Does anyone have the lineage at wide receiver that the Minnesota Vikings do?
When you look back at the history of the organization, they have multiple Hall of Famers at the position with Randy Moss and Cris Carter, with Anthony Carter and Justin Jefferson already having interesting cases for enshrinement.
This doesn’t include the duo of Gene Washington and Sammy White, Percy Harvin, Adam Thielen, or Stefon Diggs, who have all made a huge mark on the organization. Fans can never forget the infamous three-deep from the 1998 season.
Vikings should sign Davante Adams
It’s about time that the Vikings created the next version of three deep, especially without paying major money for a quarterback. Even if Sam Darnold returns, it won’t be for more than $40 million. If he doesn’t getting J.J. McCarthy as much help as possible should be a priority.
With the Vikings having over $63 million in salary cap space, they have a lot of flexibility to maneuver however they want to. What they should do is sign the recently release Davante Adams.
It’s an interesting idea that should be parsed out. Right now, the Vikings have a need at receiver. Jalen Nailor is solid, but inconsistent as the WR3 and will be a free agent after the 2025 season. Pair that with a looming Jordan Addison suspension for his DUI arrest in July of 2024 and wide receiver is a bigger need than you might expect.
Adams just turned 32 years old in December and had a really good season with the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. He caught 85 passes for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns with the majority of that coming with the Jets.
While Adams might be slightly declined from what he was a couple of years ago, there is still a lot of juice in the tank.
What Adams does provide is elite route running prowess along with enough juice left to stress the defense vertically. Having played in Matt LaFleur’s offense, Adams is well versed in what O’Connell likes to do with his offense.
The big question here is: why would the Vikings give big money to Adams with other major needs on the offense? There are two reasons for that:
Adams likely doesn’t cost “big money” anymore It takes immense pressure off of Justin Jefferson
The element of Jefferson, who you could argue is the best player in the National Football League, should be taken into major consideration. If you take the pressure off of Jefferson, he immediately becomes more dynamic in the open field, likely seeing more single coverage. If they still prioritize Jefferson, good luck guarding Adams and Addison.
What would a deal cost? Ideally, you could secure him in the neighborhood of $15-20 million per year with some void years to spread the money out. However, it could be a difficult task to get done with a team like the New England Patriots being steadfast on finding a WR1 for their young quarterback Drake Maye. Plus, they can sign him immediately and his signing won’t count toward the compensatory pick formula.
Even if the Vikings can’t get it done, it’s an avenue they should pursue aggressively to maximize an offense that could use a little bit more juice.