Cordarrelle Patterson feels wanted by Minnesota Vikings again

For a while, Cordarrelle Patterson was in limbo with the Minnesota Vikings. However, a solid 2016 season has made him feel like part of the team again.

Cordarrelle Patterson exploded onto the scene as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2013 season. He showed a unique blend of athleticism, speed, and elusiveness that made him a threat any time he had the ball.

Sadly, the ball didn’t get back into his hands much for the next two years. Other than handling kickoff return duties, the first round draft pick found himself sitting on the sidelines in situations where he could have been a major asset to the team.

Recently, Patterson took to Sports Illustrated Now to talk about what seemed to be a time in the doghouse with the Minnesota Vikings, and the wide receiver held nothing back in his words regarding his situation.

Here is the video as shared by Sports Illustrated:

Patterson’s frustrations are understandable. Although it is hard to know what the situation was with the coaching staff or Patterson that made the team decide not to feature such a dynamic talent, his desire to move on from the team is justified.

"“Those two years, I didn’t feel like I was wanted. I’m not going to lie. I’m not going to lie for nobody. I didn’t feel wanted. I had a lot of thought going in my head, I wanted to get out of there. I was telling [receivers coach] George Stewart, ‘I’m trying to get out of here.’ But we had a long talk, he was like, ‘The grass ain’t greener, it might not be greener on the other side.’”"

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Thankfully, a lot can change in a year. With an offense evolving and changing, the team is finding roles for Patterson. In 2016, he nearly matched his yardage output from his rookie season and even caught more passes this year than he ever had in a season with the Vikings.

Now, the talks the wide receiver has with coach Stewart are a bit more optimistic than they were the previous years.

"“We sat down and talked and this year I felt like, hey, I’m wanted. I want to be here. This is the team that drafted me, I’ve been here four years, I know everybody around here, my family loves it here so why go somewhere else where things might go wrong?”"

Next: What if the Vikings don't bring back Patterson & Thielen?

If the Minnesota Vikings want to keep Cordarrelle Patterson on the roster, they will need to work out a deal with him. The kick return specialist and evolving wide receiver is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason after the team refused his contract’s fifth year option.

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