Vikings Fans Full Tilt on New WR Theory
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor feels like the frontrunner to assume WR3 responsibilities in 2024, but the free-agent market sweetened on Friday.
Vikings Fans Full Tilt on New WR Theory
How? Well, the New England Patriots cut ties with once-promising wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster. NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “Sources: The Patriots are releasing WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. While a surprise, this move does give Smith-Schuster the chance to sign somewhere before the season.”
Smith-Schuster is now free to sign anywhere in the NFL.
Minnesota parted ways with K.J. Osborn this offseason, and he signed with those same Patriots in March. For now, most believe Brandon Powell or the aforementioned Nailor will win the WR3 gig, with a dark horse of a player like Jeshaun Jones, an undrafted free agent, perhaps emerging out of nowhere.
But Smith-Schuster would certainly thicken the plot if Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took the plunge. Unsurprisingly, Vikings fans welcome the addition.
Bleacher Report even recommended the relationship last month. “The New England Patriots brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster in attempt to bolster their receiving corps last season, a move that largely failed to pan out for the slumping franchise. The 27-year-old is now a realistic cut candidate for a team that cleaned house this offseason and is ready to begin a new era under head coach Jerod Mayo and quarterback Drake Maye,” BR’s Alex Kay wrote about four weeks ago,
Many years ago — the 2018 season — Smith-Schuster took the NFL by storm, grabbing 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and 7 touchdowns as a second-year phenom. Thereafter, he regressed into a WR2 type, and before too long, the former Steeler began bouncing around the league to teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Patriots.
Kay continued in the July article, “While the Pats would be on the hook for a $9.6 million dead money charge in 2024 and another $2.6 million in 2025, they have a league-most $43.3 million in cap space available and may value the roster spot more than the player during a pivotal rebuilding campaign. Teams should be willing to kick the tires on Smith-Schuster if he does get cut.”
Roster cutdown day takes place in 17 days and will cause about 700 free agents to hit the open market. Smith-Schuster could still top the list for wide receivers if he remains available. Some believe the Vikings are waiting until that time to determine if more WR beef is necessary. Of course, Minnesota could sign Smith-Schuster at any time and call it good.
If the Vikings don’t take the plunge with Smith-Schuster but realize Powell or Nailor aren’t quite cut out for WR3 during three preseason games, other players like Hunter Renfrow, Michael Thomas, and Julio Jones are available at the moment on the free-agent wire.
Smith-Schuster will turn 28 in November.
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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