The Vikings have had great kickoff returners for most of the last decade, with first-round receiver yielding to first-round receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Now, for the first time since Harvin arrived, it’s unclear who will be returning kickoffs for the Vikings.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some very talented returners who have played for us here in Minnesota,” special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer recently told the team’s official website. “I think when you have a good returner, that makes everyone else around them better. They listen more attentively during the meetings, they study harder.”
The Vikings currently may have a good kickoff returner. They just don’t know who it is.
“At the end of the day, there’s been a lot of talented guys that have been here and they’re fun to coach, but we’re going to find someone that’s a pretty special kickoff returner,” Priefer said.
The candidates include fifth-round receiver Rodney Adams and seventh-round receiver Stacy Coley, along with veteran punt returner Marcus Sherels (pictured).
“Maybe it’s by committee,” Priefer said. “We have several candidates and I’m excited about that. We drafted two guys who could do it. We’ve got guys on the roster that want to do it.”
Every team has guys on the roster that want to do it. The question is whether they can catch the ball, make a good decision as to whether to bring it out of the end zone (where applicable), gain enough yardage to give the offense the boost it needs, and not cough the thing up.