At least some free agents are staying with the Vikings.
The Vikings announced on Friday that they re-signed Ameer Abdullah.
Abdullah played sparingly as a running back and kick returner for the Vikings in 2019-20. He had 115 rushing yards on 23 carries. Abdullah also had 13 kick returns for 325 yards last season, an average of 25 yards per return.
Abdullah adds depth to the Vikings at running back and on special teams in case the team needs it. Minnesota still has Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison and Mike Boone at running back, so there’s not a dire need for Abdullah there.
However, it’s been reported by the Pioneer Press that Marcus Sherels has a “50-50” chance of retiring.
If that were to happen, Minnesota would need a punt returner, and it’s possible that Abdullah could make the switch from taking back kickoffs to receiving punts. It should be noted that he has yet to return a punt in his NFL career, but it’s probably not that big of a switch if the Vikings don’t have a player who can fulfill that role in 2020-21.