Report: Patterson heading to Oakland, will not re-sign with Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings will have to take the field in 2017 without their former first-round pick after the wide receiver has reportedly signed with the Raiders.

Add Cordarrelle Patterson to the list of free-agents from the Minnesota Vikings’ 2016 roster that have opted to sign elsewhere. The wide receiver will reportedly be taking his flashiness to the bay area and join the Oakland Raiders according to the Star Tribune’s Matt Vensel.

After the Vikings selected Patterson with the 29th overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, the wide receiver exploded into the league and his future looked almost blinding after just one season. This optimism was likely due to the nine total touchdowns Patterson scored during his rookie year.

Despite having some success in his very first NFL season with his unorthodox playing style, Minnesota tried to convert him into a more traditional wide receiver. The result ended up with Patterson only catching a total of 35 passes and one touchdown in his next two seasons with the Vikings.

The wide receiver was finally able to get back on his feet in 2016 thanks to a new offensive scheme, but it obviously was not enough for Minnesota to make a serious effort in retaining his talents this offseason.

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Patterson’s exit should mean that last year’s first-round draft pick in wide receiver Laquon Treadwell will have a pretty good chance of catching more than one pass in the 2017 season.