight seasons since being drafted in the fourth round back in 2015. The former South Carolina star has had stints with the 49ers, Seahawks, Bears, Panthers, Falcons, and most recently the Ravens. He has career totals of 2,052 rushing yards (3.7 yards per carry), 1,066 receiving yards, and 18 touchdowns.
The best season of Davis' career came with the Panthers in 2020, when he stepped in for an injured Christian McCaffrey and recorded 1,015 yards from scrimmage and 8 touchdowns. He also had 700-yard seasons in 2018 (with Seattle) and 2021 (Atlanta). Davis had just ten touches for the Ravens last season.
The 5'9", 220-pound Davis was never the fastest player and is on the wrong side of the 30, but he's an experienced veteran who can catch the ball out of the backfield and do the right things in pass protection.
Hunt and Leonard Fournette are the two most notable RBs still available after Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott signed one-year deals on Monday, and there are a few Davis-caliber players also out there.
The Vikings have been active in bringing in veteran players for visits recently, with Dalton Risner and Ronald Darby also on that list. It allows them to get a closer look at a player and establish a relationship with them, which could lead to a signing at some point down the road.
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