The case for the Vikings not signing a veteran free agent receiver

"It's difficult for me to find where this is better than rolling the ball out there for a bunch of young players and saying fight for it."

Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Brandon Powell (4) runs after the catch against the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings' depth at receiver has been a question without a definitive answer all offseason long. With training camp just over a week away from starting, should the team consider adding a veteran free agent receiver still on the market?

Jordan Addison's Friday arrest brought this question to the forefront. If Addison is suspended or misses any time due to the arrest, the Vikings will begin the season with just one of their top five receiving targets from last season (T.J, Hockenson is injured and both K.J. Osborn and Alexander Mattison departed in free agency).

Even though the Vikings have north of $26 million in available cap space, the problem with bringing in one of the veteran free agent receivers left on the market is what the team will be getting.

The four most common names thrown out by pundits have been Hunter Renfrow, Randall Cobb, Michael Thomas and Julio Jones. As Purple Insider's Matthew Coller pointed out on his podcast Sunday, each of those guys are still free agents for a reason.

"I look at what Hunter Renfrow did last year, and the fact that nobody has signed him, as a pretty good indication of where everyone thinks he is with his career," said Coller. "He is only a couple years separated from a great season, but (he) fell out of favor with the Raiders. He's not the fastest guy, been banged up at times, and he's pretty one dimensional as a slot receiver."

Renfrow has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards just once in his career and played a full season just three times.

"Julio Jones, Randall Cobb, Michael Thomas, these are one-year solutions of players that have not been good in quite some time," continued Coller. "Michael Thomas will tweet if he doesn't like the way the quarterback is playing. He's been banged up a ton. Randall Cobb is only still in the league because he's friends with Aaron Rodgers. Though, once a good wide receiver. Julio Jones was playing last year, there wasn't much there left."

Should the #Vikings add a free agent receiver?

On the latest Purple Insider podcast, @MatthewColler discussed the Jordan Addison arrest and previewed the Vikings' WR and TE groups.

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Thomas, 31, hasn't completed a full season since 2019. Cobb, 33, hasn't caught more than 40 passes since 2019. Jones, while a lock to enter the Hall of Fame, is well past the days when he struck fear into opposing defenses, catching just 11 passes for 74 yards with the Eagles last season.

Beyond those big-name guys, the free agent wide receiver market is incredibly thin, with players like DeVante Parker, Alex Erickson, Byron Pringle, Robbie Chosen (formerly Robbie Anderson) and Richie James being the only players to play some semblance of meaningful snaps last season.

"It's difficult for me to find where this is better than rolling the ball out there for a bunch of young players and saying fight for it," said Coller.

That's why there is a real case that it might just be better for the Vikings to see what they have in WR3 candidates like Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell and Trent Sherfield behind Jefferson and Addison.

Powell was sixth on the team in targets in 2023 with 44, while Nailor has shown flashes in camp and practices but has struggled to stay healthy through the first two years of his career. Sherfield has bounced around but featured as the Dolphins' fourth option in 2022, catching 30 passes for 417 yards and two touchdowns. Further down the depth chart, all kinds of young players could emerge. Also on the roster are Trishton Jackson, Lucky Jackson, Thayer Thomas, Malik Knowles, N'Keal Harry, and undrafted rookies Jeshaun Jones and Ty James.

"There are lots and lots of options for guys who could step up," said Coller.

In a transition season, betting on one of the untested options to emerge appears to fit the current trajectory of the Vikings than signing a veteran who is a one-year stopgap.