Aaron Jones, Sr., & Vikings pairing 'makes sense,' The Athletic says
The Vikings reached a deal Sunday to bring back Aaron Jones, Sr., before the running back hit free agency when the New League Year starts at 3 p.m. (CT) Wednesday.
Alec Lewis and Diana Russini noted that Jones had been the top-ranked running back (and No. 31 overall) in The Athletic's list of Top 150 Free Agents and said it "makes sense" for Jones to stay in Minnesota.
Jones remains a three-down bell cow when healthy, and his workload last year supports as much. His 255 carries and 1,138 rushing yards were new personal bests and he surpassed 1,500 scrimmage yards for the third time in his eight-year NFL career. And while his 4.5 yards per carry average was the lowest of his career, he averaged 8.0 yards per reception, good for the second-highest mark over that span.
The 2017 fifth-round pick out of UTEP has accumulated 9,562 scrimmage yards (7,078 rushing) and 70 total touchdowns (50 rushing) since entering the league.
Lewis emphasized the Vikings value the running back position and they now have a "proven option," even if they also opt to add one through this year's NFL Draft — which is said to be extremely deep at running back.
Signing Jones before free agency opened allowed Minnesota to "have more flexibility regarding his dead cap hit," Lewis explained, and he also "fills a key leadership [role] in the Vikings locker room."