The Minnesota Vikings are refusing to use the word bust when it comes to Cordarrelle Patterson, but as the NFL Draft gets closer, trade rumors are still flying around the wide receiver's name. The Vikings made moves to upgrade their receiving rotation by trading for Mike Wallace as many believe that could signify Patterson being available at the right cost. If Adrian Peterson stays, is Patterson gone?
Head coach Mike Zimmer is speaking out and making it clear that the Vikings are still very invested in the future of Patterson despite his inconsistent stats over the past few seasons. While Zimmer might be endorsing Patterson's future on the team, he is making it clear the receiver needs to improve in order to stay active on the field.
"No, no chance whatsoever," Zimmer said, via NBC. "Cordarrelle is a young, emerging player who was with his third coordinator in three years. Quite frankly, we need to do a good job of figuring out how we can use him better and he needs to understand where he's supposed to be, the routes and everything. He's a great kid, humble. He wants to be good, so all those things are so important to me. Anybody like that, who is hungry, I have a lot of affinity for."
According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, the Vikings need to be blown away if they are going to trade Peterson, demanding a first-round pick for the former NFL MVP. Does the same go for Patterson? Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins have all been linked to needing wide receiver help. If they miss out early in the draft, could a deal for Patterson be on the table?
The Vikings kicked off voluntary workouts and right now Wallace and Charles Johnson are the standout players for Teddy Bridgewater. While the coaching staff is praising the emergence of Johnson, Wallace is praising the franchise for taking a chance on him. After a roller coaster two years with the Miami Dolphins, Wallace admitted that he feels comfortable with the Vikings and Bridgewater.
"Just go out and show everybody what you've got," Wallace said, via the team website. "You don't want to be the last guy. You want to come in in shape and get through the workouts. It's going to start out slow, but as it picks up, you've got to be ready, so we're taking it one day at a time and getting better every single day as we go."
