Who Should I Start? Jaret Patterson or Jaleel McLaughlin

Tuesday, September 22, 1:37 PM

The Minnesota Vikings plan to sign free-agent running back Jaret Patterson to their practice squad, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Patterson, who spent last year with the Los Angeles Chargers, will provide depth for the Vikings' backfield after they placed Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve. Veteran Aaron Jones Sr. handled the bulk of backfield work in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears on Sunday, but they do not want to put too much on his plate, and they also do not think that rookie Demond Claiborne is quite ready for an expanded role as an RB2. The only other option on their current 53-man roster is veteran DeeJay Dallas. The 26-year-old Patterson, a former undrafted free agent from Buffalo, had 41 rushing attempts for 159 yards and one touchdown while adding three catches for eight yards in six games (one start) for the Bolts last year. Patterson will be a long shot for any fantasy relevance this year, even with Mason currently on IR.