Reports: Vikings Listening to Trade Calls on RB Alexander Mattison
The Vikings are listening to trade calls on fourth-year running back Alexander Mattison, according to Heavy Sports' Matt Lombardo and others. The team isn't actively shopping Mattison, but they appear to be open to a potential deal at the right price.
It has seemed for a while like 2022 would be Mattison's last year in Minnesota. He's set to hit free agency next spring, where he could pursue an opportunity to be a starting running back somewhere else instead of being relegated to No. 2 duties behind Dalvin Cook. There haven't been any extension talks between the Vikings and Mattison.
In that context, the Vikings trading Mattison before this season wouldn't be shocking. They arguably have the depth to do it, as second-year RB Kene Nwangwu and rookie RB Ty Chandler have both impressed during the preseason, Chandler in particular.
According to KSTP insider Darren Wolfson, the Vikings have had at least six teams check in on Mattison's availability. Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press says it's at least a dozen teams.
Whether or not they end up moving him all depends on the offer. If a running back-needy team were to offer a third-round pick, the Vikings should absolutely take that. I don't think that's realistic, though. A fourth-round pick is where the debate begins. Trading Mattison for a fifth-rounder or worse probably doesn't make sense, unless you're a massive believer in Chandler and Nwangwu.
Another possibility, albeit an unlikely one, would be trading Mattison for a player at a position where the Vikings want additional depth, instead of a draft pick.
The argument in favor of trading Mattison is that you'd get some sort of return and would free up snaps for Chandler and Nwangwu. Chandler, the rookie out of North Carolina, ran 15 times for 113 yards (7.5 yards per carry) in the preseason. Nwangwu showed some flashes as a rookie and piled up 85 yards on 17 touches this preseason. According to Over the Cap, the Vikings would save just shy of $1 million by trading Mattison.
The argument against trading Mattison is that he's a proven backup with a different style of play than either Chandler or Nwangwu. Mattison has 1,822 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in three seasons, with five career games of at least 100 total yards. The 2019 third-rounder from Boise State is a powerful back who runs hard, has some burst, and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Given that Cook has missed time due to injury in all of his NFL seasons so far, keeping Mattison around for this year might make sense.
Plus, if Mattison leaves in free agency next spring as expected and signs a decent-sized contract, the Vikings could get a 2024 compensatory pick in return (although it would probably only be a fifth or sixth-rounder). That's not guaranteed because Mattison could get hurt or underperform this year, but it's a factor in the decision.
If the offer is a fourth-round pick, it might be a tough call for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings. Mattison is a talented player who could help the Vikings win games this year, especially if Cook misses time. But Chandler and Nwangwu are also waiting in the wings and are a bigger part of the team's future at running back than Mattison.
Adofo-Mensah and his staff will have to decide if that future begins now or in 2023.
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