Minnesota Vikings 53-man offensive roster projection: Pre-training camp
By Adam Carlson
Projected wide receivers
Former first round draft pick Cordarrelle Patterson has moved on to play for the Oakland Raiders and Charles Johnson took his talents to the Carolina Panthers. That opens up roster spots for several young players to compete for, making this position grouping one of the most debated for potential roster lineups.
#1. Stefon Diggs
Diggs exploded onto the scene as a rookie and flirted with 1,000 yards receiving last year. Entering 2017 with more familiarity with quarterback Sam Bradford and working on his already crisp route running should make him an even more dangerous target in 2017. He should be considered the Vikings top option.
#2. Adam Thielen
An amazing success story, Thielen worked his way from being an undrafted free agent to a regular starter through his tireless devotion to his craft. Now, he sets his sights on 1,000 yards in 2017 after signing a big contract to keep him in Minnesota. Like Diggs, Thielen is an excellent route runner who uses excellent acceleration and juke moves to gain separation from defenders.
#3. Laquon Treadwell
The Vikings let go of one former first round wide receiver this offseason and they will expect a big jump in production from another. Treadwell had a disappointing season hampered by injuries which found him only catching one pass for 10 yards. Now that he is healthy, he will need to prove he was worth the spot where he was drafted.
#4. Jarius Wright
There seems to be about a 50/50 chance Wright is on the Vikings roster to start the season. Sadly, that’s not much fault of his own. After signing a decent contract to stick with the Vikings for a while, Wright found himself on the sidelines for nearly all of the 2016 season and it may be tough for him to find playing time again in 2017. He could be trade bait, or then again the relationship between him and the team may be in trouble as well. However, he’s still a talented pass catcher who deserves to be on this list.
#5. Issac Freuchte
This spot will be a tossup between Freuchte and Stacy Coley. Both young men offer similar styles of play, but Minnesota has already shown they like Freuchte because he ended the 2017 season on the main roster and even got some playing time. He will need to play well to beat out the 7th round draft pick in training camp and the preseason.
#6. Rodney Adams
Adams is a favorite to win the job as the team’s kick return specialist, which means he would automatically be included here with the wide receivers as well. He also should be interesting to watch as a wide receiver, especially in preseason contests, since he can be amazingly explosive with the ball in his hands.
Suspended – Michael Floyd
Of course, Floyd was suspended for violating the terms of his probation after receiving a DUI earlier this year. He is slated to be suspended for the first 4 games of the season, meaning he will not count against the 53-man roster.