The Vikings receiving corps can be charitably described as unproven. Its most experienced member in terms of games played is Bobby Wade with 58, only 18 of them starts. Wade, with his 101 career receptions, is the presumptive No. 1. Troy Williamson, who is more known for big drops than big grabs, is number 2 in starts with 14, and second on the squad with 61 career catches. After those two there’s a hodge-podge – a little experience with Billy McMullen (45 catches in 4 years) and a whole lot of greenness in rookies Aundrae Allison, Sidney Rice, Todd Lowber and Chandler Williams, and fan favorite Jason Carter. There’s potential there, yes – but wins are built on catches and runs, not 40 times and college highlight reels.
But then there’s Brad Childress, who has taken it upon himself this off-season to play Mr. Sunshine (as in the stuff he wants to blow up all our asses). Childress does not think the skepticism concerning his receivers is warranted. He believes that, once the season gets rolling, we will all see what marvelous players these fellows are, and what a genius he was for selecting them to be on his team while more accomplished players like Nate Burleson, Marcus Robinson and Travis Taylor were jettisoned. Says the coach:
"I feel about the wide receivers like I felt about our linebackers last year. Last year at this time, the linebackers were the concern of everybody except us. Everybody wanted to know about Napoleon Harris, how he was going to be. Who’s Ben Leber? E.J. Henderson was considered to be, not a bust — but nobody spoke in high remarks. I didn’t feel that way after coming in and watching those guys work. I feel much the same with the wide receivers."
There’s a problem with your argument Chill, and it is this – those linebackers you mentioned, who did end up playing better than we anticipated, all at least had some track-record to fall back on. Were any of them pro-bowlers? No. But Napoleon Harris had shown flashes in Oakland, and Ben Leber was a guy who was well-regarded when you got him from the Chargers (12 sacks in 4 years, plus 80 tackles in 2003 – enough at least to hang your hat on). And E.J. Henderson, for all his problems, was someone we at least realistically hoped could put it together. Where’s the realistic hope with our current crop of wide-outs? We’re talking about a bunch of rookies, and Troy Williamson and Bobby Wade. I’m sorry but I won’t be drinking that particular glass of Kool Aid.
It’s nice, however, that Childress has faith in his guys – and in his new receivers coach George Stewart:
"I [believe] with Stew coaching those guys that those guys will continue to evolve and I think it will be a very good, very competitive wide receiver group. You can’t put a premium on the 19 years Stew’s spent in this business, and a very good teacher, a very good motivator, a very good person, and that’s the way he coaches those guys. To do the right things both on the field, that’s important with assignments and techniques, as well as off the field."
I’m glad Stew is such a good guy who’s helping the receivers to be good people off-the-field. I’m sure that will help them after they’re cut and have to get jobs at Wal-Mart.