4 unheralded players the Vikings should extend in 2020
By Nik Edlund
Ameer Abdullah – RB
In all honesty, I was not a fan of the Vikings bringing back Ameer Abdullah for the 2019 season. He is prone to fumbling the football whether he’s carrying it as a back or as a kick returner. I felt that he was extremely replaceable and Minnesota could get the same type of player with a late-round rookie.
I was wrong. Where Abdullah has stood out this season is as a special teamer. He has become the lead gunner after the team opted to not bring Marcus Sherels back and it is a role that Abdullah seems to be cherishing.
He has great top-end speed and he flies down the field, usually being the first man to crash into the opponent’s returner. He’s a very good tackler and he is relentless in his pursuit of the ball carrier.
Abdullah also provides some running back depth. Yes, he is still a fumbler, but he’s an excellent receiver who can make explosive plays out of the backfield and he provides emergency depth if Dalvin Cook or Alexander Mattison were to get hurt.
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The Vikings signed Abdullah to a one-year deal last March, which means he’ll be a free agent at year’s end. Teams value special teamers, so there could be a market for this guy. Minnesota should offer him a team-friendly extension now before other offers come in and they get outbid due to their tight salary cap situation.