Former first-round pick Cordarrelle Patterson has failed to live up to expectations for the Minnesota Vikings. The team hoped that he would develop into a versatile No. 1 option on offense and a player who could aid the development of young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Unfortunately, Patterson plateaued after an impressive rookie year and has never really taken the next step.
But this season, without any guarantees of a future in Minnesota, Patterson is doing everything he can to prove that he deserves to be in the NFL. The Vikings declined to exercise his fifth-year option for 2017, and he's using that as motivation to improve. So far, his teammates have noticed.
"I don't know if them not picking up his fifth-year option woke him up a little bit or what, but he's going out there and working," Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said in a recent interview. "He's doing a great job of switching it up on you. Normally, CP, he was just one speed. He'd just come at you full speed. Now, he'll lull you to sleep a little bit, and he'll turn on the burners. It's messing the DBs up a little bit, but at the same time, I told him, 'You're running some great routes. Just keep it up, keep working and then when we get the month of July off, don't backslide. Just keep doing what you're doing and getting better."
Patterson caught 45 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns in 2013, his rookie season, while also running back two kickoffs for touchdowns and scoring three more times as a rusher. His versatility and nose for the endzone impressed coaches right away. However, Patterson's receiving numbers and playing time have declined in each of the past two seasons due to poor play. Last year, he fell to the bottom of the depth chart and caught just two passes in all 16 games.
The 2016 season will be his last chance to prove that he deserves a role with the Vikings. If he can't turn it all around this season, he'll likely be looking for a new home in free agency next year.
