The regular season kickoff between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants on September 8 is still a little over two months away. The position of wide receiver, which is the team’s third on the depth chart, remains unresolved despite general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah having dedicated the majority of the summer on addressing critical Vikings needs.
Although the Vikings have a large pool of contenders already on the roster—we just looked into who they want to earn the job—what about guys on other teams? Alternatively, in this instance, what about unsigned free agents who, after being passed over for so long, want to show the rest of the NFL wrong?
Even though free agency opened in March, a number of well-known players are still seeking employment in August, including Hunter Renfrow, a former wide receiver with the Las Vegas Raiders who was a Pro Bowl player.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic has been pushing the Vikings to sign 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver Ryan Renfrow. Lewis mentioned a few other unsigned free agents the Vikings could consider, but none of their names are as well-known as Renfrow.
Renfrow, a former fifth-round selection, has already outperformed everyone in the NFL, but at only 28, he may still have a few more years to reach his prime. The problem is that over the last two seasons, we haven’t seen Renfrow perform at his peak.
However, Renfrow was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2021 after accumulating 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns on 103 receptions. That followed two seasons in a row with more than 600 receiving yards. His early efforts earned him a $32 million, two-year contract in 2022.
But after Renfrow’s output declined to the point where he only gained 330 and 255 yards in his previous two seasons, the Raiders let their former slot receiver go from the team. As there is Renfrow has at least demonstrated the potential to play at a very high level, though it’s hard to say how much more he has in him.
In order to evaluate what Renfrow is still capable of, the Vikings have nothing to lose by having him in for a workout, but given his age, there should be plenty of tread remaining on the tires.
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