Beebe will retain the third receiver role
With the Vikings addressing the guard position, the new question on the offense may be, “can he play receiver?” Minnesota has two of the best in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, but the depth chart behind their two stars is troubling.
The Vikings had several chances to address the third receiver position during the offseason but chose to re-sign Chad Beebe. While Beebe knows the offense and helps Zimmer sleep better at night, his limited athletic profile won’t strike fear into the heart of defenses.
The counter to this argument is that Minnesota doesn’t use three-receiver personnel to validate an upgrade. According to Sharp Football Stats, the Vikings were last in the NFL using three-receiver sets 29 percent of the time. Minnesota was also just one of two teams, along with the Tennessee Titans, to use three-receiver sets under 40 percent of the time.
That’s why they didn’t jump at the opportunity to sign a receiver in free agency and their only meaningful addition was fifth-round pick Ihmir Smith-Marsette. While the Iowa product has some supporters, his production at Iowa wasn’t encouraging and may not translate to an immediate role with the Vikings.
This leaves Beebe as their best option entering training camp. Although there’s a chance they could add a receiver, Zimmer believes his offense is fine and Beebe should benefit.