6 free-agent returners the Vikings could sign in 2021
By Nik Edlund
Who are six free-agent returners the Minnesota Vikings should look at this year?
The Minnesota Vikings special teams unit was a complete embarrassment in 2020. They were muffing snaps, missing kicks, getting punts blocked, and allowing kick returns to go for scores.
It was a complete head-to-toe failure and the Vikings have already brought in a new coordinator and a kicker to compete with Dan Bailey. These moves are just the start of what will be a complete overhaul and one aspect that needs an upgrade is the returner position.
Minnesota used a fifth-round choice on K.J. Osborn during last year’s NFL Draft and it was his job to be the team’s kick and punt returner in 2020. Osborn was a bust in this role, averaging less than four yards per punt return and showing no real burst or wiggle.
He was replaced around the middle of the season by the guys whose jobs he was supposed to take, putting the Vikings back where they were in 2019, with two subpar returners in Ameer Abdullah and Chad Beebe.
Abdullah and Beebe are both free agents this offseason and they might not return to the team, at least in the role of a returner. This means Minnesota will be scouring the free agent wire looking for upgrades during the next few months.
The Vikings are not expected to have a ton of money to spend this year, so they’ll be looking for bargains with a team-friendly price. Who are some of the free agents Minnesota could bring in to be their punt or kick returner for the 2021 season?