As the Minnesota Vikings looked to bolster their offense, they acquired running back Cam Akers from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade. But as Akers gets acclimated to the Vikings, head coach Kevin O'Connell wants to ensure Minnesota's new running back has a smooth arrival.
Heading into Week 3, O'Connell isn't expecting Akers to suit up, via Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune. O'Connell's goal is to have Akers available for the Vikings' Week 4 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Akers has had a tumultuous tenure over his 3+ years with the Rams. He appeared in 30 games, running for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns. He won a Super Bowl while with Los Angeles.
However, his name has appeared in trade rumors over the past two seasons. It seemed likely that both sides were due for a break. The Vikings decided it was time to swoop in, acquiring the running back for a sixth-round pick swap.
Minnesota is looking to replace long-timer running back Dalvin Cook, who was released and moved on to the New York Jets this offseason. Alexander Mattison is currently serving in the RB1 role. However, he has run for just 62 scoreless yards this season.
Mattison will be the Vikings' lead runner for at least one more week as Cam Akers gets used to Minnesota's playbook. But even if the price was low, clearly the Vikings seem something in the former Rams runner. Once he spends a bit more time with the Vikings, Kevin O'Connell will be looking for ways to implement Akers into the offense and bring a spark back to the running game.
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