Cordarrelle Patterson is very aware of where he stands with the Minnesota Vikings at the moment. The team is committed to giving the wide receiver a second chance at being successful, but one slip up could leave Patterson looking for a job. The third-year pro is now fighting for playing time after Minnesota upgraded the rotation and he is taking the opportunity very seriously.
According to the Pioneer Press, the Vikings are not trading or releasing Patterson despite his roller coaster stint with the team. Originally drafted to become the team's top scoring threat, Patterson has yet to look the part suffering more highs than lows in his NFL tenure at the moment. Head coach Mike Zimmer expressed his frustrations with the wide receiver which is causing Patterson to put in a lot of work heading into 2015.
"I feel like this year is going to be the year. It will make me or break me," Patterson said, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "This whole offseason, I spent a lot of time just thinking to myself, 'How can I get better?'"
According to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, early returns on the wide receiver have been positive as Patterson continues to take his comeback serious. However, he is in no way guarantee the starting job for the Vikings. The team traded for Mike Wallace in the offseason and plan on pairing him with Jarius Wright and Charles Johnson who both had successful seasons last year. There is also Stefon Diggs out of Maryland who was drafted in the fifth round this past weekend. Patterson might be taking his job seriously, but he has competition that could hold him back.
Another player looking to defy expectations is Teddy Bridgewater who is coming off a solid rookie season. Bridgewater has already spoken out in support of the return of Adrian Peterson. The quarterback told the media via ESPN Radio that he has been putting in a lot of work this offseason in terms of weight training and feels confident that he can build off the success achieved in 2014.
"I appreciate people saying I had a good rookie season," Bridgewater said, via 1500 ESPN Radio. "But I know that if I play at that same level, we'll be 7-9 again...we'll be at home in January again."