As the Vikings emerge from their early bye week , backfield depth behind starting running back Aaron Jones remains a concern. The veteran rusher has taken on more of a bell-cow role since RB2 Jordan Mason (finger) landed on the injured reserve in Week 2, while backups DeeJay Dallas and Demond Claiborne are struggling to produce with limited opportunities.
Dallas didn't sign with the Vikings until September, so his lackluster production is somewhat more excusable. Claiborne, on the other hand, has been with the Purple and Gold since he was drafted 198th overall in April, and fans had high hopes that he could carve out a role in Minnesota's offense after looking like a speed demon at Wake Forest.
Being a Day 3 pick means it'll be easier to walk away from Claiborne if the Vikings want to turn the page, which could happen sooner rather than later after Monday's news. ESPN 's Kevin Seifert reported that Minnesota has designated Mason to return from his finger injury and will be back at practice on Wednesday .
Players returning from IR have 21 days to return to the practice field, and it seems like the Vikings are confident Mason doesn't need more time to heal. While that's good news for the backfield's outlook, it's likely anything but that for Claiborne's future in Minnesota.
September and half of October don't provide a huge sample size, but it's large enough to reveal that Claiborne might not be a good fit for the Vikings' offense .
Minnesota has deployed Claiborne for only 18 offensive snaps across four games before the bye week, half of those snaps coming against the Dolphins in Week 4. He had three carries for 12 yards in that outing before watching his opportunities drop to zero against the Saints a week later. He did have a six-yard catch in the 23-13 victory, but it's safe to say it wasn't enough to alter the perception around his spot on the team.
Claiborne heads into Week 7 with just 13 rushing yards on six carries and two catches for eight receiving yards. His 55.2 rushing grade on Pro Football Focus ranks 86th among 105 RBs this season , and Dallas certainly isn't any better (52.5, 96th). This further underscores how badly the Vikings need Mason back.
Before landing on the IR, Mason had the 40th-best rushing grade (65.8), along with 59 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He also racked up a 159-758-6 stat line on the ground across 16 games (five starts) with the Vikings last season, showing he can offer the support Minnesota needs to make Jones's life as easy as possible.
That track record will vault Mason back into the No. 2 role in the backfield, leaving Claiborne and Dallas to compete for RB3 honors. It's unlikely the Vikings would keep three RBs on the 53-man roster at that point, and given Dallas's familiarity with general manager Nolan Teasley from their time in Seattle, cutting Claiborne and trying to re-sign him to the practice squad seems like the likeliest scenario.
That said, Mason might not be ready for his full workload, though, potentially making Week 7's clash with the Colts a last chance for Claiborne to prove himself. Indianapolis is allowing the 12th-most rushing yards per game and the sixth-most yards per carry, so there should be plenty of chances for Minnesota's backfield to pick up yards.
At least, for Claiborne's sake, he better hope there is.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi as Demond Claiborne Is Officially on the Clock as Vikings Open Jordan Mason's Practice Window .
