The Borman Breakdown: It’s Josh Doctson time

  |  
Nov 16, 2019
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

The Vikings activated wide receiver Josh Doctson to the 53-man roster on Friday. Doctson (6-3, 206; 26) signed with the Vikings after being released by Washington on Aug. 31. He was placed on injured reserve in early September after suffering a hamstring injury but returned to practice on Oct. 30.

While there haven’t been any recent reports out of TCO highlighting the chemistry between Doctson and quarterback Kirk Cousins, it’s quite evident the two shared a rapport on the football field not long ago.

Here’s a highlight film of Docton’s 2017-18 season with Cousins as his quarterback. That year Doctson reeled in 35 catches for 502 yards and 6 touchdowns in 14 starts. Please mute the music if you’re offended by explicit language.

You can see from the tape that not only does Doctson has the size and athletic ability to create a tough matchup for opposing defensive backs, he’s great at hauling in deep passes. He’s also sneaky fast for a big guy, clocking a 4.50 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Combine. For comparison, Laquon Treadwell ran a 4.64.

Doctson does have a history of heel issues, so that’s something to keep an eye on, but when he was healthy the Washington coaches were impressed.

Now, Doctson and Cousins finally have the chance to rekindle the spark they shared two seasons ago. There may be a few players penciled-in above him on the depth chart, but that shouldn’t prevent coaches from scheming up a few targets to see what they have in Doctson.

Injury report

Four starters were ruled OUT for Sunday’s game against Denver.

Safety Andrew Sendejo (groin) was listed as questionable. I’d expect him to start if he’s able to play. Jayron Kearse has played less than five defensive snaps in each of the last four games. The Vikings are currently carrying six cornerbacks so look for Holton Hill or Kris Boyd to help out at safety if depth is needed.

Projected subs:

More receiver help coming?

  • The Vikings are optimistic that Adam Thielen will be able to return for the MNF matchup against the Seahawks after the bye, but the team should know first-hand how long hamstring injuries can linger. Dalvin Cook dealt with a similar issue last season and was limited to ten starts.
  • On a related note, Chad Beebe (ankle) will be eligible to return from injured reserve during the bye week. There hasn’t been much word if he’s ready to go health-wise, but Mike Zimmer said in September that he expected Beebe to return from IR after 8 weeks.

I’ll leave you with this…

The Vikings host the Broncos tomorrow at noon (CST) on CBS.

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