Running backs matter, after all. A year after trying an inexpensive approach with Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, and Kene Nwangwu, analytically-inclined general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decided to pay a higher salary to Aaron Jones. The former Green Bay Packers running back agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Last year, as mentioned in a piece by The Athletic's Alec Lewis, Adofo-Mensah didn't talk much about what he really thinks, but the indication was that he doesn't value running backs that much.

"Over a glass of tequila," the GM said, "we could talk more about the theoretical side of things."

But theory is not necessarily what happens on the field. Sometimes, performances affect perceptions, and what data says can evolve.

In 2023, Mattison had 700 rushing yards, which doesn't seem that bad. But he had only 3.9 yards per carry and no touchdowns. Ty Chandler was more efficient, with 4.5 yards per carry and three touchdowns, but with less volume. The team tried to add Cam Akers, but he got hurt.

Meanwhile, even in what was a down year for him battling injuries, Aaron Jones was effective for the Packers — especially down the stretch. He finished the season with 4.6 yards per carry, much more than backup AJ Dillon (3.4).

Versatility is also another factor. Alexander Mattison played 16 games and had 30 receptions for 192 yards. No other Vikings running back had more than that last year. Aaron Jones, who played only 11 games, finished the season with 43 catches for 233 yards.

Whether you think running the football is less valuable or not, Aaron Jones brings much more to the table in multiple areas of the game.

"When I arrived in Green Bay as a first-time head coach, he was instrumental in establishing our winning culture and always served as the greatest example of what it meant to be a Packer," Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur said in a statement after the release. "Aaron will always be one of the best players I had the opportunity to coach."

Competitive rebuild

Since Kwesi Adofo-Mensah arrived in Minnesota, he preached the "competitive rebuild" as a philosophy to adjust the roster without tanking. Now, the team lost Kirk Cousins, so that proposition becomes more difficult.

However, signing Aaron Jones might turn things easier for quarterback Sam Darnold — presumably, a bridge option while an eventual new quarterback develops his game.

"It's a little riskier than tearing everything down and being bad for a while and coming back up," Adofo-Mensah has said. "I know that. I can tell you the mathematical probability of doing it that way. And that's the way other teams may have chosen, but that's not the way we're trying to do it."

It's another chapter of a former Green Bay Packers idol going to the Minnesota Vikings. However, it's much more than that for Adofo-Mensah. The competitive rebuild keeps alive, but the premise of going cheap at running back took a huge hit.

Vikings just gave one of the best Packers players of all-time a chance to get revenge on his old team

NFL free agency has provided an interesting trend, so far: Running backs joining rival teams. Former Green Bay Packers running back, Aaron Jones, is the latest to keep it going after agreeing to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday morning, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. He joins Saquon Barkley, who joined the Eagles, and […]