4 role players the Vikings should consider extending
By Adam Carlson
Ameer Abdullah, running back
The writing appears as though it could be on the wall for Ameer Abdullah not to make the 53-man roster of the Minnesota Vikings for the 2021 NFL season. Dalvin Cook is the star with Alexander Mattison as the backup and rookie Kene Nwangwu as the high-potential RB3.
However, don’t count Abdullah out just yet. Minnesota has yet to prove they have anyone more consistent as a kickoff returner even if that means taking continuing to a significant number of touchbacks for the team.
He handled the third-most snaps of anyone on special teams during the 2020 NFL season, putting his skills to work on 255 plays, nearly 57 percent of all special teams plays on the season for the purple and gold.
Abdullah also makes for a good receiving option at depth on offense. There are bound to be players who miss time for Minnesota in 2021 and beyond, so keeping a fourth running back on the team who has been a special teams ace and contributes when needed adds significant value to a player who might appear to be disposable at first glance.
Abdullah can likely be retained for $1M per year or less and should be considered as a candidate for a two-year extension since he is only 27 years old and offers some good value in two phases of the game.