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The Minnesota Vikings know who their WR1 and WR2 are in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. However, after those two, the depth behind them gets concerning as Jalen Nailor left for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
Minnesota could go the draft route in a couple of weeks, but there’s also the bargain free agency route. By now, all the top free agents are gone, but the players still available can be impactful for relatively low cost. It just depends on finding the right player.
Nonetheless, one player who is offering his services to fill that WR3 role is a familiar name to the Vikings: K.J. Osborn.
“You can’t help but look at Minnesota,” he said on the March 26 edition of “Caps Off Podcast.” “With Kyler Murray going back. Jalen Nailor, I’m so happy for him. Speedy, congrats bro, my guy, he just got 3 (years) for $35 (million) from the Raiders. So that spot (WR3) is back open. Just looking around. But home is where the heart is. So we’ll see.”
Osborn served as the Vikings’ third wide receiver from 2021 through 2023, playing first under Mike Zimmer and later under Kevin O’Connell. Over 59 games with Minnesota, he totaled 158 receptions for 1,845 yards and found the end zone 15 times, per StatMuse.
DeAndre Hopkins Sends Message to Vikings
Osborn isn’t the only player sending a message to the Vikings to fill that third wideout role on the depth chart. Amid the Vikings needing a WR3, one former teammate of new Vikings QB Kyler Murray is offering his services to Minnesota as a reliable veteran for the third wideout role.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, DeAndre Hopkins said he would like to reunite with Murray, whom he played with during his time with the Arizona Cardinals.
“Kyler … that’s my bro, man. Kyler is like family,“ Hopkins said in a TMZ article published on March 22. “Whatever I can do for someone like that — if Kyler needed me, if the Vikings need me, they know I’ll be there.”
Could Minnesota Trade for Keon Coleman?
Nonetheless, Hopkins and now Osborn’s names aren’t the only ones in the speculation mill that’s emerging to fill that third wideout role on the depth chart.
In a March 19 article, Bundy also wrote that Minnesota would be an ideal landing spot for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman, who might need a change of scenery if he wants to get his NFL career back on track.
“If Coleman is continuing to struggle to produce like the early-round selection he was, Buffalo could easily find a suitor by the deadline,“ Bundy wrote. “The Minnesota Vikings are hoping to be a buyer now that QB Kyler Murray is at the helm with weapons Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at his disposal.
“With the departure of Jalin Nailor and premature passing of Rondale Moore, the Vikings are in need of a WR3. Coleman could get a new lease on his career and demonstrate he’s still an elite prospect while Buffalo recoups value and Beane can select the guy he actually wants.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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