The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner with the regular season kicking off in a little over a month. In the final weeks of the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings have made a roster move by picking up former XFL standout Abram Smith, according to a report from Mike Mitchell.

Abram Smith was a solid back in college for Baylor football and he was one of the best running backs in the XFL for the D.C. Defenders. During the 2023 XFL season, Smith led the league in rushing with 788 yards in 1o games. He also added seven touchdowns for the Defenders. After a successful workout with the Vikings, the deal was made. Smith is the 43rd XFL player to be signed by an NFL team.

Last season, the Vikings had a great regular season and won the NFC North, but they weren't able to make any sort of run in the playoffs after losing their first game to the New York Giants. Now, heading into the 2023 season, the Detroit Lions come in as the favorite in the North, not the Vikings.

Obviously, the Vikings have a chip on their shoulder being the defending division champs and not coming into the season as the favorite. The staff also knows how crucial roster moves are before the season, like this one adding Smith.

This move is especially important because of the uncertainty at the running back position for the Vikings because of Dalvin Cook. Cook is a free agent and is exploring his options with teams across the league. We don't know who RB1 will be for the Vikings, but we do know that Abram Smith is going to give 110% at all times for the Vikings.