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http://blog.startribune.com/sports/acce ... -patterson

In an open-ended question, a reporter asked Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer if he’s disappointed about wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson’s season on Monday.

“I don’t think disappointment is the right word,” Zimmer said. “I think youth might be the right word.”

Zimmer expressed why he felt Patterson, in his fourth offense in four years dating back to junior college, hasn’t been a disappointment this year based on his limited time playing wide receiver in his career. Patterson, 23, displayed a lot of promise in what started as a limited role during his rookie season last year. The Vikings planned to unleash him in offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s offense this season but that hasn’t been the case through 10 games.

More at the link.

Perhaps picking a WR that knew the position he was being drafted for, would have helped.

I know others have disagreed but I still believe that norv is limiting his production by simply not using his talents to their fullest potential. We all know how he has struggled as a route runner and getting off press coverage and that has been extremely disappointing. So I don't understand why continue to use him nearly exclusively in a traditional WR role. If he cannot function successfully as a tradition WR at this point and needs further development in that area, what is the harm in using him more as a gadget player, a role he was extremely successful at last year. It's not like our offense has been so efficient that there's no room for more gadget plays, in fact a change of pace could actuslly provide a spark for this offense. We currently lack any big play ability, despite the fact that when Patterson was given the ball consistently last season, he was probably the best big play threat in the league.

Just give him the damn ball norv, any way you can.... what is there to lose?

saint33 wrote:I know others have disagreed but I still believe that norv is limiting his production by simply not using his talents to their fullest potential. We all know how he has struggled as a route runner and getting off press coverage and that has been extremely disappointing. So I don't understand why continue to use him nearly exclusively in a traditional WR role. If he cannot function successfully as a tradition WR at this point and needs further development in that area, what is the harm in using him more as a gadget player, a role he was extremely successful at last year. It's not like our offense has been so efficient that there's no room for more gadget plays, in fact a change of pace could actuslly provide a spark for this offense. We currently lack any big play ability, despite the fact that when Patterson was given the ball consistently last season, he was probably the best big play threat in the league.

Just give him the damn ball norv, any way you can.... what is there to lose?

I agree. There is no reason to mute what Patterson can do in an effort to train him to be a traditional WR. Even when CP does understand the traditional role better, he should still be used in screens, running out of the backfield, and/or gadget plays.

Patterson proved during the last half of 2013 that he's a productive playmaker when he's doing things other than just being a traditional WR . If it gets yardage and more TDs, then the Vikings need to use him that way.

losperros wrote:
I agree. There is no reason to mute what Patterson can do in an effort to train him to be a traditional WR. Even when CP does understand the traditional role better, he should still be used in screens, running out of the backfield, and/or gadget plays.

Patterson proved during the last half of 2013 that he's a productive playmaker when he's doing things other than just being a traditional WR . If it gets yardage and more TDs, then the Vikings need to use him that way.

I agree as well

PurpleKoolaid wrote:Perhaps picking a WR that knew the position he was being drafted for, would have helped.

And not trading four picks to get one that didn't.

Patterson proved during the last half of 2013 that he's a productive playmaker when he's doing things other than just being a traditional WR . If it gets yardage and more TDs, then the Vikings need to use him that way.

Proved? Not sure a few solid games is "proving" anything...much less enough to build an offense around him or run an offensive game plan based on his skill set.

Demi wrote:
Proved? Not sure a few solid games is "proving" anything...much less enough to build an offense around him or run an offensive game plan based on his skill set.

He converted 26 touches into 6 touchdowns in the month of December alone!!!! I think that's a little more than a "few good games". He barely saw the field until Simpson was out prior to that.

Chip Scoggins has written a new article about Patterson:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 06711.html

Patterson’s longest catch is 28 yards. He’s averaging 8 fewer yards on his kickoff returns. Maybe his hip injury has affected him more than we know, but Patterson looks largely insignificant in the offense right now.

Zimmer noted Patterson is playing in his third offense in as many years, which sounds like a nice way of saying Patterson is not always in the right spot.

