Myles Gaskin ran for 1,196 total yards when Brian Flores coached the Miami Dolphins in 2020 and 2021. However, Gaskin only ran for 26 yards in 2022, and Miami released him on August 29 last year. The Minnesota Vikings scooped him up 24 hours later, but he bounced between the practice squad and the active roster last season.
The Vikings only activated Gaskin for two games, and he never carried the ball. The Los Angeles Rams signed him off Minnesota’s practice squad on October 17, dressed him for a game, and waived him on November 7. The Vikings picked him up again, but he has remained on the fringe of the roster since.
That’s why it was so surprising that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said he had enough confidence in Gaskin as a kick returner that they released Kene Nwangwu.
“Really, really excited about what he did this training camp,” said Adofo-Mensah. “Came back in incredible shape. Kevin and I have the glass windows where we can kind of look out on the field.
“You see a guy after game day doing all kinds of drills, just deciding for himself, ‘I want to be the best version of myself for this team.’ Had a great camp, won the job, and we’re excited [about] what he’s bringing.”
The Vikings put Nwangwu on injured reserve on the same day they signed Gaskin last year. He only played nine games last year, logging 15 returns for 380 yards a year after he had 35 returns for 920 yards and made second-team All-Pro. Nwangwu returned two balls for touchdowns as a rookie in 2021, and he had one touchdown return two years ago.
Even with his injury last year, given his past accomplishments, Nwangwu seemed part of Minnesota’s future. The Vikings didn’t use Nwangwu much as a running back; he only had 27 rushing attempts for 88 yards in three years. Still, he’s a threat to score as a returner, and there should be fewer touchbacks with the NFL’s new kickoff rule.
Therefore, it was surprising that Gaskin and Nwangwu were competing for a roster spot. The previous regime took Nwangwu in the fourth round of the 2021 draft; Gaskin was Miami’s seventh-round pick in 2019, and they had released him a year ago. Nwangwu is a year younger, more proven as a returner, and wasn’t on the fringe of the roster while healthy. He had had a good camp and had more draft status.
“It was more about Myles,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Kene has been a good player for this organization since he’s been drafted. Great person. … Myles just has a really diverse skill set to help us on special teams and offense. Kene is a really talented player. Kick return in this league at a high level for a long period of time.
“We just thought that for roster value, Myles was just a better decision.”
Reading between the lines, the Vikings like that they can use Gaskin as a running back and a kick returner. Still, by cutting Nwangwu, Minnesota left Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler as the only running backs on their active roster unless you count C.J. Ham. Nwangwu struggled as a running back in his first season, and the Vikings must feel they can elevate Gaskin from the practice squad and use him as a returner and emergency running back.
“There’s a lot of time left before that first game in regards to the kick-returning role,” said Kevin O’Connell. “We’re going to work through some different guys, Myles being one of them.
“But really, that move was about Myles Gaskin. His versatility to be a true three-down back from a standpoint of what he had improved on during his time here, the work he put in that changed his physical style as a player, from the quickness to the strength to some of the things that showed up in the non-returning phase of the kicking game from a physicality and play style that really, we felt like he had earned the opportunity.”
The Vikings also had to factor the 53-man roster and Nwangwu’s health into their decision. They released Gaskin and put him on their practice squad without another team picking him up. Practice squad players are not on the active roster; they only practice against the rostered players. Therefore, other teams can pick up released players or the players on the practice squad.
“I wouldn’t discount the 48, the game day roster, not just the 53,” added O’Connell, referring to the 48 dressed players on game day. “You’re trying to make sure your depth, not only at the running back position, but at multiple other positions.
“We feel very strongly about our roster, feel really strong about our practice squad, and some of the mechanics of the elevation process we can use. But you have to be aware where maybe if you overvalue any one particular individual role.”
The New Orleans Saints picked up Nwangwu when Minnesota released him. However, he reportedly failed a physical, and they waived him. The Vikings may have felt that another team would not pick him up because of an injury or that his injury had hampered some of his ability as a kick returner.
Regardless, even with the new kickoff rules, it’s difficult for teams to justify using a roster spot on a kick-return specialist when a running back, receiver, or cornerback could also return punts and kicks.
“It’s not as easy just to keep that position in a vacuum as maybe it once was,” said O’Connell. “Because if you brought it out from eight yards deep and you brought it out every single time, the coverage unit wasn’t that close already to the blockers.
“And so that’s what I mean, why we’re still trying to figure it out and what the mentality is going to be to bring the ball out, what the mentality is going to be to put the ball in the landing zone. So when something new like this happens, you’re just trying to adjust with your own roster the best you possibly can.”
There are still a lot of unknowns here. What kind of players do the Vikings need to roster with the new kickoff rules? Can Gaskin be a viable backup running back and a threat in the return game? How much did Nwangwu’s injury affect Minnesota’s decision-making?
We’ll eventually learn those answers. For now, all we know is that Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell looked out their office window and liked what they saw from Gaskin.
