Why Vikings Cordarrelle Patterson will be back beyond 2016
In the three years Minnesota Vikings fans have been graced with the talents of wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, the show he has put on has left fans in search of more. He excited the fan base in his rookie year with his explosiveness and talent. In the two years since, he has been restricted almost exclusively to returning kickoffs.
For a player the team gave up four draft picks to move back into the first round of the 2013 draft for, that’s not the kind of payoff many teams would expect. It has led many to question whether this will be the final year Patterson dons the purple and gold. Despite his shortcomings as a wide receiver, there are many strong reasons why he will be back with the Vikings beyond the 2016 season.
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Improvement as a Wide Receiver
After three offseasons of failed promises, Patterson appears to have finally gotten the message and has put in the serious work needed to improve as a complete player. Many forget that Patterson only played one year of Division I football prior to being drafted. Then, he endured switching schemes between his first and second NFL seasons after the team turned over the coaching staff in 2014. “Sometimes it takes guys a little while longer to figure things out,” Coach Mike Zimmer said via ESPN’s Ben Goessling.
Elite Kickoff Returner
This is where he’s made his biggest impact with the Vikings, and to great effect. In his three years, he has led the NFL in both return average and return touchdowns twice — once in 2013 and the other last season. He has been a big reason why the Vikings have been among the best in average starting-field-position, ranking fifth in 2015 according to footballoutsiders.com at 29.9 yards from their own end zone. Patterson has established himself as arguably the top return man in the league.
Explosive Talent
After Adrian Peterson, there may not be a more explosive player on the Vikings roster than Patterson. 2013 saw him score nine touchdowns – three as a rusher, four as a receiver and two as a return man — a mere sample of what he can do if he ever puts it all together. Patterson can make opposing defenders miss in space and has the speed to burn them deep as well. For Patterson it is now about blending his football acumen with his physical talents.
Affordability
Unless Patterson puts together a huge receiving year statistically, he’s not likely to command a great sum of money and interest on the free agent market as a wide receiver. The fact that the Vikings will have a larger number of free agents will give them cap space to offer Patterson a deal that pays him relative to his return abilities and hopefully his improved skills as a wide receiver. This would possibly put him in line for a deal just above that of teammate Jarius Wright.
Despite his shortcomings as a wide receiver selected in the first round, Patterson still provides the Vikings with rare talent and untapped potential that would be difficult to replace. He has established himself as an elite return man that affects how teams kick to the Vikings, similar to how teammate Peterson affects how defenses play the Vikings offense. If the Vikings can finally get their young receiver to finally live up to his draft pedigree, Patterson could find himself being the mainstay at the position many envisioned he would be.
Clayton R. Brooks II writes for cover32 and covers the Minnesota Vikings. He can be followed on Twitter @ClaytonRBrooks2. Like and follow vikings32 on Facebook, and Twitter.
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