Ty Chandler and who else? Assessing Vikings' RB room with Mattison gone

The Vikings will undoubtedly add to their RB room this offseason, as the only other players under contract are Kene Nwangwu, Myles Gaskin, and DeWayne McBride (Akers is a restricted free agent who could potentially be re-signed). But listening to Kevin O'Connell talk about Chandler at the combine this week, it sounds like the Vikings have a lot of belief in the third-year back.

"I think the way Ty finished the season was a real positive," he said. "Going year two into year three will be a huge opportunity for him to continue his growth. Seeing him really come on there and kinda start to assert himself was a real positive for our team."

Chandler appears to be a great fit for the Vikings' offense as a back with big-play acceleration and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. The primary thing he needs to keep improving upon to solidify a major role this year is his pass protection. That was seemingly the main reason why the Vikings stuck with Mattison for as long as they did last season.

Who might Minnesota add at running back this spring? It's a star-studded free agent class, but it seems unlikely that the Vikings will shell out for a big name like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, or Austin Ekeler. You never know, of course, but spending significant money on a veteran RB doesn't seem to align with the competitive rebuild timeline or Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's analytics background. What's probably more likely is the Vikings adding one or two backs who are either a lower-cost free agent or a middle-round draft pick. That would give them depth and variety while also allowing Chandler the opportunity to seize the No. 1 job.

"It's always a position that I think, whether free agency or the draft, you're looking to continue to infuse talent and different skill sets into that room," O'Connell said.