Vikings Receivers

Friday's announcement of a four-game suspension for Michael Floyd got me thinking about the Minnesota Vikings receivers. Seeing as it doesn't take much to kick-start my thoughts on a particular Vikings position group I'd probably get to the receivers soon with or without the suspension news. Training camp is less than a week away. Yay! The Vikings have 11 receivers on the roster.

Stefon Diggs
Adam Thielen
Laquon Treadwell
Michael Floyd
Jarius Wright
Rodney Adams
Stacy Coley
Isaac Fruechte
Moritz Boehringer
Cayleb Jones
R.J. Shelton

Michael Floyd's suspension could give an extra four-game audition to one of the receivers (Stacy Coley?) fighting for a final roster spot. Unless the Vikings decide to use that roster spot to carry an extra linebacker, safety, or defensive lineman for the first quarter of the season. Those are positions that might have some tough choices to make when it comes to the final roster trimming.

The only "sure-thing" with the Vikings receivers group is that Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Laquon Treadwell will be at the top of it. Diggs just has to stay healthy. Thielen just has to keep doing what he's been doing to create his remarkable "rags-to-riches" NFL story. Both were terrific last season while threatening the 1,000-yard receiving barrier. That's a milestone that's been way too elusive in Minnesota since the receiving glory days of Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Too much has been made of Treadwell's very silent first season. He was a rookie and a rookie still recovering from a brutal 2014 ankle injury. He's too talented and works too hard to not become a productive NFL receiver. Floyd should round out a nice top-foursome when he returns to the roster for Week 5. Jarius Wright's place on the roster is the greatest mystery. For most of his first four seasons he was a solid, productive playmaker. Most of the plays that he made were of the big-play variety, plays that converted first downs, plays that got the team out of a hole, plays that won games. Last season his role on the team diminished to nearly non-existent. His job status is a puzzle. If he's the fifth receiver on the roster that says more about the receivers above him than it says about him, in my book. There has been some speculation that he might not even make the team. I don't see it. I've seen enough of Wright to know that he can play and even shine in this league. The wild card of the Vikings receiver group could be fifth-round rookie Rodney Adams. He's probably the front-runner to win the kick returner job so his place on the roster is nearly assured. If there are enough footballs to go around he might get a chance to catch a few on offense. His ability to advance the ball after the catch might be the best on the team.

It's too early and wrong to write off the remainder of the receivers. Too much can change during training camp. Maybe Stacy Coley leaps Adams as a returner. Isaac Fruechte has managed to stick to practice squads the past two seasons. Maybe he's about to start his own "Adam Thielen-like" roster climb. Moritz Boehringer has ridiculous natural talents. Maybe he pulls it all together as his knowledge of the game and comfort with it grows. Maybe Cayleb Jones and R.J. Shelton are more than just intriguing talents. Anything can happen but their path to roster is a steep one.

I'm typically optimistic about these sorts of things, especially at this time of the year, but I really like the potential of the Vikings receivers. On paper, it's probably the most talented group that the team has had in a very long time. Perhaps the most talented since those wonderful Carter and Moss days. That's not saying a lot. 2009 was nice when Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian were catching darts from Brett Favre but quality pass-catching has been lacking in Minnesota for more than a decade. This receiver group should change that. I think they can. I think they can....