If Peterson Comes Back, Vikings Receiving Core is Set

Objective number one for the Minnesota Vikings this off-season is to make things as easy as possible for Teddy Bridgewater. This means bring in better protection on the offensive line and better talent for him to throw the ball to.

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Protection is still an issue, but is the receiving core ready to go?

One of several surprises from the Vikings 2014 season was the emergence of Charles Johnson. He was acquired from the Browns practice squad and never looked back. Whether you look at his speed, length or overall athleticism, I don’t know what Cleveland was thinking.

Now, with recently signed Mike Wallace to accompany Johnson on the outsides, do the Vikings really need to make any other changes to their receiving core? Throw in a healthy Kyle Rudolph as another passing threat, and I think Teddy Bridgewater is good to go.

Yes, I love the prospects of Amari Cooper, Kevin White or DeVante Parker. But keep this in mind: if they bring in any of these receivers, it’s going to seriously cut into Charles Johnson’s playing time. I’d hate to see that, because I’m really looking forward to watching how he plays in his second year with the team.

“You don’t know what somebody can do unless you get the opportunity to play,” said Johnson himself, perfectly echoing what I am trying to say.

Then you have Jarius Wright, who is coming off of his best year in the league. He caught 42 balls for 588 yards and 2 touchdowns. The most notable was a walk-off 87-yard game-winning touchdown against the Jets, where he showed us his ability to break tackles and leave defenders in the dust. Between him and Adam Thielen, who has improved as much as anyone on the team, I am okay with the state of the slot position.

Finally, Cordarrelle Patterson has been the topic of trade rumors lately, but I think they would have a tough time getting rid of such untapped talent. I have said many times I would like to see the Vikings use Patterson more effectively, but a lot of that has to do with Adrian Peterson. If Peterson is back, Cordarrelle’s game will drastically improve.

You hear people say that a lot, but why?

Look at the first week of the 2014 season, against the Rams. With Adrian, the Rams shoved 8 or 9 guys in the box for almost every play. Because of this, jet sweeps or pitches to Patterson out of the backfield worked to perfection. All it took was a burst of speed and CP had only a corner and safety to beat.

The Vikings gave him 3 carries that game, which amounted to 102 yards and a 67-yard TD. So give the ball to Cordarrelle several times a game, right?

He got 7 carries the rest of the season.

Guess who wasn’t in the backfield the rest of the season, and guess who didn’t have the luxury of 8 men in the box? For reasons like this, Adrian Peterson single-handedly changes everything for the Vikings offense. And by changes, I mean makes things a heck of a lot easier.

If Peterson is going to play next season, I say the Vikings focus solely on the offensive line and defense from hear on out. If he isn’t going to play, I sure hope we find out soon because as you can see, it affects everything.

Dec 7, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Charles Johnson (12) catches a pass against the New York Jets but fumbles it at the goal line before the Vikings recover it for a touchdown in the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

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