Photo By Brian Curski
Written By Chris Schad
This is the third installment of a seven-part series that will cover the offseason picture for the Minnesota Vikings. Cold Omaha staff writer Chris Schad took a look at quarterback in the first installment and running back in the second. Today, we’ll look at wide receivers and tight ends.
Coming into the 2014 season, there was a perception that the Minnesota Vikings’ passing game was ready to take off. With an offensive coordinator who loved throwing the ball downfield and a quarterback capable of filling that need, the days of the three-yard pass were about to come to an end with a plethora of young pass catchers ready to explode.
The NFL never goes as planned and the Vikings were no different. Instead of reliving the memories of the ‘98 team that featured Randy Moss and Cris Carter, the team finished 28th in passing offense.
Players who were expected to step up never did and now the Vikings face an offseason where they have to decide whether to chase their potential or bring new blood into an offense that needs a reliable set of hands.
How the Vikings Envisioned 2014
As mentioned before, there was plenty of optimism that the passing game would take off. Greg Jennings was a savvy veteran that could move the chains and become a go-to receiver for Matt Cassel. Norv Turner also loved throwing to tight ends, so Kyle Rudolph stood to benefit and finally live up to the potential he flashed in 2012 with nine receiving touchdowns.
All of these were nice, but the highest hopes were pinned on Cordarrelle Patterson. After a rookie year where he exploded in the final six games, many thought that he could fill the Josh Gordon role in the Turner offense and have a breakout season. To add to the euphoria, NFL.com put the second-year receiver at the top of their “Making the Leap” list during training camp.
It wasn’t quite “handing the keys to the bus” like when Daunte Culpepper burst on the scene in 2001, but the passing game would at least become more effective.
How 2014 Played Out
Things didn’t get off to a great start when the Vikings had to hand the keys to Teddy Bridgewater in Week 3, but instead of a souped up Cadillac, Bridgewater had to drive the beater minivan that his parents hastily gave him once he got his license.
Rudolph joined Cassel on the injury list when he suffered a sports hernia and never was himself after returning in Week 11 against the Bears. Jennings also never lived up to his hefty salary, but contributed with four touchdowns in his final six games.
The biggest disappointment was the development of Patterson. After rushing for 102 yards in the season opener against the St. Louis Rams, Turner stopped manufacturing touches for his supposed offensive centerpiece. The struggles were evident as he slumped to a 33-384-1 line and fell behind Charles Johnson and Jarius Wright on the depth chart.
The Current Situation
Heading into the offseason, the Vikings have plenty of young players with make or break years in 2015. Thankfully, outside of Jennings and Rudolph, none of them have massive salaries that cripple the team’s ability to bring someone in.
Offseason Plan & Targets
The first order of business for Rick Spielman is deciding the fate of Jennings. Heading into the third year of a five-year, $45 million contract, the Vikings would save five million dollars by parting ways this spring. Such a move would free up some cap room, but it depends who is on the market.
While several big names could be on the market such as Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and Jeremy Maclin, it’s more likely that their current teams would use the franchise tag to keep them. That leaves the Vikings with few options, but could throw money at Randall Cobb, Michael Crabtree or Torrey Smith. There have also been rumors of a potential homecoming for Larry Fitzgerald, but signing him to a contract would be a repeat of what Jennings has brought to the table the past two seasons.
With no true top receiver in the free-agent class, it might be a better idea to address their needs in the draft. At pick No. 11, it’s unlikely that they’ll get a shot at Alabama’s Amari Cooper, but could pull the trigger on getting West Virginia’s Kevin White or Louisville’s DeVante Parker.
Even if the Vikings don’t choose to address the need early in the draft, they could go deeper and hope that Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong or Auburn’s Sammie Coates falls to the second round (or with Spielman’s history of trading up, the bottom of the first).
Tight end could also be a position to watch despite Rudolph signing a five-year, $36.5 million extension prior to training camp. After missing 15 games over the past two seasons, it might be a good idea to seek insurance.
Unfortunately, the free-agent market doesn’t have much past big names like Julius Thomas and fellow injury risk Jordan Cameron, and the draft doesn’t feature a game-changer outside of Minnesota’s Maxx Williams and Michigan’s Devin Funchess.
There isn’t much that the Vikings can do, but they’ll need to find a way to add one more playmaker to the mix if they want to help Bridgewater take a step forward in 2015.