Is Greg Childs on His Way Back?

[Texas Vike]

In the fourth round of the 2012 draft, the Minnesota Vikings drafted a tall #### dude out of Arkansas called Greg Childs. He looked lik he had some pretty decent potential as a piece to add to the Vikings offense. Tall, decent speed good weight and strength. And then he tore up both of his knees in training camp and we only saw his opposite twin Jarius Wright for the next two years. It's been weird, to say the least.

Last Friday, Childs tweeted out to the world that he's back, in some form or another, and that everyone who has been sleeping on him (on top of? To the side? Ignoring? Be clear, Childs!) needs to wake up. I don't think that's particularly fair, as anyone who has been sleeping on him hasn't exactly been disrespectful here or anything, they've just looked at the situation and said "Here's a guy who tore both patellar tendons in his two knees, after he had already torn a tendon in one of his knees just as recently as 2010. To say "Greg Childs may be injury prone" is like saying "Percy Harvin likes to smoke a ton of weed and gets headaches." No kidding, man.
But let's do as Childs says and stop sleeping on him ... Er ... Stop not talking about him. I'm not sleeping with him. What if Childs came back to the Vikings in 2014? What does that mean?

Well, as things stand now, he'd be an interesting add to the roster. I keep thinking Childs would be an awesome tall threat to add to the roster, but at 6'3" he's just as tall as Cordarrelle Patterson (also 6'3") and shorter than both Rodney Smith (6'6"!) and quarterbackSLASHwidereciever Joe Webb, who is 6'4". So Childs as a red zone threat doesn't really get me excited. If anything, Childs seems a bit redundant with Patterson now on the roster. Patterson is faster, shiftier, and just as tall, but he is more expensive, although, obviously worth the money.

The way the Vikings could go here is they could let Joe Webb walk in free agency (he's a free agent, right?), as well as Jerome Simpson, then let Greg Childs work his shirtless body into one of their former roles on the roster, and then draft a new receiver sometime in this year's NFL Draft. That would let the team go cheaper at the position while not losing out on much talent. Then you'd be looking at a WR core of Patterson, Jennings, Wright, Childs, and some dude like Rodney Smith, Adam Thielen, random rookie or training camp body, both of which I'd be fine with. Either way, not too bad.
In the end, IF Greg Childs is truly ready to come back (and we hope he is) it will be nice to see what he finally has to offer to this team. Besides swollen pectoral muscles.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/artic ... k/15914738

The legend continues!

[Funkytown]

Rooting for the guy!

[S197]

Haven't read any articles on him recently but the older ones make it sound like he has a great work ethic and attitude. It would be great if he pans out but he's yet to even see the field in preseason so we really have no idea. It's one thing to have an ACL or other common injury but the freakish way he's able to blow up both knees from little to no contact is scary.

[saint33]

this kid had a ton of talent and has shown a great work ethic and attitude during his recovery. He's certainly not a player that should be relied upon to succeed, but I'm rooting for the kid and hope he can stay healthy and live up to his potential. It would be a great story if he could.

[Texas Vike]

That's what I say, I'm just pulling for the guy. I sure don't think he's a legend

To clarify: it was clear you did not think he was a legend (i.e. "extremely famous/notorious person"). I used legend in the sense of traditional/popular story--folklore or a myth. Many posters want to believe that Childs will be able to overcome his injuries and become an NFL star.

I am very skeptical that he'll be able to do it and I find the phenomenon of posters clinging to that hope interesting. But I hope I am wrong! I'd love to have this guy come back and prove all the skeptics (like me) wrong. (I still won't sleep ON him though )

[Purple bruise]

To clarify: it was clear you did not think he was a legend (i.e. "extremely famous/notorious person"). I used legend in the sense of traditional/popular story--folklore or a myth. Many posters want to believe that Childs will be able to overcome his injuries and become an NFL star.

I am very skeptical that he'll be able to do it and I find the phenomenon of posters clinging to that hope interesting. But I hope I am wrong! I'd love to have this guy come back and prove all the skeptics (like me) wrong. (I still won't sleep ON him though )

Ponder and he will "light it up" next year

[NextQuestion]

To clarify: it was clear you did not think he was a legend (i.e. "extremely famous/notorious person"). I used legend in the sense of traditional/popular story--folklore or a myth. Many posters want to believe that Childs will be able to overcome his injuries and become an NFL star.

I am very skeptical that he'll be able to do it and I find the phenomenon of posters clinging to that hope interesting. But I hope I am wrong! I'd love to have this guy come back and prove all the skeptics (like me) wrong. (I still won't sleep ON him though )

Thank you. I've been saying this since 2013 off season. People will say like "Oh, we've got CP, Jennings, Wright, and Childs. OMG we're set". No, Childs hasn't played a down in preseason and he was a 4th round guy in a deep WR draft for a reason. I am rooting for him since he's purple but I can't expect him to be more than a ST guy

[Slick Rick]

Well I've always said, Childs has elite potential. He was elite in college, in fact, he has athletic abilities on par with freaks like Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. He ran a 4.3 40, he jumped 40 inches in the vertical, he has great hands, he's physical.. Only problem is that the dude has been getting hurt constantly, and it's been the same injury. We will see, not sure how dependable he is, or how long he can stay healthy, but who knows, he could never get hurt again, he could get hurt on the first play of the first practice and never make it back to the NFL. Let's hope it's the former, because a guy like him with Wright, Patterson and Jennings could be a helluva combination.

Even if he isn't, I think Rodney Smith could be an interesting option for the 4th WR. He's also huge and athletic. I don't know much about his catching abilities or route running, but considering the 3 guys ahead of him, I wouldn't be too worried about the WR position much anyways.

[jackal]

man that would be awesome Child's had some serious game in college

the guy if healthy would allow to have another threat in the end zone and down the field

[Eli]

The question was never really whether Childs' patellar tendons would heal and whether he'd be "back". The question has been whether they'll just tear again. Being that this was the second time he's torn the right one, and that he tore both of them on a play with no contact, the odds seem pretty slim that he'll have much of a career.

Last year it was a pretty easy decision for the Vikings to place him on IR for a second season. This year there won't be any sense in having him on IR and they'll have to decide if he's deserves a roster spot at the expense of another WR who hasn't had such a devastating injury history.

[Pepper2Moss]

I'd love to see him succeed, & he had some hype coming into that rookie year initially, but we certainly can't count on it. With how hard he's worked to get back, you know he's got the drive & work ethic.

[Purple bruise]

I am one of the Greg Childs hopefulls. Here is his Twitter https://twitter.com/TheGregChilds85

[PurpleKoolaid]

I expect nothing from him. Second injury, I doubt he lasts a season if he did make it back and was good enough to be a starter.

[mansquatch]

I'd love ot see him make it back, but I see it as as a bonus at this point. We are not hurting for pass catching talent right now. We are hurting for pass throwing talent.

[chicagopurple]

he is full of stale "coulda been" potential.....I am far more interested in the draft this year as it is OVERFLOWING with WR talent. Childs injury, and bilateral at that, are very typical of steroid abuse. Its all speculation but to rupture both sides is highly suspicious.