With the WR depth chart slashed by injury and suspension, who could the Vikings add?

CBS News

4 hours ago

When you have Justin Jefferson on your roster, wide receiver is always going to be a position of strength. And while the top of the Vikings' receiver depth chart is as solid as ever, injuries and a suspension mean the team is thinner there than they'd like heading into this season.
Jefferson himself just returned to practice after being held out for a while with a hamstring strain. The team insists he'll be ready for Week 1. Jordan Addison, the route-running Robin to Jefferson's Batman, is suspended for the first three games after a reckless driving conviction. No. 3 receiver Jalen Nailor is nursing a hand injury and free agent addition Rondale Moore will miss a second straight season after suffering a knee injury in the Vikings' first preseason game.
Behind that group, the Vikings have several rookies, including third-round pick Tai Felton, and a handful of unproven vets and depth pieces. Given that, the team could look to sign a wide receiver — or even trade for one, as the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
So, who's available? This close to the start of the season, the pickings are slim, but there are some viable trade and free-agent targets for the Vikings to go after, including a couple of ghosts of Vikings past.
Palmer is entering his third season with the Buccaneers, and he's buried on one of the deepest depth charts in the league. Though the Bucs have injury questions of their own with Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, they just spent a first-round draft pick on Emeka Egbuka and signed Sterling Shepard this offseason. Palmer has a similar size profile to Addison, and while he's obviously not as talented as the Vikings' No. 2, he only has to replace him in the short term. Palmer also brings skills as a returner, where the Vikings have an open competition.
Pierce is coming off the best season of his career (824 yards and seven touchdowns), and would likely command the highest trade return of any name on this list. The 25-year-old is a great deep threat, averaging 22.4 yards per reception last year. So why would the Indianapolis Colts trade him? Well, they just named Daniel Jones their starting quarterback, and Jones is among the league's most reluctant deep passers. The Colts' offense will likely be predicated on short passes, and while Pierce could be used as a decoy to free up space underneath, he may want to seek greener pastures elsewhere. At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, he also would give the Vikings an element of size they're currently lacking.
Here's a familiar name. The Vikings released Thielen after the 2022 season and he signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers. He's been solid in Carolina, collecting 1,629 yards and nine touchdowns across two seasons. But the Panthers just took a wide receiver with the No. 8 overall pick, and they have some other young prospects as well. A reunion between the Vikings and Thielen would make sense for everyone involved.
Davis is a free agent, so the Vikings wouldn't have to give up anything but money to get him. But he's coming off an injury of his own, so depending on his recovery, the Vikings might be hesitant to add him as a failsafe. Still, before his injury last season, he was one of the league's most consistent backup receivers, averaging 682.5 yards and 6.8 touchdowns across four season with the Buffalo Bills. If the medicals check out and the money's right, the Vikings could get a steal in Davis.
Another free agent and another familiar face. Powell spent the last two seasons with the Vikings, serving as a depth piece and occasional returner. While he won't move the needle on the field, he's familiar with the offense and likely wouldn't be an expensive add. If the Vikings are just seeking a Band-Aid while Addison's suspended and Nailor is recovering, Powell would be a fine option.