Vikings OTAs: Aaron Jones is already showing the Packers made a mistake in cutting him
The Minnesota Vikings knew exactly what it needed to do when Aaron Jones got released by the Green Bay Packers in March – and they wasted no time in signing the soon-to-be eighth-year Pro Bowler.It's not just because of the fact that he finished second all-time in rushing yards (5,940), rushing touchdowns (45), and yards from […]
The Minnesota Vikings knew exactly what it needed to do when Aaron Jones got released by the Green Bay Packers in March – and they wasted no time in signing the soon-to-be eighth-year Pro Bowler.
It's not just because of the fact that he finished second all-time in rushing yards (5,940), rushing touchdowns (45), and yards from scrimmage (8,016), either. The guy was a tremendous teammate in Green Bay and the shining example of what anyone wants an NFL player to be off the field.
In other words: Jones' impact reaches far beyond what happens in-between the sidelines.
Unsurprisingly, he's already making a huge impression on his new Vikings teammates. And, just like in Green Bay, it's not just what he's doing on the field – it's what he's doing in all-around fashion.
"I knew what kind of person he was just from my context [in] the football ops guy that was still there [at UTEP]," Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips told reporters after an OTA session. "When he went to school there, [I] had heard about just what a phenomenal human being he was. And then obviously, the playmaking ability on the field.
"He can pass protect, he can run routes out of the backfield and he can obviously run the football so [he's a] really big pickup for us."
Jones made Phillips' words come to life during Tuesday's workouts. He caught a highlight reel-worthy, diving touchdown over second-year linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. that easily caught the attention of every watching the play.
"I don't know if ya'll saw yesterday, but he had a little 'Go' ball and they had him outside, out wide. He made a good release, through his hand up, caught and scored," Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison told reporters on Wednesday. "That's what he can do: He can catch the ball out of the backfield, he's really explosive, and he can make people miss. It's gonna be fun to see."
Addison's right. Jones, along with Ty Chandler and even a healthy Kene Nwangwu, form a nice trio that the Vikings offense should be able to consistently rely on. The key with both Jones and Chandler is they have the traits to be three-down backs, which would be very useful considering opposing defenses wouldn't be able to key on run or pass just because one of them is in the backfield on a certain play.
Hell, we may even see the Vikings steal some "Pony" concepts (two running backs in the backfield) Green Bay used when Jones was on the team.
Either way, it will be fun to see how all this shakes out and how the Vikings' rushing attack, and offense in general, benefits from the guys in the 2024 version of the backfield.
