One Vikings Free Agency Plan Now Makes Sense
Minnesota Vikings fans anxiously awaited wide receiver reinforcements in March after WR3 K.J. Osborn departed for the New England Patriots.
One Vikings Free Agency Plan Now Makes Sense
The club signed Trent Sherfield, a career-long WR4-WR5 type, so folks pivoted to the draft as the next notable spot for the club to add wide receiver depth.
And then nothing happened.
Now, however, the plan is clearer, especially after the Vikings released their first depth chart of the season on Tuesday — they emphatically believe in Jalen Nailor as Osborn’s direct replacement and value an undrafted free agent named Jeshaun Jones.
After much debate from onlookers, Nailor checked in as Minnesota’s uncontested WR3 on the depth chart, even after many fans envisioned Brandon Powell, the punt returner and WR4 from last year’s roster, as the odds-on favorite to win WR3. Nope — Powell is the WR4, with Nailor the top option after Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Nailor recently commented on his training camp performance in Eagan. “I felt real comfortable with the offense. Going into the third year, I’m just trying to be as versatile as I can,” he told reporters in late July. “I definitely feel I can fit into that role (WR3) well. I can play both inside and outside really well, moving around in the offense, you know, so just having that, the mindset is to just be able to play all three positions. I feel like that gives me a good bump.”
Others, too, mentioned Nailor’s standout performance, particularly The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis. “When Jalen Nailor is healthy, he stands out. Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell directed the Vikings receivers through early drills Wednesday, and Nailor appeared bulkier than in years past,” Lewis wrote on July 25th. “If he stays healthy, he is likely the internal favorite to be the team’s No. 3 receiver, a role O’Connell discussed Wednesday. For as much faith as the staff has in Brandon Powell and Trishton Jackson, it still feels like the Vikings could add a more experienced and reliable option at this spot.”
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Jones somehow clawed his way up to WR6 — right on the roster bubble — the depth chart revealed this week. No general manager pulled Jones out of April’s draft, but Vikings boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prioritized his signing as an undrafted free agent.
In June, Janik Eckardt of PurplePTSD, a sister site to VikingsTerritory, wrote about Jones, “In the mysterious depth chart behind the two clear top options, Jones has the chance to emerge as a contributor. A strong training camp could guide him toward the 53-man roster.”
Eckardt nailed it, at least per the initial depth chart release.
On the whole, the Vikings signed no WR3s like Tyler Boyd or D.J. Chark — those are two examples of roughly a dozen — because they had their preferred WR3 at home. His name’s Jalen Nailor.
And if something happens injury-wise to Nailor — that is the one large knock on his NFL profile — unsung contributors like Jones await promotion.
Free agency and the draft were unnecessary for Minnesota’s WR3 plan, at least per the team’s summer trend. They liked what they had.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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