Vikings Training Camp 2019: Previewing the wide receivers

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 21: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (11) prior to the National Football League Game between the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings on October 21, 2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Last Chance: Laquon Treadwell

Last year, Laquon Treadwell finally got his chance to seize an important role in the Vikings offense. In his first two years in the league, the former first-round pick couldn’t find his way onto the field, but with the departure of Jarius Wright and an uninspiring crew behind him, this was Treadwell’s opportunity to make an impact.

The good news is that Treadwell responded with a career year. The bad news is those career numbers weren’t as large as the Vikings had hoped. The third-year wideout recorded 35 catches for just 302 yards and one touchdown in 15 games last year and the one he missed was a healthy scratch when the team just didn’t want to use him in Detroit.

Those numbers won’t make Vikings fans forget that they passed on Michael Thomas to select Treadwell in the 2016 NFL Draft, but what’s more alarming is his mental mindset which made him believe he (and the Vikings) had a great season in 2018. In case you forgot, the Vikings missed the playoffs.

In what could be his final year with the Vikings, Treadwell faces a situation where the Vikings have plenty of competition behind him. In a sense, it would almost be alarming if nobody could step up and send Treadwell to the bench, but as ESPN’s Courtney Cronin pointed out, cutting Treadwell might not be an option thanks to the $2.5 million the team would eat if they release him.

Then again, the Vikings may have had enough of their underachieving receiver. Either way, it should be an interesting camp for Treadwell.

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