Troymaine Pope

Vikings Work Out RB Stevan Ridley

By Dallas Robinson | at October 4, 2017 6:01 pm

In need of help at the running back position, the Vikings worked out free agents Stevan Ridley, Bobby Rainey, Troymaine Pope, and Josh Rounds, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

At present, the Vikings have only two running backs on their roster after placing rookie Dalvin Cook — who suffered a torn ACL in Week 4 — on injured reserve. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon will presumably split time in Minnesota’s backfield, while fullback C.J. Ham is also capable of playing tailback. While the Vikings could hypothetically promote Bronson Hill from their practice squad, one of the above free agents could give the club another option.

Ridley, of course, is most well-known for his four-year run with the Patriots, especially his 2012 campaign in which he totaled more than 1,200 yards on the ground and 12 rushing touchdowns. Injuries have sapped much of the now 28-year-old’s value since then, however, and Ridley has become something of a journeyman. He’s been employed by the Jets, Lions, Colts, Falcons, and — most recently — Broncos since 2015.

Rainey doesn’t quite rival Ridley’s history in terms of changing teams, but he’s been with five teams since entering the league in 2012. Typically used a passing back, Rainey spent the 2016 season with the Giants and was utilized heavily on special teams. He signed with the Ravens earlier this year, but couldn’t make it through final roster cutdowns.

Pope, 23, went undrafted out of Jacksonville State in 2016 and has since spent his NFL career with the Jets and Seahawks. In four career games, Pope has managed 12 carries for 44 yards and one reception for five yards. This year, Pope was part of the Colts’ offseason roster and also saw a few days of action on the club’s practice squad. The Vikings aren’t the only team interested in Pope, as he also has a workout scheduled with the Chargers, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.