Aaron Dykes is the newest member of the Minnesota Vikings as the team announced Thursday that the former Richmond University running back has agreed to terms.
To make room for Dykes on the roster the Vikings waived kicker Jack Podlesny, which signals the end of the kicking competition he was in with Greg Joseph. Joseph made a 54-yard field goal in Minnesota’s preseason opener at Seattle, and it now appears that he’s secured the kicking job for the 2023 season.
Dykes, as a redshirt senior at Richmond in 2022, rushed for 777 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He finished his career at Richmond second all time in all purpose yards with 4,521, including 1,969 rushing, 750 receiving and 1,802 kick return yards.
Dykes returned four kicks for touchdowns in college, including two in the same game against Deleware in 2019.
Minnesota has recently worked out running backs Kareem Hunt and Mike Davis, so there’s certainly a focus on the position with Kene Nwangwu out with an injury and Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler presumably at the top of the depth chart.
Running backs Abram Smith and DeWayne McBride are also fighting for jobs on the 53-man roster or practice squad.
