Who Should I Start? Cam Akers or Jacques Patrick

Wednesday, March 13, 4:55 PM

The Minnesota Vikings declined to offer a restricted free-agent tender to running back Cam Akers (Achilles), meaning he is a free agent and can negotiate freely with any team. The former second-round pick was an exciting prospect out of Florida State in 2020 but after two Achilles tears in four years in the NFL, his career has struggled to get off the ground. Akers was traded to the Vikings from the Los Angeles Rams early in the 2023 campaign and rushed 38 times for 138 yards and one touchdown before suffering a major Achilles injury. The 24-year-old might get a chance to play elsewhere, but it'll likely be on a cheap, one-year deal. For now, he remains far from the fantasy radar. The majority of skill players do not recover well from an Achilles tear, never mind two.

Monday, January 8, 7:41 PM

The New York Jets signed running back Jacques Patrick, wide receivers Malik Taylor and Lance McCutcheon, defensive linemen Stephen Jones and Marquiss Spencer, offensive lineman Vitaliy Gurman and Eze Obinna, cornerback Tae Hayes and kicker Austin Seibert to futures deals on Monday. Patrick was cut by the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 24 and signed with the Jets practice squad on Dec. 19. The 27-year-old has only played in two NFL games, back in 2021 with the San Francisco 49ers. Taylor got into two games for the Jets in 2023 and caught two passes for 13 yards. McCutcheon was cut by the Houston Texans in early October and latched onto the team's practice squad on Oct. 24. The 24-year-old didn't appear in a single game for New York and had zero catches on five targets in 10 games for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.