Vikings trade for Jordan Mason

IJustInTime wrote:
https://x.com/thevikingage/status/1901080785903644905?s=46&t=TjjB9Q4BmOwmN74RrrMjoQ

Jordan Mason faced the highest rate of stacked boxes in the NFL last season (8+ defenders).

Despite this, he still managed to rank 3rd in rush yards over expectation per attempt and 10th in yards after contact per attempt.

The Vikings got a DAWG 🔥

— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) March 16, 2025

LMAO GIBBS WHO pic.twitter.com/3aCQuqZ6Fq

— Cam (@42Cyc) March 16, 2025

We didn’t get a Dawg, we got a GT Yellow Jacket!

Love this trade.

Speaking of Gibbs, Jordan and Jhmyr were teammates in ‘21 @ GT.

Nice sized RB that runs hard and pass blocks well. Trustworthy. We've got Thunder and Lightning now. Also: can do anything and go anywhere with that first round pick. I figured they'd want a bigger back with size for RB2. 49ers had a 2nd round tender on him contactually. just 25 years old. Decent get for sure. Take a developmental RB late or not at all, don't need to. Always nice to gather talent from organizations that are chucking for cap space.

Minnesota aggressively attacking their needs via free agency. Hell yeah. 2025 offseason was always the target and now we are seeing it.

45.4%

We ran the ball 45.4% last year. 

I think that is going to change

JustInTime wrote:
45.4%

We ran the ball 45.4% last year. 

I think that is going to change

As it should, especially with a rook at QB. But it's KOC we're talking about here lol. Maybe that'll go to 45.9%???

I'm thinking of those 3rd/4th down and short situations, red zone running futilities from 24...

I have no pre-tenses this guy solves everything, but him + the OL improvements? Thats a big deal.

I'm still figuring this out from the 49'ers perspective; They gained just a 6th round pick and moved-up a few slots in this years 6th. 

Was this about $$$? Was it the 2nd round tender they placed on him? The $5.3mm tender that resulted in?

As soon as I saw this last night, I thought "DAYUM"!!

I watched him in Game 2 against us and then again vs the Patriots last season. McCaffrey was injured. This kid ran for 100 yards against us, 123 yards, over, through, around the Patriots. He really opened my eyes to the "who is this guyyyy?"

Take RB off the draft needs list.

Kwesi is absolutely knocking FA out of the park.

JustInTime wrote:
https://x.com/thevikingage/status/1901080785903644905?s=46&t=TjjB9Q4BmOwmN74RrrMjoQ

Jordan Mason faced the highest rate of stacked boxes in the NFL last season (8+ defenders).

Despite this, he still managed to rank 3rd in rush yards over expectation per attempt and 10th in yards after contact per attempt.

The Vikings got a DAWG 🔥

— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) March 16, 2025

LMAO GIBBS WHO pic.twitter.com/3aCQuqZ6Fq

— Cam (@42Cyc) March 16, 2025

These are some pretty remarkable numbers. Being successful on runs where everyone in the building knows you're going to run is a valuable thing, and something we've struggled with for years.

FLVike wrote:
 Not winning the NFC will be a failure.

Not sure about that, but they've definitely made themselves more competitive with NFC elite like Detroit and Philly. Aggressively attacking weaknesses in the roster. It'll come down to QB play I think for Minnesota. They aren't operating in a vacuum, so other teams like Washington have improved as well.

p.s. and if you dump Ty Chandler, you gain $1.1 million against the cap. His dead cap hit is next to nothing this year. Not saying they'll do that.

purplefaithful wrote:

As it should, especially with a rook at QB. But it's KOC we're talking about here lol. Maybe that'll go to 45.9%???

I'm thinking of those 3rd/4th down and short situations, red zone running futilities from 24...

I have no pre-tenses this guy solves everything, but him + the OL improvements? Thats a big deal.

I'm still figuring this out from the 49'ers perspective; They gained just a 6th round pick and moved-up a few slots in this years 6th. 

Was this about $$$? Was it the 2nd round tender they placed on him? The $5.3mm tender that resulted in?

49ers need to get younger and cheaper since they are up against the cap.  Re-signing Mason wasn't in their long-term plans with CMC there so it's probably more of get something for him now and replace him with a rookie RB in a deep class.

I get the guy was leading the league in rushing after the first month of the season and showed some ability, but why make this move with a historically deep and talented running back draft coming up? We could of essentially had out choice (probably) out of any of them not named Jeanty. We could have had a rookie stud at the position on a 4 or 5 year contract but instead we get Mason for 2. I think this is a questionable move especially if we are passing up Omarion Hampton, Henderson etc in the draft because we made this move for Mason.

supafreak84 wrote:
I get the guy was leading the league in rushing after the first month of the season and showed some ability, but why make this move with a historically deep and talented running back draft coming up? We could of essentially had out choice (probably) out of any of them not named Jeanty. We could have had a rookie stud at the position on a 4 or 5 year contract but instead we get Mason for 2. I think this is a questionable move especially if we are passing up Omarion Hampton, Henderson etc in the draft because we made this move for Mason.

