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5 players unlikely to return to the Minnesota Vikings in 2017
After a disastrous year, the upcoming Minnesota Vikings’ offseason is something to look forward to. Part of the process will be saying ‘goodbye’ to some notable veterans.
All the pressure is on Rick Spielman as the Minnesota Vikings head to the offseason. Next season will mark Spielman’s 6th as general manager. It may also be his last if the Vikings don’t win a playoff game in 2017.
Mike Zimmer is also feeling some pressure this offseason. The Vikings’ head coach has already alluded to having to make, “all kinds of decisions and evaluate a lot of different things”, following Sunday’s finale.
It would be nice if the Minnesota Vikings could take their current roster and get a “do-over” in 2017. Unfortunately, the dollars and sense don’t add up and there’s some tough personnel decisions ahead. We waste no time putting 2016 in the rear-view by looking at what’s ahead.
There are five players which can be predicted with confidence who will not return to the Vikings in 2017.
Nov 13, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (84) runs with the ball past Washington Redskins linebacker Will Compton (51) in the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Cordarrelle Patterson
Many Minnesota Vikings fans will deny the idea, but Cordarrelle Patterson will be on another team next year. Cord has a matured much as a player but he hasn’t performed to expectation. The Vikings will make re-signing Adam Thielen a priority this offseason and better incorporate Laquon Treadwell in 2017.
We finally saw Patterson get involved with the offense this season. He saw the most targets (68) since his rookie year and boasts a career high in receptions (51) with a game still left to play.
There were a couple of games this season where Patterson really stood out and re-signing him seemed like a must for Minnesota. The reality is Cordarrelle is merely a gadget player who will get top dollar from another team in need of a kick-returner.
It was a forgone conclusion Patterson was entering his last season with Minnesota when the team declined his fifth year option. Despite his couple Pro Bowl selections as a return specialist, Cordarrelle never matured into the top wide receiver Minnesota anticipated. The Vikings traded four picks to the New England Patriots for the right to draft him with the 29th overall pick in 2013.
Patterson may be the next ex-Viking signed to a lucrative deal by the Seattle Seahawks.
Sep 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Shaun Hill (13) passes the ball with defensive pressure from Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Shaun Hill
Shaun Hill not returning to the Minnesota Vikings won’t come as much of a shock. Recent reports suggest the team will hang on to Sam Bradford moving forward and allow Teddy Bridgewater ample time to return from injury. The healthy backup to Bradford to begin next season is likely Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke is the much younger reserve quarterback who Vikings’ coaches seem to like a lot.
Shaun Hill turns 37 in January but remains a serviceable option for many teams. We shouldn’t forget his one start for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 at Tennessee. Nothing about his game was sexy, but he led off the incredible 5-0 run to start the season. Hill is an ideal backup for teams grooming young starters.
Don’t rule Hill’s return to the Rams, should Los Angeles move on from Case Keenum as their backup.
Dec 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Terence Newman (23) during a game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Cowboys defeated the Vikings 17-15. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Terence Newman
Terence Newman seemingly discovered the fountain of youth and often outplayed defensive backs more than 12 years his junior. There’s little doubt Newman can get the job done in a 15th NFL season, but it’s unlikely to happen. There was a time when it seemed Newman would retire and join Mike Zimmer’s coaching staff in Minnesota. Now, after last week’s game plan fiasco in Green Bay, it seems the relationship has soured.
And if you still don’t think there was anything to all the, “Newman led a mutiny” headlines, then please come see me as I have a bridge to sell you.
Even if Newman decides to play another year, its unlikely to be with the Minnesota Vikings. The team will move on to Trae Waynes as the full-time starter opposite Xavier Rhodes in 2017. For a $3 million cap hit, the Vikings can look to bring back Captain Munnerlyn as the 3rd cornerback in 2018. Munnerlyn is still to the left of age 30 and remains worthy of a multi-year contract.
Nov 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway (52) celebrates his tackle against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Lions won 22-16 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Chad Greenway
Chad Greenway was near-retirement after the 2015 season. He made the decision to give it one more run at a Super Bowl last April. The Minnesota Vikings seemed poised to make such a run back then but obviously it wasn’t meant to be.
Greenway did say 2016 would be his 10th and final season in the NFL. Things can always change but it seems like the drama of this season will finally beat Greenway into submission. Weak-side linebackers in today’s NFL are typically younger, faster, and better in coverage than Chad Greenway is. He’s also too far removed from the Cover-2 scheme he was drafted to play in back in 2006.
The Vikings play so much out of the nickel that a replacement for Greenway isn’t much of a priority. It’s likely they look to the later rounds of the draft to find a depth player. In a perfect world, the Vikings find a run-stuffing middle linebacker and shift Eric Kendricks to the outside.
Sep 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) carries the ball against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean-USA TODAY Sports
Adrian Peterson
There was a time when Adrian Peterson seemed to transcend the NFL. He’s arguably the best running back in Minnesota Vikings’ history, but it’s fair to say his best days are history. The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” business and the Vikings haven’t gotten much from Peterson in 2016.
More from The Viking Age
The Minnesota Vikings stuck by Adrian Peterson throughout his 2014 suspension for a couple of reasons. Not only did he still have some gas in the tank, but he was the big draw in Minnesota. It was once unimaginable to cut the ribbon on a $975 million stadium without Adrian Peterson banners hanging from the rafters. Things changed and Teddy Bridgewater emerged as the face of franchise in 2015.
Despite Teddy’s injury, the team is still very over Adrian Peterson for promotion’s sake. The Vikings have had no problems marketing around Stefon Diggs, Harrison Smith, and Kyle Rudolph, to name a few. Additionally, Peterson shows little interest in returning to battle with the team to finish out the current season. His ego has outgrown Minnesota and fans who thought he wouldn’t be cut after this season have finally turned.
Nothing about an $18 million cap hit for Adrian Peterson is cost-effective for the Vikings, or any other team in the NFL. He carries no trade value at that figure and will be cut before he’s due a $6 million roster bonus in March. Nothing short of a “can’t refuse” contract restructure for the Vikings keeps him in purple.
If I had to guess, Peterson is another guy coveted by the Seahawks once made a free agent. New England is another possibility because it seems like a move Bill Belichick would make. Either way, the careers of players with Peterson’s mileage generally hit a wall around age 32 in today’s NFL.
