The Minnesota Vikings are not ready to give up on Cordarrelle Patterson after a disappointing 2014 season.
In a Tuesday interview with NBC Sports Radio, coach Mike Zimmer unequivocally shot down rumors that the team is looking to deal the 2013 first-round draft pick.
"No, no chance whatsoever," Zimmer said, via 1500ESPN.com. "Cordarrelle is a young, emerging player who was with his third coordinator in three years. Quite frankly, we need to do a good job of figuring out how we can use him better and he needs to understand where he's supposed to be, the routes and everything."
Although Patterson has frustrated Zimmer with his inability to get open, the Vikings coaching staff has insisted that the raw receiver is not in the doghouse.
"He's going to play good football for us," wide receivers coach George Stewart said in December. "He's a first-round pick for a reason, and he's going to be very successful for us going forward."
Patterson's role is up in the air following the late-season emergence of Charles Johnson and the recent trade for Mike Wallace.
The former Tennessee star has game-breaking ability with the ball in his hands. Absent NFL route-running skills, though, the challenge has been finding a way to get him the ball.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast unveils our annual division power rankings and welcomes Bucky Brooks back to the show. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.