Get ready for not one, but two Kendall Wright revenge games in 2018.
Sources tell NFL Network insiders that the Minnesota Vikings are signing free agent wide receiver Kendall Wright.
The Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs are the only known teams to host Wright as a free agent visitor this offseason.
Wright was the Bears’ highest-graded receiver by Pro Football Focus’ standards last season, and the team’s most productive pass-catcher overall (catching 59 passes and gaining 614 receiving yards, with just one touchdown). All things equal, it’s almost impressive Wright’s numbers were what they were last season, considering the Bears’ reluctance to put the ball in the air with rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Anyway, here we are.
Obviously, Minnesota had a good look at Wright last season, who played his best against the Bears’ NFC North rivals. In fact, Wright hauled in 64.3 percent of the attempts thrown his way when facing division rivals, while Bears signal callers owned a 91.2 rating when throwing to him in those contests.
Adding Wright allows new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo to use Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen differently and more freely than Pat Shurmur did when he was running the offense last year. Thus, making Minnesota’s offense that much more difficult to prepare for in 2018.
Moreover, the Vikings will have a better idea how to use Wright than the Bears did last year. For starters, Minnesota is better off at the receiver position now than Chicago was at any point in 2017. With Diggs and Thielen at the top of the depth chart and opponent scouting reports, Wright can be used properly as a third option in the slot rather than as a team’s top receiving target.
Plus, in Wright, Minnesota gets someone who knows a little something about the Bears’ inner-workings and could provide a nugget of insight in how to attack Vic Fangio’s defense. That was probably a non-zero consideration when the Vikings gave him a call.