Dalvin Cook's release officially put Alexander Mattison in the driver's seat for his most prominent role in Minnesota.
Selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Mattison has worked primarily as Cook's backup, earning 1,670 rushing yards on 404 carries with 11 touchdowns through four seasons. Mattison has yet to take 150 carries or break the 500-yard barrier in his career.
With Cook gone, it's a chance for Mattison to shine.
"For me, it's a great opportunity to step into the role, the limelight and the position I've always dreamt of being in," Mattison recently told the Daily Delivery Podcast for The Star Tribune. "All the work I've put into this point, all the work following in [Cook's] footsteps, side by side, challenging each other every day, prepared me for a moment like this where I can have the opportunity to seize what's in front of me."
The Vikings inked Mattison to a two-year, $7 million contract this offseason, indicating the plan to move on from Cook and hand the former Boise State back a bigger role. Mattison doesn't bring the same dynamic ability as Cook, but he's a north-south runner who can pick up necessary yardage, averaging 4.1 yards per attempt in his career. For Minnesota and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Mattison is also a more cost-effective back than the high-priced Cook.
Mattison enters training camp later this month with a shot to have a big role in the offense. How much backups Kene Nwangwu, Ty Chandler, seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride and even fullback C.J. Ham eat into Mattison's reps will be something to track during camp.
