Tag: Chad Beebe

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Vikings Finally Found Their Wide Receiver Three

Let’s Reid between the lines…

For several years, Vikings fans have called on GM Rick Spielman to secure a true #3 wide receiver. You can never count out a blockbuster move by Spielman, but all indications say Chad Beebe has already taken that role.

Before looking at Beebe, itā€™s important to understand how many capable pass catchers the Vikings have in starting and second-string roles. Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Irv Smith Jr., Tyler Conklin, Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, and Even C.J. Ham are sure-handed and skilled when the ball comes their way. With that in mind, the team doesnā€™t need an ELITE wide receiver three.

Beebe isnā€™t flashy, but he is a great third wide receiver for the Vikings. At WR3, you really just need someone competent enough to catch a couple passes every game and demand attention from the defense. Beebe fits this to a T.Ā 

In college at Northern Illinois, Beebe didnā€™t blow scouts away with gaudy numbers. He saw his best year as a senior – 417 yards and one touchdown, and his four year collegiate total was less than 1000 receiving yards. In three years with the Vikings, heā€™s only crept up to 310 yards. But many of those yards have come on crucial third downs, and his workload has grown each year.

The 5ā€™10ā€, 183 lb receiver does what coaches request and makes the most of every opportunity he gets. Heā€™s just shifty enough to be troublesome for defenders, and he runs good routes – a big factor in his success on third downs. Best of all for Beebe is the trust and rapport heā€™s built with Kirk Cousins.

With Beebeā€™s skillset, work ethic, and reliability already on the roster, thereā€™s no reason for Spielman to seek out an expensive upgrade at wide receiver three.

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Keep Calm and Skol Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings havenā€™t even finished the preseason, and fans are already in a frenzy. Kirk Cousins had a rough day in front of a home crowd, and kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik already has the yips. Thereā€™s a whole season ahead, yet fans are already jumping ship on social media. Is it really time to freak?

No, no, and no. If Mike Zimmer were to take a play out of archnemesis Aaron Rodgersā€™ book, heā€™d be telling everyone to R-E-L-A-X. Cousins looked especially bad yesterday, but this is no time to panic. This is just the preseason, and Zimmer would be silly to show off Cousinsā€™ best throws in a meaningless game. Sure, Cousins was missing receivers and taking sacks, but he was also playing with backup receivers and without his starting right tackle. Nonetheless, I appreciate how he owned his poor performance rather than talk around it:

ā€œI have to be much better than I was today. Simple as that.ā€

Again, this was just a dress rehearsal, and itā€™s no time to question Minnesotaā€™s leader. If anything, Iā€™d be concerned about wide receiver Chad Beebe. Heā€™s got charm and has been the star of training camp, but Beebe has struggled to stay in sync with his quarterbacks (Cousins, Mannion, etc), and it makes them look bad when the lights come on. That said, he was just filling in for Adam Thielen, so getting worked up over his mediocre performance would be a waste of time.

Now letā€™s play Devilā€™s Advocate and pretend this was a precursor to Cousins having a down year. It would be far from ideal, but Zimmer has made it clear that this is going to be a run-first offense. Cook only played a handful of downs yesterday, yet he ripped off a beautiful 75-yard touchdown run that left the Cardinals and boobirds in the dust. Further down the depth chart, Alexander Mattison was just alright, but Mike Boone wiped away any doubt of making the final roster. Running the ball isnā€™t as glamorous as prolific passing, but Iā€™m on board if it leads to a playoff berth.

Another question mark comes with the latest kicking acquisition Kaare Vedvik. He made a couple extra points yesterday, but his two missed field goals were concerning. Normally, Zimmer keeps a good poker face during press conferences, but he didnā€™t mince words after the game:

ā€œSince we brought Vedvik in, Wileā€™s been punting good, and Baileyā€™s been kicking good. Then Vedvik goes in there and misses field goals, so Iā€™m at a loss on that.ā€

As noted in my last article, I believe the Vikings will enter the season with Bailey as the placekicker, and Vedvik will be handling punts and kickoffs. Itā€™s nice to know he can kick in a pinch, but that shouldnā€™t be his primary role.

With the media focused on the negatives of yesterdayā€™s game, donā€™t forget the Vikings left the Bank with a win. Until next time, keep calm and Skol Vikings.

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Vikings vs. Seahawks: What to Watch for in Preseason Game Two

Last weekend, the Minnesota Vikings successfully beat the New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy. There were some studs and some duds in the 34-25 victory, so what should fans be watching for in the second preseason game?

Chad Beebe

This player was on my watch-list last week. Despite rave reviews throughout training camp, Beebe didnā€™t have a single catch against the Saints, and now he really needs to prove himself on Sunday night. Many analysts have him as a lock for making the final roster, but another catchless night could put Beebeā€™s future in jeopardy.

Kicking and Punting

Rick Spielman stirred the pot this week by trading for special teamer Kaare Vedvik. The Norway native and ex-Baltimore Raven has the ability to punt and kick, a rare talent in todayā€™s NFL. Itā€™s extremely uncommon for a team to rely on one player to do both, but the Vikings may consider that route given the mediocre performances of kicker Dan Bailey and punter Matt Wile during camp. It would be nice to save a roster spot, but the move puts the team in a tough spot if that player is injured. Keep in mind, Bailey and Wile are still playing in purple, so this situation hasnā€™t been sorted out yet. One thing is for sure: at least one player will soon be sent packing.

Seahawks Preview

Itā€™s not very often that the Vikings face off with a regular-season foe during the preseason, but it will happen this Sunday. Minnesota hasnā€™t defeated Seattle in several years, so they will likely use this game to prep for the real dance that awaits in the regular season. This is also the first home game of the year, and itā€™s a great chance to unleash pent-up Vikings fandom. Tickets start at only $20, so make it to the ā€˜Bankā€™ if you can.

Olabisi Johnson

After being taken late in this yearā€™s draft, Bisi Johnson has had a somewhat quiet training camp. Like many NFL hopefuls, he turned some heads during his first preseason game with good routes and a touchdown catch. Since then, heā€™s looked good in practice and thereā€™s reason to believe he can play well again this Sunday. With players like Chad Beebe, Laquon Treadwell, and Jordan Taylor vying for limited roster spots, heā€™ll need another solid showing to have a chance at making the roster.

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