Additional Options at WR if Vikings Want One More Player
The Minnesota Vikings are not deficient of bodies at the wide receiver position. Every NFL team employs about 10 men at WR at this of the year before roster cuts mandate a trim-down to six or seven.
Third-year pass-catcher Bisi Johnson was lost for all of 2021 around the same time the team was going haywire with all the vaccination news. The Bisi announcement flew under the radar. Then, Blake Proehl was injured last week, seemingly disallowing any appearance from him on the Vikings roster in 2021.
Per the Vikings unofficial first depth chart, these are some of the men slated to play WR for Minnesota this season:
WR1: Adam Thielen
WR2: Justin Jefferson
WR3: K.J. Osborn
WR4: Chad Beebe
WR5: Dede Westbrook
WR6: Ihmir Smith-Marsette
WR7: Dan Chisena
WR8: Whop Philyor
WR9: Myron Mitchell
WR10: Warren Jackson
The Vikings could feasibly add one more name if they aren’t sold on Beebe, Osborn, or Westbrook as reliable WR3 options. For Westbrook, however, he has the surest stake to WR3 based on his production for four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He just has to be fully healthy after recovering from a torn ACL in 2020.
Here are the possibilities.
Golden Tate
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mackensie Alexander (21) and New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate (15) exchange friendly words between plays in the first quarter during an NFL Week 12 football game, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.
New York Giants At Cincinnati Bengals Nov 29
Tate used to be quite illustrious before age set in. He is always more of a “yards guy” for receiving acumen, infrequently hauling in touchdowns compared to his yardage output. But who cares? Tate, 33, would be an instant upgrade to the Vikings offense, particularly in a WR3 or WR4 role. The man has the experience.
Tate has only played with NFC teams in his 11-year career (SEA, DET, PHI, NYG), and maybe an audition with the Vikings can continue the trend. Tate is sure-handed, experienced, and has Super Bowl credibility — he won a ring with Seattle in 2013.
The Notre Dame alumnus played 71 games with the Detroit Lions, so Vikings management should be rather familiar with his skill set.
Trade for James Washington
Jan 10, 2021; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington (13) gets past Cleveland Browns strong safety Karl Joseph (42) in the second quarter of an AFC Wild Card playoff game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
But first, let’s set the table.
Steelers’ WR James Washington, a former 2018 second-round pick, has approached the Steelers and requested a trade based on his limited playtime last season and so far this preseason, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 6, 2021
About a week ago, the Steelers – Mike Tomlin, in particular – refuted this report. Schefter is rarely wrong, so somebody is misfiring with information.
Justin Jefferson injured his AC joint 10 days ago, and that immediately illuminated how thin and top-heavy the Vikings roster is at wide receiver. If something happens to Adam Thielen or Justin Jefferson, it’s the Thielen-Westbrook-Osborn-Beebe show or the Jefferson-Westbrook-Osborn-Beebe show.
It’s up to you to decide if that would do the trick for a Minnesota offense. If not, the Vikings can explore a trade for James Washington – if he is indeed on the market – who could add about 500-700 receiving yards into the mix based on his resume. Washington is notable for some flashy on-the-field stuff, so instant pizazz would follow him to Minneapolis.
He will probably cost a 5th-Rounder worth of draft capital from the 2022 NFL Draft.
Larry Fitzgerald
The Holy Grail of Vikings fans’ wishes.
Every season that Fitzgerald has been theorized to depart Arizona, Vikings fans crave a relationship as the 37-year-old was born in the Twin Cities. It never materializes and probably won’t happen this time either.
But Vikings loyalists can dream. Fitzgerald may or may not want to play one more season before retirement — why not do it in his hometown?
Fitzgerald possesses arguably the best hands in NFL history, and those mitts are the exact reason that he’s remained a household name — even his older gridiron years.
And he’d be a merchandising bonanza. In the end, though, this signing probably would’ve occurred for the Vikings by now.
Dez Bryant
Jan 16, 2021; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) gestures prior to an AFC Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The other wily veteran on this list, Bryant played last season for the Baltimore Ravens. He caught six passes for 47 yards – not a scintillating season statline.
Bryant will be 33 in November, but has only participated six games in the last three seasons. He likely cannot be inserted at WR3 as an end-all plan. Nevertheless, adding him to grab some WR4 attention behind Jefferson, Thielen, and Westbrook would be intriguing.
During his prime, Bryant was magnificent. A lot of time has transpired since his peak form, but the Vikings would not need him for WR1 duty. Bryant should be considered a very low-risk and affordable signing. The man probably just wants to make a playoff push with someone.
The Vikings have around $13.5 million in available cap space.
You must be logged in to post a comment.