Who will emerge as the kick (and punt) returner?
One of the low-key battles during training camp has been figuring out who will return kicks for the Vikings this year.
With Marcus Sherels off to New Orleans and Mike Hughes still recovering from a multi-ligament knee injury, Minnesota has had to revamp their return game, but they seem to already have an answer.
For Friday’s game, the Vikings listed Ameer Abdullah as the primary kick and punt returner on their unofficial depth chart. Abdullah was picked up last season after being waived by the Detroit Lions and he handled kick return duties upon his arrival, averaging 25.8 yards per return.
Where Abdullah may see more competition is in the punt return game, where he has not returned a punt during his entire NFL career. That job could go to Chad Beebe, who is fighting for the slot receiver spot, but he also could build a strong case to return punts thanks to his slippery style with the ball in his hands.
Other names to watch here include Jeff Badet and Olabisi Johnson, but the Vikings would probably like to fill these roles sooner rather than later.