5 former AAF players the Minnesota Vikings should consider signing

Trent Richardson – RB (Birmingham Iron)

Richardson was the biggest name in the AAF aside from maybe some of the head coaches and he did perform well enough for NFL teams to think about giving him another shot in the league. While his yards were at a shockingly low 2.9 yards a carry, he did find the end zone 11 times. That is pretty impressive. What else was impressive was his ability as a pass catcher coming out of the backfield. Richardson hauled in 31 passes for 201 yards and a score.

The numbers Richardson put up in the AAF scream one thing, short yardage back. That could be what he’s evolved into and a role he should try to pursue in the NFL. Richardson time and time again would fight through multiple tacklers picking up some tough, hard earned yards. His soft hands would be useful on third down situations where he could swing out and catch a pass when defenses think he’s going up the middle.

The Minnesota Vikings could use a guy like this on the roster after losing Latavius Murray in free agency. While their running styles couldn’t be more different, Richardson could provide the same type of power runner to offset the electric and the explosive ability of Dalvin Cook. If Dalvin were to get hurt again during the 2019 season, the team should also feel like they are in good hands with the combination of a rejuvenated Trent Richardson and Mike Boone carrying the load.