Why does adding Mason prevent us from taking a back in the draft? I think it better allows us to go BPA with our first pick, but I fully expect this team to draft a back.

MaroonBells wrote:

Why does adding Mason prevent us from taking a back in the draft? I think it better allows us to go BPA with our first pick, but I fully expect this team to draft a back.

I'd bet it reduces the possibility significantly (at least early) when the table was set perfectly for us to do so. Nobody ever accused Kwesi of being able to read a draft that's for sure.

purplefaithful wrote:
I remember watching him last season and thinking those F'ing 49'ers, lose CJM and then just line-up this stud? WTF? Very much reminds me of David Montgomery. Great get on the team, gives us supreme flex in the draft. 3 down back. [i]I DO NOT believe this takes us out of the running for Henderson/Judkins/Hampton. They only got AJ for one more season. [/i]

I say spend the Draft pick on a higher round RB next year. We'll have more picks. And rookie RBs start all the time. Draft on OG in round 1 and now the depth on the O-line is really good. Plus you have a juggernaut O-line.

supafreak84 wrote:

I'd bet it reduces the possibility significantly (at least early) when the table was set perfectly for us to do so. Nobody ever accused Kwesi of being able to read a draft that's for sure.

So adding some size and physicality to a RB room that desperately needed it, and doing that at virtually no cost, is a dumb move because it’s a good RB class?

Adding Mason puts us in a better position to take the best player available regardless of need. That really should be the goal of free agency for every GM.

supafreak84 wrote:
I get the guy was leading the league in rushing after the first month of the season and showed some ability, but why make this move with a historically deep and talented running back draft coming up? We could of essentially had out choice (probably) out of any of them not named Jeanty. We could have had a rookie stud at the position on a 4 or 5 year contract but instead we get Mason for 2. I think this is a questionable move especially if we are passing up Omarion Hampton, Henderson etc in the draft because we made this move for Mason.

I think all this does is puts us in position to go BPA. Jones is basically on a 1 year deal. Mason 2 years. If RB2 is on the board, which is dubious at best, we amplify a strong position. 

The other thing is rookies are still rookies. You don’t know for sure what they’re going to do at the next level with any certainty. We can speculate but a proven quantity who is young and cheap is a nice card going into the draft.

supafreak84 wrote:

I'd bet it reduces the possibility significantly (at least early) when the table was set perfectly for us to do so. Nobody ever accused Kwesi of being able to read a draft that's for sure.

Not following you here at all.  You add a horse for two years at virtually no cost and save a draft pick.  This guy is guaranteed to perform while a rookie is not.  We’re also dreadfully short of draft picks and have multiple needs. We got a cheap young player, hardly a bad move.  Lol

MaroonBells wrote:

So adding some size and physicality to a RB room that desperately needed it, and doing that at virtually no cost, is a dumb move because it’s a good RB class?

Adding Mason puts us in a better position to take the best player available regardless of need. That really should be the goal of free agency for every GM.

I just think in a historically loaded RB draft class, you don't address your need there by trading assets and handing out free agency money when you are positioned to land one of the elite prospects in the draft on a rookie contract. It's called reading the strengths of a draft and projecting where those strengths land when building a roster. We did this same stupid shit when we signed Josh Oliver in a very deep TE draft. Like I said, nobody ever accused Kwesi on being able to identify and navigate the strengths of a draft board.

I agree, great move, Kwazy is killing it.

supafreak84 wrote:

I just think in a historically loaded RB draft class, you don't address your need there by trading assets and handing out free agency money when you are positioned to land one of the elite prospects in the draft on a rookie contract. It's called reading the strengths of a draft and projecting where those strengths land when building a roster. We did this same stupid shit when we signed Josh Oliver in a very deep TE draft. Like I said, nobody ever accused Kwesi on being able to identify and navigate the strengths of a draft board.

Trading away assets? Free agency money? Neither of those dogs hunt. Cmon. Those assets are on rounding error on a balance sheet. The money is at the bottom end of the 51 counting against the cap.

supafreak84 wrote:

I just think in a historically loaded RB draft class, you don't address your need there by trading assets and handing out free agency money when you are positioned to land one of the elite prospects in the draft on a rookie contract. It's called reading the strengths of a draft and projecting where those strengths land when building a roster. We did this same stupid shit when we signed Josh Oliver in a very deep TE draft. Like I said, nobody ever accused Kwesi on being able to identify and navigate the strengths of a draft board.

I like the Mason trade better than the Aaron Jones contract. If you want to be upset I personally would look that direction.

Regarding Chandler, if these two are healthy going into the year he will likely be PS or on another roster.