Cam Akers Official Thread

[Dynasty DeLorean]

Glad he got a change of scenery. Rams should have never rushed him back from the Achilles.

Akers was good in pass pro and had excellent hands in college. Hopefully a new coaching staff can unlock that part of his game in the NFL.

[Anteaters]

If I was a betting man, I would bet that by seasons end this will be Akers' backfield. This feels like a Fournette/Bucs type of arc. With this being Cousins' final year in Minneapolis potentially, I believe the Vikings have clearly determined that 2 games was all they needed to assess whether or not Mattison was the RB that could help get them over the top. Cam Akers has been that guy already. If Mattison was the guy, they wouldn't need someone with this level of pedigree. They could have signed someone like Kareem Hunt or Trey Sermon, or traded for someone non-threatening like the Browns did with Pierre Strong. Point being this was a major acquisition and I don't think it should be taken lightly.

I agree 100%.

This isn't about Akers coming in and being a Saquon-level talent. This is a 1:1 comparison and Minny's staff realizes Mattison has cement cleats on his feet. The guy is a plodder. Akers doesn't have to be an all pro to make Minnesota better -- he just has to be better than Mattison. I am far from an Akers truther, but I have no doubt Akers is better than Mattison.

I think the big problem in LA was Akers didn't get along with the coaching staff. Doesn't matter whose fault or what it was about, but there is definitely some bad blood there. Some people, once they don't like someone, just can't get over it and work with the other person. Looking at how things slow-roll fell apart in LA, it seems that was the case.

Who knows if the new start will make a long term start of Akers? I don't. But I'd bet that Akers is the starting RB in Minny soon.

[Jigga94]

Even if he did take over 60% if the snaps from Mattison, I don't really care. That OL is bad at run blocking and their offense goes through their stud receivers

[mild]

The Vikings didn't just trade a 6th round pick. They swapped a 6th round pick for a 7th round pick that's three years out. This wasn't a situation of the Vikings being smart and pulling some heist on the Rams. This was a situation of both teams agreeing that a player has no value around the league.

This isn't a swing for any sort of fence. A swing implies some sort of risk as if you gave up something significant for a desired outcome. The Vikings practically gave up nothing. There's no meaningful difference between the career odds of a 6th round pick to a 7th round pick, especially for picks that are three years away lol.

Akers will certainly play, but the Vikings investment is not necessarily one of having vested interest in seeing hm succeed at a high level.

Hilarious addendum to this post: according to vikesinsider...

Update on the Cam Akers trade: in order for the 2026 late round pick-swap to go through, Akers must total 500+ scrimmage yards.

So if he doesn't perform, then the Vikings -did- actually just get Cam Akers for free.

[Jigga94]

[murphysxm]

I am really at a loss anybody still sees Akers as somebody that can add value in a substantial way. He is depth and a "why not give it a try?" acquisition

[Jigga94]

I am really at a loss anybody still sees Akers as somebody that can add value in a substantial way. He is depth and a "why not give it a try?" acquisition

Sunk Cost. Delusion, maybe

[Anteaters]

I am really at a loss anybody still sees Akers as somebody that can add value in a substantial way. He is depth and a "why not give it a try?" acquisition

If you're talking real NFL and not fantasy, I would say a team would give it a try if their starting RB was Mattison. That makes perfect sense to me.

[Sriracha]

I am really at a loss anybody still sees Akers as somebody that can add value in a substantial way. He is depth and a "why not give it a try?" acquisition

Sunk Cost. Delusion, maybe

He's a guy with warts and is probably not even a lock to make the roster... but Mattison has been disappointing and if he gets hurt his competition is Ty Chandler and a toasted Myles Gaskin. At this point all he really has going for him is his situation as he finds himself in an explosive offense with limited RB talent.

[Cameron Giles]

I am really at a loss anybody still sees Akers as somebody that can add value in a substantial way. He is depth and a "why not give it a try?" acquisition

Sunk Cost. Delusion, maybe

He's a guy with warts and is probably not even a lock to make the roster... but Mattison has been disappointing and if he gets hurt his competition is Ty Chandler and a toasted Myles Gaskin. At this point all he really has going for him is his situation as he finds himself in an explosive offense with limited RB talent.

Compared to the Rams where his competition was a 5th round RB, "Ronnie Rivers" and Zach Evans.

