Vikings sign veteran receiver Kendall Wright

The Vikings replaced one Wright with another. Two weeks after letting Jarius Wright go, Rick Spielman signed former Bears and Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright, adding depth to a relatively thin receiver room.

Kendall Wright will presumably handle Jarius Wright’s slot duties. The six-year veteran Wright led the Bears in receptions last year with 59 on 91 targets, but only scored one touchdown. Before his lone season in Chicago, Wright spent five seasons with the Titans. He had a 1,000-yard season in 2013, though he scored just two touchdowns that year.

Wright joins one of the best receiving duos in football in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Both men had excellent seasons a year ago, but the Vikings’ other receivers were far less consistent with their production. Laquon Treadwell had a better season after a rough rookie 2016, but that amounted to just 20 catches as opposed to one his first year. Head coach Mike Zimmer has publicly implied that 2018 may be Treadwell’s last chance to prove he belongs.

Wright’s impact on the Vikings’ receiving situation will be an interesting follow moving forward. For one, his addition could mean Minnesota will be less inclined to draft a receiver in the earlier rounds. That is, unless their belief in Treadwell has waned enough to warrant more consideration for the future of that position. Wright also could take some snaps away from Treadwell. Given the Vikings have pass catchers at tight end and running back, they do not run many four-wide sets. Plus, Kendall Wright has historically been more productive than Jarius Wright, so Treadwell may see even fewer snaps than he saw in 2017.

Even if Wright’s signing plays no role in Treadwell’s development, he should provide the Vikings with a consistent option out of the slot that can make some plays with the ball in his hands. That is something they were lacking at times from their receiving depth last season.

–Sam Smith is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Vikings and Full Press Coverage NFC North. Like and Follow @samc_smith//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @fpc_vikings//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsFollow @fpc_nfcn//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

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