In our preseason tight end rankings, we pointed out that Kyle Rudolph won the Pro Bowl MVP the last time he was catching passes from an above-average quarterback.
It will be interesting to see what happens now that Rudolph is being deployed by one of the NFL's best offensive minds of the past three decades.
New Minnesota Vikings coordinator Norv Turner has Rudolph dropping weight and watching video cutups of Jay Novacek, Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron in preparation for a bigger role in the passing game.
All three of those tight ends were among the most productive in the league with Turner calling the shots.
"Some guys have that unique ability to have the feel for a game and dial up huge plays," Rudolph explained to USA Today's Tom Pelissero. "I really noticed watching a lot of Cleveland Browns tape last year, when you're watching the course of the game, you can see that with Norv.
"He has such a great feel for dialing up plays at the right time, and I feel like he will really do a great job of making sure the ball's in the hands of our guys on the outside. We're going to throw it around."
Only one NFL coordinator used "12" personnel (one running back, two tight ends) more often than Turner last season. Only one tight end ran more routes out of the slot than Cameron did while more than tripling his career totals in receptions, yards and touchdowns in his first season under Turner.
Much like Cameron, Rudolph was once a highly regarded basketball prospect. He has the size and athleticism to post career numbers across the board in his age-25 season.
It bodes well for Rudolph's chances of a breakout season that he's working in Larry Fitzgerald's summer camp and is already quicker in and out of his breaks. Vikings fans shouldn't be surprised if their tight end turns his contract year into another Pro Bowl campaign.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" ranked the top quarterbacks in the NFL today.
