4 cheap free-agent RBs the Vikings could sign to replace Dalvin Cook

RB No. 2: Malcolm Brown

2022 Team - Los Angeles Rams

If the Vikings are going to sign a veteran running back after moving on from Dalvin Cook, Malcolm Brown is probably someone Kevin O'Connell has at the top of his list.

Brown has been in the NFL since 2015, but he's never been a team's top running back. He's always been the guy that is No. 2 or No. 3 on a team's running back depth chart, and that might be exactly what Minnesota could be looking for.

Of Brown's eight seasons in the NFL, seven of them were with the Rams. So he is very familiar with the type of offense that Minnesota runs under O'Connell, especially since the two worked together in 2020 when they were both members of the Rams.

Brown also has a solid amount of experience on special teams and sometimes a veteran can make a significant impact on a unit that is typically made up of first and second-year players.

The most productive year of his pro career came back in 2020 when O'Connell was his offensive coordinator in Los Angeles. During that season, he rushed for 419 yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries while also catching 23 passes for 162 yards.

With the Rams in 2022, Brown appeared in 11 games, but he only touched the ball 23 times on offense. In his 11 appearances, he rushed for 81 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries in addition to finishing with five catches for 37 yards.