Oct 20, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson (15) looks downfield to throw the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first quarter at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports.
Earlier this week, the Minnesota Vikings signed former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson. In making the move, they cut running back A.J. Rose Jr. The Vikings intended to bring veteran wide receiver Dede Westbrook back, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pivoted when a deal couldn’t be reached.
Albert Wilson slots into a receiver room that unquestionably has both Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen ahead of him. Last year’s emergence of K.J. Osborn suggests he’s got the third wide receiver role currently on lockdown. Wilson will provide Minnesota depth from there, and his career numbers indicate he’s a reliable target.
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Coming out of Georgia State, Wilson has played in 89 games since his 2014 debut with the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s started in 38 contests as a rotational player in each of his two previous stops. Wilson’s career-high in receiving yards came back in 2017 with the Chiefs when he posted 554 with a 13.2 yard per reception average. Wilson has found the end zone 12 times in his career, but never more than four times in any given season.
Utilizing his speed, Wilson has been given a handful of opportunities to run over the years as well. Whether on handoffs or end-arounds, finding ways to get him creatively involved has been part of both Miami and Kansas City’s offense.
In Minnesota, there’s no real reason to believe he’ll be involved in any heavy lifting. With a firmly established top three, and the re-introduction of Irv Smith Jr. to the offense, Kirk Cousins will have plenty of weapons through the air. Earlier this offseason, it also looked like running back Dalvin Cook liked his chances of finding a home in the passing game as well.
New Head Coach Kevin O’Connell is expected to usher in a new wave of offensive strategy. It will be a departure from what came to be predictable under Mike Zimmer, and Minnesota may wind up being among the more exciting offensive teams in the league. Should the Vikings replicate any offensive success the Los Angeles Rams have seen in recent seasons, this could wind up being a year with heights that very few predicted.
Wilson is a nice depth piece for the purple and gold, but he’ll need to grind out his opportunities as he’s done for most of his career. Knowing the expectations, Wilson finds a good landing spot and can absorb the role-player background he’s established himself as in the league.