The Vikings traded Stefon Diggs this offseason. A lot of the conversation has gone towards how Diggs fits in with Josh Allen in Buffalo. Maybe we should be talking about the Vikings are going to replace him? Minnesota has 12 draft picks and the expectation is they will just draft someone. That is a very likely option. However, the Vikings made a wide receiver addition in free agency that seems to be flying under the radar. Tajae Sharpe has an opportunity to thrive with the Vikings.
Sharpe, 25, recently spoke about how the fit with Minnesota after the Diggs trade made sense for him:
“The opportunity that’s being presented with Diggs being traded, having kind of a void to fill at the receiver position, I felt like I had the opportunity to come in here and compete for a starting spot,” Sharpe said on a conference call, via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “That’s all that you can ask for is the opportunity to come in and compete, to prove your worth. I feel like with Coach Kubiak and with him running the offense and the success that he’s had for all these years, I just feel like this is the best spot for me to be.”
Sharpe is right. Minnesota is a great landing spot for him. They have a lot of things going for them. For starters, Gary Kubiak is a great offensive coordinator. Kirk Cousins has been much better since getting involved in the offense. Kubiak has done a lot of great things in the NFL. He churned out great years from Joe Flacco and turned Steve Slaton into a household name. Kubiak also won a Super Bowl as the head coach of the Broncos.
The Diggs trade opens up a starting spot on an offense with Dalvin Cook. You already know Cook commands attention. It means less focus on the passing game. Sharpe slides into a starting job and has Adam Thielen on the other side. It’s a great job to have.
I also think there’s a chance Sharpe is really good. After a productive rookie season, Sharpe sort of fell out of the rotation. The former UMass product missed the 2017 season via injury and really never got back into the mix. Tennessee drafted Corey Davis and AJ Brown. They also spent big money on Adam Humphries too. We all know Marcus Mariota stinks so Sharpe never had great quarterback play until this year.
I think we forget Sharpe was really good as a rookie. He was targeted 83 times as a trusted weapon. He finished that 2016 season with 41 receptions for 522 yards and 2 scores. Not too bad for a former receiver out of UMass taken with the 140th pick. Sharpe has good size (6-foot-2) and okay speed (4.55) to develop into a real weapon.
Talk about an opportunity. Don’t give up on Tajae Sharpe too soon. This is someone who had talent and is now in a better opportunity to succeed. There is no question Minnesota will miss Stefon Diggs, but they did a really smart thing rolling the dice on Sharpe.
