Former Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson has already spoken with the Bears, Redskins and Raiders this offseason, but his heart may still be in Minnesota.
On his Snapchat account Saturday night, Patterson posted a series of messages which included "All I am hearing is stay with the Vikings Trust me I want to!"
He also added "What you gone do Rick?" The message was more than likely a nod to Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.
This has been a strange offseason for the former first-round pick so far. Patterson is coming off his second Pro Bowl and finally seemed to get some opportunities in Minnesota's offense under interim (now permanent) coordinator Pat Shurmur. When we spoke at the Pro Bowl back in January, he was adamant that his next destination would have to make some assurances about his role on offense.
"Of course, man," Patterson told me. "Two years I spent damn near on the sideline. That's never a good feeling for any player. No player wants to go through that," he said. "I need to know if I'm going to play or not. If not, I'll take my talents elsewhere."
Like Patterson's old teammate Adrian Peterson, the answer may still lie in Minnesota. Shurmur told Patterson he was interested in getting him the ball toward the end of the season, which resulted in 50 receptions for 439 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the final 13 games.
"It's kind of exciting," Patterson said back in January. "I've never been a free agent. It's just like coming out of college again. You never know what's going to happen. You never know where you're going to go. It's a lot of excitement to me. It'll feel good to lay around for a little bit and kick my feet up."
His talent, especially on special teams, is undeniable. We'll see if "Rick" answers the call after Patterson's Snapchat messages.
