Running back Mike Boone won’t re-sign with Vikings

Even though the Vikings wanted to keep RB Mike Boone in the fold, it seems they will be unable to do so. Per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter), Boone is prepared to sign elsewhere.

Minnesota non-tendered Boone this afternoon, thereby making him an unrestricted free agent. The Vikings had hoped that it would be able to re-sign the former UDFA to a contract worth less money than an RFA tender, but Boone is seeking greener pastures.

It’s hard to blame him. The Vikings have Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison ahead of Boone on the depth chart, so he would have again been relegated to the team’s RB3. He has done well in that role, with a 5.3 YPC average and four TDs over his first three pro seasons, but he has managed only 71 career carries (including just 11 last year).

Per Tomasson, Boone is looking for a team that will give him a chance to be an RB2. Perhaps he might find that opportunity with the division-rival Packers, who are parting ways with Jamaal Williams.