The Viking Age
FanSided

Will the Vikings’ special teams be better or worse in 2019?

By Nik Edlund

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 23: Newly acquired kicker Dan Bailey #5 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings signed Bailey after cutting their former kicker, Daniel Carlson. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 23: Newly acquired kicker Dan Bailey #5 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings signed Bailey after cutting their former kicker, Daniel Carlson. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
(Photo by Rob Leiter/Getty Images) Ameer Abdullah
(Photo by Rob Leiter/Getty Images) Ameer Abdullah /

New faces/competition at return positions

Yes, losing Marcus Sherels as the punt returner looks bad on the surface. That guy did so many little things well during his time with the Vikings.

Sherels could make what appeared to be a five-yard loss into a seven-yard gain with just a couple of quick twitches. He also seemed to bust out a long return whenever Minnesota needed it the most. Replacing him won’t be easy, but it will breed competition and that’s a good thing.

It’s hard to say who could end up being the Vikings’ punt returner this season. There are a lot of names to toss in the hat including Chad Beebe, Dillon Mitchell, Brandon Zylstra, and Jordan Taylor.

Not only will these guys be scrapping for a roster spot, but their best chances to make the team could be through special teams. This should make them compete even harder and this competition could result in one of them developing into a top-notch punt returner by the start of the season.

Minnesota’s kick returning job is also up in the air this year. Mike Hughes held that job at the start of the 2018 season, but it’s unclear if the Vikings plan to put him back there since he’s coming off a torn ACL.

Ameer Abdullah took over the job midway through the 2018 season and he performed decently. So Abdullah should be in the mix for the role as well.

Holton Hill returned a few kicks for Minnesota last year, but that four-game suspension he has to begin the season could hurt his chance to earn the job. The competition should be intense for this role and that should ultimately lead to someone emerging and performing better because of it.

Home/Minnesota Vikings News