Jun 19, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux (16) catches a pass at Vikings minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

How wide open is the competition for the last couple spots in the Vikings’ receiver corps? As wide open as it gets. Right now there are just three receivers you can consider locks: Jerome Simpson, Percy Harvin and Jarius Wright. Simpson will be suspended the first three games so that means, assuming the Vikings take 5 receivers, there are currently 3 spots more-or-less up for grabs.

If you had to rank the guys vying for those three spots, Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu would seem to be running 1 and 2, at least on the basis of experience. But a rebuilding team like the Vikes may be less interested in experience than upside. That would give Stephen Burton and Manny Arceneaux the inside track. And if you had to pick an early favorite? It’s tough with so little training camp action to go by, but right now it seems Arceneaux has a leg up.

Arceneaux hasn’t necessarily flashed in camp as big as some other guys (like Greg Childs who was really wowing people before his injury), but he has impressed at least one very important person. That’s receivers coach George Stewart, who sang Arceneaux’s praises to Judd Zulgad.

“Emmanuel Arceneaux has improved more than any player in one year that I’ve ever coached,” Stewart said. “That’s in (all my) years of coaching and in every facet. He’s going to be a player that’s going to help us again this year.”

When asked which specific areas have seen the biggest improvement for Arceneaux, Stewart said, “Everything. Route running, run blocking, catching the ball, confidence in what he’s doing. The whole gamut as a receiver. Now is he ready to go to the Hall of Fame? No, but he has improved from year one to year two, and as a coach and as a player that’s what you strive to have.”

It certainly helps to have a coach behind you like that. Another factor in Arceneaux’s favor is his relatively low salary compared to Michael Jenkins, a man he is in direct competition with at X receiver (at least going by the initial depth chart). Arceneaux will make $465,000 in 2012, compared to Jenkins who is set to pull in $2.5 million. That’s not a huge number for Jenkins but keep in mind he’s aging and coming off an injury. Physical condition and price are two areas where both Arceneaux and Devin Aromashodu have an advantage over Jenkins. Ditto Stephen Burton, though Burton himself is coming off an IR stint.

So if this battle does come down to a three-way competition between Jenkins, Aromashodu and Arceneaux, Jenkins could be in trouble. The best thing Jenkins has going for him is experience, which can’t be discounted when you’re trying to develop a young quarterback like Christian Ponder. Do the Vikings really want to roll with a receiver corps whose most-seasoned member is Percy Harvin (Aromashodu has him in years but Harvin has obviously gotten many more snaps)? Or do they want at least one guy who can lend a little grizzled-old-man savvy to the mix? Having a wily veteran like Donald Driver around probably helped Aaron Rodgers quite a bit.

That argument becomes moot if Jenkins can’t get himself totally right physically. If Arceneaux truly has improved as much as Stewart says, he seems like he would fit the bill as an outside receiver to back-up Jerome Simpson. That’s the role Greg Childs was probably set to fill before blowing out both his knees. Childs’ misfortune could be Arceneaux’s big break.

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May 4, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Greg Childs (85) plays catch as part of the rookie camp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Greg Childs’ college career was derailed by a tear to his right patella tendon. This didn’t bother the Vikings who drafted him in the fourth round this year in hopes that he might get himself back on track and develop into a reliable outside receiver possibly in the Michael Jenkins mold. Unfortunately the injury bug has come back to bite Greg Childs again, this time even worse.

Childs went down during Saturday night’s scrimmage with apparent injuries to both knees. An MRI will be needed to confirm but it appears Childs has torn both patella tendons, an injury which would obviously sideline him for a very long time if not end his career. The scene at the practice field was pretty grim, with reports saying Childs screamed out in pain when he went down.

Very very tough development for Childs who fought to come back from the first injury and now will have to do it all over again but with both legs. I’m rooting for him but I can’t see how he will ever come back to have a productive NFL career. His knees obviously just can’t take the stress.

From the Vikings’ side of things, this should not be a huge set-back. Childs was already no better than 5th on the depth chart at receiver and didn’t figure to move up much despite showing some flashes of talent in camp. Losing him helps Devin Aromashodu and Michael Jenkins who will both probably now stick (though one of them will still be a candidate to be cut when Jerome Simpson returns from his suspension). Stephen Burton is also in the mix behind the mortal locks Simpson, Percy Harvin and Jarius Wright. Kamar Jorden, Kerry Taylor and Manny Arceneaux are in there too.

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Nov 27, 2011; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson (89) is tackled by Cleveland Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown (24) during the first quarter at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

The Vikings must’ve liked what they heard from Jerome Simpson this weekend and they obviously weren’t put off by the three game suspension Simpson will have to serve after getting arrested for a drug felony. Jay Glazer says the Vikings have signed Simpson to a one-year deal.

Yup, another safe one-year deal with a low-end free agent. Rick Spielman is nothing if not consistent.

Simpson had a solid year with Cincinnati in 2011, catching 50 balls for 725 yards and 4 TDs (one of his TDs was particularly memorable). He’s a speed guy who with any luck will provide Christian Ponder with a viable downfield target. Of course the Vikings still have Devin Aromashodu and there’s every possibility they will draft a wide receiver in the first three rounds, so Simpson’s role is far from set in stone. That explains the one-year deal.

As previously mentioned, Simpson will have to serve a three game suspension before making his Vikings debut. After that, hopefully, everything will be smooth sailing for the lad.

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