As Dalvin Cook eyes the Jets, the Vikings say keeping Alexander Mattison is a 'no-brainer'

In the same offseason the Vikings spent money on heavy personnel in a way that recalled Mike Zimmer or Leslie Frazier, they made it so Kevin O'Connell would become the first Vikings coach since Brad Childress to open a season without a former Pro Bowler as his lead running back.

The Vikings' 2023 offense is calibrated to be both glossy and rugged, in a way that many of its predecessors were not, and the face of its new running game is Alexander Mattison, the 2019 third-round pick who carried just 404 times in his first four seasons and made it onto the free-agent market for several hours before agreeing to a two-year, $7 million contract that signaled a shift was coming.

The Vikings guaranteed $6.35 million of Mattison's contract and released Dalvin Cook before minicamp after weeks of unsuccessful efforts to find a suitable trade for the four-time Pro Bowler. But by that point, the move to a group backfield with Mattison in the top role seemed inevitable.

Cook carried at least 249 times in each of the past four seasons. Mattison might not see that heavy of a workload in a backfield where second-year man Ty Chandler figures to play a larger role and Kene Nwangwu could be more involved than he was in his first two seasons. While Cook reportedly was making plans to visit the Jets on Friday, Mattison was preparing for the second practice of the Vikings' training camp on Thursday.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips didn't seem to have many doubts about what Mattison can do as the primary back.

"I think he's proven it over his career, when he's gotten opportunities, and he's been very productive," Phillips said. "He just always knows what he's going to do. And then he's a talented back when he's running forward. He's got more wiggle than I think some people give him credit for. There's a lot of times where the free guy in the hole, the eighth guy, he made him miss last year, and then he made some plays in the passing game as well. So it was kind of a no-brainer for us to get Alex back."

More than one-quarter of the Vikings' rushing attempts went for no gain or lost yardage last season, and O'Connell spoke frequently throughout the offseason about his hopes for a more efficient run game. If the Vikings can gain positive yardage more consistently, they hope they'll put quarterback Kirk Cousins in more favorable third-down situations and keep him out of pressure.

Mattison posted better efficiency numbers than Cook did a year ago, and even if the Vikings might miss Cook's ability to create the kinds of big plays that helped spark comeback wins against the Bills and Colts last year, Phillips surmised Thursday that the team can be just as productive if it is more consistent.

"I look at it more as the average over time," Phillips said. "Absolutely, Dalvin Cook is a big-time playmaker. So maybe that gets filled in other areas at times. But as far as the run game, consistently producing yards and keeping us ahead of the chains, where you've got more of your call sheet available, I think is really important."

With O'Connell, the Vikings moved from the outside zone run scheme they'd used under Zimmer to a midzone scheme that Mattison said demands more versatility of a running back. That, coupled with the Vikings' use of presnap motion and defenses' emphasis on Justin Jefferson, means running backs have to spend more time adjusting to changing defensive fronts, Mattison added.

"It's being able to read certain fronts and linebacker rotations and all the different things you have to think about, especially when you're playing with a guy like Justin," Mattison said. "We can go on and on about the weapons we have on offense, but those guys bring something that makes defenses play a little different. I have to be a student of the game and understand where I can find the weak spots."

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The Vikings will incorporate Chandler, Nwangwu and rookie DeWayne McBride in the run game. They see tight end Josh Oliver, who signed a three-year, $21 million deal this offseason, as a bigger part of the passing game than he was in Baltimore.

An offense that retains Jefferson, and could employ more diverse personnel groups than it did a year ago, might not need Mattison to play exactly the same role Cook or Adrian Peterson has filled in the past. On Thursday, though, Phillips didn't seem worried about what Mattison could do if the Vikings need to lean on him.

"[It's] the consistency of who he is every day, what he's put on tape every opportunity he's gotten: his multifaceted run game, pass protection and then his hands in the pass game — his route-running ability," Phillips said. "I think we're going to see a lot of good things, and maybe people didn't realize how good a player Alex Mattison really is."