Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (ankle) is officially inactive for today’s game vs. the Seahawks. That leaves Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah as Minnesota’s only active RBs. Mattison should handle the majority of the rushing work, but Abdullah figures to mix in on passing downs. Check out our Week 3 projections for the Vikings backfield.
Lions RB Ameer Abullah is inactive for tonight's opener against the Jets. After a preseason that found him in the 1st-team mix, this indicates that Abdullah's depth-chart standing has not improved despite a new coaching staff. With no special-teams role, we're left wondering why Detroit bothers keeping the now-veteran back on the 53-man roster. His deactivation can only help rookie Kerryon Johnson's touch count.
Undrafted free agent RB Zach Zenner latched on with the Lions. Zenner hails from South Dakota St. but gained a cult following in the pre-draft process thanks to an impressive combination of production and measurables. He posted 3 straight 2,000-yard rushing seasons with 58 TDs over that span. He also caught 77 balls during that 3-year stretch. Then Zenner checked into the Combine at 6'0, 223 pounds and ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical and 121-inch broad. That gave him the 2nd highest SPARQ score in this year's RB class -- behind new teammate Ameer Abdullah. Detroit's backfield is currently a bit crowded with the 2 rookies, Joique Bell and Theo Riddick. But Bell turns 29 in August and Riddick only looks like a pass-catcher. Zenner is capable of emerging as a "big back" complement to Abdullah down the road.
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