By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Vikings passing attack was nothing short of weak in 2014. They ranked 28th in the NFL in passing yardage and were only able to muster 17 touchdowns through the air. Those numbers aren’t indicative of a Norv Turner offense, and the Vikings needed to do something this offseason to help Teddy Bridgewater not become Ponder 2.0.
That process began in March when the Vikings acquired Mike Wallace and a seventh-round selection for a fifth-round pick, the football equivalent of a ham sandwich and some flat Diet Coke. They also have Charles Johnson returning after a solid breakout season and Cordarrelle Patterson digesting the same playbook for consecutive offseasons for the first time since high school.
But can they really rely on this? Wallace was a head case in Miami while constantly clashing with his quarterback and coaches. Johnson, despite tremendous measurements, is one year removed from being on a practice squad roster and Patterson’s breakout was halted by his inability to become a complete receiver.
The Vikings need a sure thing … and that sure thing is Dorial Green-Beckham. Yes, there’s plenty of mystery surrounding the Oklahoma wide receiver, but he has so much talent he’s worth the risk.
DGB stands at 6-foot-6. Anybody who’s that tall is going to score touchdowns by default in the NFL. He did the same thing in college as his sophomore season with Missouri resulted in 12 touchdowns in 14 games, and that could mean the Vikings have a reliable red zone target.
(Note: Some of you may be screaming that I’m forgetting Kyle Rudolph, but that’s easy to do when he’s missed 15 games over the past two seasons — not including one where he was a decoy due to injury.)
He’s also a physical freak that can run a 4.49 40-yard dash. Give him time in an NFL offense, and it’s very likely he can turn into something we can dub “Purple Megatron” in a couple of seasons.
Alas, like with many prospects, he comes with off-the-field baggage. He was arrested multiple times for a series of marijuana-related incidents and had another where he allegedly shoved a woman down a flight of stairs. Those led to his dismissal from the Missouri program and could be a major issue in today’s “moral” NFL.
But, remember the last time the Vikings took a chance on a troubled receiver with awesome talent? You could put Percy Harvin into that category and he was pretty good until he got tired of catching inaccurate three-yard passes from Christian Ponder. Then there was some guy named Randy Moss who did OK as well.
The best part is that the Vikings don’t have to take him at 11 either. They can take a defensive player with their first pick (Trae Waynes perhaps), and then perform the annual tradition of trading up into the first round to get this touchdown monster.
That would be a win … on both sides of the ball.
DGB is the key to reviving the Vikings’ passing attack. If Rick Spielman can see that, there’s a good chance that Bridgewater becomes a true franchise quarterback sooner than later.