ESPN: Vikings Should Sign This Notable Free Agent Wide Receiver

With Tyler Boyd (Titans) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Bills) recently joining new teams, the most notable free agent wide receivers still on the market are Hunter Renfrow, Michael Thomas, and Russell Gage. There are obvious reasons why all three are still available; Renfrow hasn't done much since his 2021 Pro Bowl season, Thomas is 31 and hasn't been an elite player since 2019, and Gage is coming off a year lost to injury. They also might be looking for more money than teams want to give them, considering those concerns.

Still, any of the three could be a potential upgrade for the Vikings at WR3, depending on the price. With K.J. Osborn leaving this offseason, Minnesota's current top candidates to fill that role are Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Jalen Nailor. Among that group, only Sherfield has a 400-yard season in his career. In a recent piece where he lists ten post-draft deals that should happen, ESPN's Bill Barnwell laid out the case for the Vikings signing Renfrow.

"Renfrow emerged as a valuable option out of the slot for the Raiders in 2021, but after signing an extension, injuries and the addition of Jakobi Meyers marginalized his spot in the lineup. After racking up 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021, he has totaled 585 receiving yards and two scores combined over the past two seasons. The Raiders unsurprisingly cut Renfrow after the season. I wouldn't expect him to land much more than a one-year deal for just over the minimum at this point of free agency, but at that price tag, taking a flier on the 28-year-old seems like a reasoned move. He also returned punts during his time with Vegas, which helps if he's going to be a fourth or fifth wideout on game day.

What about the Vikings? They're set atop the depth chart with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but K.J. Osborn joined the Patriots and top tight end T.J. Hockenson is coming off a torn ACL. The Vikings brought in Trent Sherfield this offseason and could expand Brandon Powell's role, but Renfrow has a much more productive season in his recent past than either player has had at any point during their respective careers. Renfrow would probably be competing with Powell for the third wideout and punt returner role in Minnesota, a battle he could win if given the opportunity."

If, as Barnwell predicts, Renfrow is available on a one-year deal for $2-3 million, he could certainly be worth adding to the mix. The former fifth-round pick out of Clemson had over 600 yards in each of his first two seasons, then broke out with a Pro Bowl season in 2021. He saw his role reduced pretty starkly over the past two years, but he's still 28 years old and could be in line for a bounce-back year if he lands in the right situation. Renfrow oddly had six drops on 37 targets last season after having five drops on 248 targets over the previous three seasons. As Barnwell mentioned, he also has 70 career punt returns in the NFL.

Depending on the price, signing Renfrow to compete with Powell and Sherfield for the WR3 job could make plenty of sense for a Vikings team that hasn't done much to replace Osborn.

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