In reality, Patterson remains remarkably raw as a receiver. Yes, he’s big and fast and strong and can be electric with the ball in his hands. But his struggles underscore that it became entirely too convenient to blame the former coordinator for keeping Patterson under wraps.

“I believe that he’s going to be a really good player, but everybody is impatient, including me, and I’m sure he is, too,” Zimmer said. “It will come. It just may take a while.”

Someone here (I apologize for forgetting who) mentioned that Patterson was playing as if his injury is affecting him more than we've been told and it looks like that to me too. I'm just not seeing the same speed and explosive burst from him that I saw last year. Maybe he's healthy and its a matter of thinking too much and not playing at full speed but he looks "off" to me.

That said, I agree with saint33: give him the ball! What is there to lose?

Mothman wrote:Chip Scoggins has written a new article about Patterson:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 06711.html
Someone here (I apologize for forgetting who) mentioned that Patterson was playing as if his injury is affecting him more than we've been told and it looks like that to me too. I'm just not seeing the same speed and explosive burst from him that I saw last year. Maybe he's healthy and its a matter of thinking too much and not playing at full speed but he looks "off" to me.

That said, I agree with saint33: give him the ball! What is there to lose?

He seems to be more of a flush than a flash

Purple bruise wrote:He seems to be more of a flush than a flash

He was a raw prospect, drafted almost entirely for his natural athletic ability. I considered it a given that it would probably take years (literally0 to develop him into an effective NFL receiver. When a team drafts a player like that, they're banking on their ability to train him and make the most of his ability over the long haul. He's been disappointing this year, and I'm not convinced that's all his fault, but personally, I think the jury is basically out on Patterson for at least another year. He should be looking much better by the end of 2015 and if he isn't, then at that point I'll be concerned that he's a bust.

IF he's going to be a star, I doubt he'll like one until year 4.

Mothman wrote: He was a raw prospect, drafted almost entirely for his natural athletic ability. I considered it a given that it would probably take years (literally0 to develop him into an effective NFL receiver. When a team drafts a player like that, they're banking on their ability to train him and make the most of his ability over the long haul. He's been disappointing this year, and I'm not convinced that's all his fault, but personally, I think the jury is basically out on Patterson for at least another year. He should be looking much better by the end of 2015 and if he isn't, then at that point I'll be concerned that he's a bust.

IF he's going to be a star, I doubt he'll like one until year 4.

If he is not injured right now then what happened to him Look back at his highlights from last year and you can't even recognize him as being the same player. This is quite evident in watching his kick-off returns.
Maybe he "caught" whatever Kalil caught after their rookie years

Purple bruise wrote:If he is not injured right now then what happened to him Look back at his highlights from last year and you can't even recognize him as being the same player. This is quite evident in watching his kick-off returns.

As I said, it looks to me like his injury has had more of an effect on him than we've been told.

Maybe he "caught" whatever Kalil caught after their rookie years

I think Kalil's injury had a lot to do with that too. It hampered him last year and supposedly hampered him earlier this year but as he himself pointed out, when a player plays injured, they adjust what they're doing in an effort to compensate for the injury and that can lead to bad habits that are hard to shake even when healthy again. I don't know if that's happening with Patterson though. It just looks to me like he can't get up to the full speed this year.

Maybe it's a confidence issue. He might be trying too hard to make things happen instead of letting them come naturally.

Both players are playing like they're over-thinking their assignments. It's frustrating.

He's doing bad because I drafted him in fantasy this year. There, mystery solved

Boon wrote:He's doing bad because I drafted him in fantasy this year. There, mystery solved

Correction. He's doing bad because we drafted him in fantasy this year. He's on my team too.

Demi wrote: Proved? Not sure a few solid games is "proving" anything...much less enough to build an offense around him or run an offensive game plan based on his skill set.

Yes, proved. The moment Patterson started getting the ball, things began to happen last year. That can't be changed, so the proof is there.

Since the Vikings most certainly did not build an offense around Patterson and aren't even close to running an offensive game plan that utilizes his skills, I'm not sure what your second point is supposed to be.