4 Free Agent Options at WR for Vikings
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was formally placed on injured reserve Wednesday, now scheduled to miss the next four games as the team sits at the bottom of the NFC North with a 1-4 record.
4 Free Agent Options at WR for Vikings
Minnesota promoted wide receivers N’Keal Harry and Trishton Jackson from the practice squad to the active roster and will hope those two, plus K.J. Osborn, Jordan Addison, and Brandon Powell, have the juice to keep the ship afloat on offense.
And if the Vikings want to get deeper at WR, a handful of players remain available via the free-agent market. These are those men ranked in order of intrigue (No. 1 = best option).
4. Kenny Golladay
This former Detroit Lion turned New York Giant logged two monster seasons — in 2018 and 2019. So, four years ago.
He signed a ginormous deal with the Giants thereafter, and his contract quickly became an albatross. Now 29 years old, Golladay awaits a free-agent audition with another team and a shot at rekindling glory from 2018 and 2019 when he tallied north of 1,000 receiving yards per season.
In reality, Golladay is likely washed, but at an affordable pricepoint, the Vikings could verify.
3. T.Y. Hilton
One of the more underrated pass-catchers of his era, this soon-to-be 34-year-old has tabulated about 10,000 receiving yards in an 11-year career with 53 touchdowns. Hilton entered the NFL the same year as Andrew Luck and helped nail down the Colts WR room until 2021.
Hilton was at his peak when Luck was cooking, and when Luck shockingly retired before the 2019 season, Hilton’s production plunged, too.
Last year, the Cowboys added Hilton for a few games, and he grabbed 7 receptions for 121 yards in three games. Not bad.
2. Julio Jones
By far the biggest name on the list, Jones will join the Hall of Fame sometime in the next decade. He’s a Top 20 wide receiver of all time and notched north of 1,300 yards annually like clockwork from 2014 to 2019.
His profile dipped from 2020 onward, though, eventually joining the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for forgettable stints. At age 34, Jones could have one final hurrah in the tank.
Jones ranks 16th in NFL history per receiving yards with 13,629.
1. Jarvis Landry
A 2nd-Round draft pick from the 2014 NFL Draft, Landry should be on an NFL team right now. He’s as reliable and blue-collar as wide receivers get, and at age 30, he should be a WR3 on some team’s roster.
If the Vikings determine Brandon Powell or K.J. Osborn can’t quite do the trick in Jefferson’s absence, or if Jefferson’s IR trip lasts longer than four games, Landry is the perfect receiver to add on the roster.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should also know Landry somewhat well from their Cleveland Browns days.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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