I don't know. It seems like the Rams tee'd up a featured RB role for him all offseason and he completely fumbled it. Maybe a trade is the kick in the bleep he needed, or he may just not be what he could've been.

[Sriracha]

Sunk Cost. Delusion, maybe

He's a guy with warts and is probably not even a lock to make the roster... but Mattison has been disappointing and if he gets hurt his competition is Ty Chandler and a toasted Myles Gaskin. At this point all he really has going for him is his situation as he finds himself in an explosive offense with limited RB talent.

Compared to the Rams where his competition was a 5th round RB, "Ronnie Rivers" and Zach Evans.

I don't know. It seems like the Rams tee'd up a featured RB role for him all offseason and he completely fumbled it. Maybe a trade is the kick in the bleep he needed, or he may just not be what he could've been.

It is what it is.. nobody likes what they've gotten from him post Achilles but moving away from a team who's deactivated him is definitely a plus.

[Two Cents]

He's a guy with warts and is probably not even a lock to make the roster... but Mattison has been disappointing and if he gets hurt his competition is Ty Chandler and a toasted Myles Gaskin. At this point all he really has going for him is his situation as he finds himself in an explosive offense with limited RB talent.

Compared to the Rams where his competition was a 5th round RB, "Ronnie Rivers" and Zach Evans.

I don't know. It seems like the Rams tee'd up a featured RB role for him all offseason and he completely fumbled it. Maybe a trade is the kick in the bleep he needed, or he may just not be what he could've been.

It is what it is.. nobody likes what they've gotten from him post Achilles but moving away from a team who's deactivated him is definitely a plus.

Im not saying Cam Akers will be the 2nd coming of Marshawn Lynch....but I think with some motivation he could definitely be a poor mans version. The silver lining in all of this would be that if he plays well on this arc with a new team he would be more likely to get a 2nd contract which could then potentially give him a second wind of value that could sustain him through his prime years (age 25-28). I think investing in Akers now for cheap could reap as big of a reward as a 2nd tier RB prospect in a rookie draft could get you.

[FantasyFreak]

Glad he got a change of scenery. Rams should have never rushed him back from the Achilles.

Akers was good in pass pro and had excellent hands in college. Hopefully a new coaching staff can unlock that part of his game in the NFL.

Yep. His rushing game ain't it, so that's the only hope left. Akers was super raw, had some serious potential, but a variety of factors, from injury to coaching, has destroyed his career trajectory.......like most of the top backs in that class. To look back at that class, and how high I think we all were on it, in general. Such a disaster outside JT's couple of seasons.

[FantasyFreak]

The Vikings didn't just trade a 6th round pick. They swapped a 6th round pick for a 7th round pick that's three years out. This wasn't a situation of the Vikings being smart and pulling some heist on the Rams. This was a situation of both teams agreeing that a player has no value around the league.

This isn't a swing for any sort of fence. A swing implies some sort of risk as if you gave up something significant for a desired outcome. The Vikings practically gave up nothing. There's no meaningful difference between the career odds of a 6th round pick to a 7th round pick, especially for picks that are three years away lol.

Akers will certainly play, but the Vikings investment is not necessarily one of having vested interest in seeing hm succeed at a high level.

Hilarious addendum to this post: according to vikesinsider...

Update on the Cam Akers trade: in order for the 2026 late round pick-swap to go through, Akers must total 500+ scrimmage yards.

So if he doesn't perform, then the Vikings -did- actually just get Cam Akers for free.

This shouldn't surprise anybody. though. The Rams were looking for ANYTHING, rather than cutting him.

[FantasyFreak]

Compared to the Rams where his competition was a 5th round RB, "Ronnie Rivers" and Zach Evans.

I don't know. It seems like the Rams tee'd up a featured RB role for him all offseason and he completely fumbled it. Maybe a trade is the kick in the bleep he needed, or he may just not be what he could've been.

It is what it is.. nobody likes what they've gotten from him post Achilles but moving away from a team who's deactivated him is definitely a plus.

Im not saying Cam Akers will be the 2nd coming of Marshawn Lynch....but I think with some motivation he could definitely be a poor mans version.

Poor man's version, like someone who has 2 cents in his pocket, type poor....and had no bank account, or any other holdings?

I could see that.

To the Fournette comments.

You two are hilarious. Glad you found each other. Fournette was the 4th overall pick and was an elite player in the SEC as a sophomore. Have fun with your delusions of grandeur. No 2 people on this board that don't roster this player could possibly concoct something so delusional.