By nearly all accounts, things are looking good for the Minnesota Vikings ahead of this the 2015 NFL season. Teddy Bridgewater's development seems to be right on track, Adrian Peterson has triumphantly returned to the fold, Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson comprise a strong one and two on the outside and Mike Zimmer's defense now boasts a bevy of talented young players in Trae Waynes, Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr. That being said, things aren't perfect in Minnesota. Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, for instance, seems to be falling far behind Wallace and Johnson in the competition at the wide receiver spot for the Vikings, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
Patterson, the Vikes first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, electrified Minnesota fans and the NFL alike during a rookie season that saw him impact the game in nearly every phase. He proved to be a weapon running (12 rushes, 158 yards, three touchdowns), receiving (45 receptions, 469 yards, four touchdowns ) and returning (43 attempts, 1,393 yards, two touchdowns). He looked like the next great multi-purpose player to enter the league, but things didn't go quite as planned for Patterson or the Vikes last year and word spread that the team was concerned with his off-the-field work and preparation. Per Cole, while the team is feeling better about those aspects of Patterson's game, they still feel he's "struggling" to return to some semblance of his initial NFL form.
Despite opening last season as a starter, Patterson fell out of favor as the year wore on and last snaps to Johnson as well as Adam Thielen and Jarius Wright. With Wallace now in the fold, Patterson started Minnesota's preseason game against the Steelers on the bench. He didn't see action until the second quarter and wasn't afforded even a single snap alongside Bridgewater.
Zimmer is, according to Cole, still concerned with Patterson's ability to "work properly," meaning his preparation habits prior to actual gameplay. While Patterson's off-the-field efforts have improved, they're still "not good enough" on a day-to-day basis.
While there was talk this offseason of the team potentially placing Patterson on the trade block, per Cole, the franchise still has high hopes for the former first-rounder. The Vikes, in fact, are "desperate" for Patterson to develop and provide the kind of impact he managed in NFL Year One.
