4 picks for an unproven receiver?

[Demi]

Its pretty much like Calvin Johnson falling to us at the 20th pick. HUGE steal.

If Calvin Johnson was an immature brat that liked giving up on plays and being a huge distraction. Which was why he fell, and what he continue to be throughout his entire career.

If he wasn't a head case maybe he doesn't plummet to the 2nd half of the first like Calvin Johnson, and is instead drafted in the top 5!

[mosscarter]

there is only one randy moss, and calvin johnson is a great receiver; but get real.

[VikeMike]

All draft picks are unproven. Is this a gamble? Yep, a big one. But I'll give the Vikings credit ... They had the stones to do it. I was very surprised, but I'll wait and see Patterson play as a pro before I label this a bad move. There's been many gambles that don't pay off, but some do. Let's watch it pay out.

[Raptorman]

The greatest steal in the history of the draft? Wasn't Tom Brady selected in the 6th round? lol

Bart Starr was selected in the 17th round. 200th overall. Brady was 199. I think Bart's 5 Championships trump Brady's 3.

[Arma]

Bart Starr was selected in the 17th round. 200th overall. Brady was 199. I think Bart's 5 Championships trump Brady's 3.

Bart Starr is the GOAT, many really don't understand how good he was and what accomplishments he earned.

[Demi]

The FO did a lot of work checking in to CP and it looks like they spent some serious time face to face with him. I don't think he has any character concerns at all

Did the head coach fly down, hang out with him for a while, come back, and give him the thumbs up?

Man did I rip Childress for that one...guess maybe there was something there after all.

[PurpleHalo]

purple bruise: how can you be a vikings fan and call randy moss a "POS" draft pick?????????? listen closely, randy moss was the greatest receiver to ever play this game. and frankly, the fact that he fell all the way into the 20's makes him the greatest steal in the history of the draft if you ask me.

Moss was very fun, but the greatest WR to ever play? That would be Jerry Rice!

[Demi]

Moss was very fun, but the greatest WR to ever play? That would be Jerry Rice!

Yeah, some people are delusional.

[mosscarter]

its easy to be the best ever when you have montana and steve young (perhaps the most underrated qb ever) throwing to you during the prime of your career. if moss had those two his stats would be similar or exceed rice's. look at all the different qb's moss had to adjust to playing with.

[PacificNorseWest]

The Montana/Young argument is tired. No one worked harder than Rice and and no one was better. Period.

[hibbingviking]

this offense has the potential to be better than in 2009. cant ask for much more.

[mosscarter]

say that after you play with johnson, cunningham, bouman, culpepper, ferotte, george, etc i'm missing a few as well. anyone can work hard but when you play with guys like that, get real. moss made culpepper, and the only one on there decent was cunningham and he was basically washed up when he came to the vikes.

[Raptorman]

The Montana/Young argument is tired. No one worked harder than Rice and and no one was better. Period.

Tired? Maybe. Rice has 6 more years of catching balls than Randy does so far. But if you compare Rice's first 14 years to Randy's 14 years.......

Rice. 1,139 Rec 17,612 yards 15.5 yards per catch 164 TD's. 1 TD for ever 6.9 catches
Moss. 983 Rec 15,292 yards 15.6 yards per catch 156 TD's. 1 Td for every 6.3 catches.

Rice had Montana and Young for those 14 years.
Moss had Cunningham, George, Brad Johnson, Culpepper, Kerry Collin, Andrew Walter, Aaron Brooks, Brady, Farve, Vince Young, Alex Smith and Kaepernick.

Yup, QB's made no difference at all.

Rice will always be considered the best ever. But you have to wonder, if Moss had Montana and Young throwing to him.......

[Mothman]

Tired? Maybe. Rice has 6 more years of catching balls than Randy does so far. But if you compare Rice's first 14 years to Randy's 14 years.......

Rice. 1,139 Rec 17,612 yards 15.5 yards per catch 164 TD's. 1 TD for ever 6.9 catches
Moss. 983 Rec 15,292 yards 15.6 yards per catch 156 TD's. 1 Td for every 6.3 catches.

Rice had Montana and Young for those 14 years.
Moss had Cunningham, George, Brad Johnson, Culpepper, Kerry Collin, Andrew Walter, Aaron Brooks, Brady, Farve, Vince Young, Alex Smith and Kaepernick.

Yup, QB's made no difference at all.

Rice will always be considered the best ever. But you have to wonder, if Moss had Montana and Young throwing to him.......

He probably still would have been an immature, petulant player whose effort didn't always match up to his amazing natural talent.... which is why Rice was the better receiver. He made the most of what he had and he did it longer.

[J. Kapp 11]

Everybody is unproven when they enter the league, including Randy Moss.

Similarities to CP? You make the call.

Moss
Signed with Notre Dame but lost his scholarship because he got in a high-school fight where he kicked the crap out of and hospitalized a a student who he thought was yelling racial slurs at a friend. He was originally charged with a felony but had it dropped to a misdemeanor. Served 30 days, 3 in jail and 27 in a work-release program. Notre Dame dismissed him before he ever showed up, so he transferred to Florida State and had to sit out a year per NCAA rules.

After redshirting his freshman year at Florida State, Moss tested positive for smoking pot, ironically while serving his work-release for the original problem. This was a violation of his probation, and he was dismissed from FSU.

Moss then played two years at Marshall, in its first two years of Division I football. He had a fantastical statistical career, finishing with almost 3,600 yards and 54 TDs, but didn't play competition that had any chance of stopping him. Still he was easily the best player coming out of college from a talent perspective.

So why did he drop to 21?

Well, let's just say he had a pretty bad offseason before the draft, to say the least. All his past indiscretions came into the light, and he didn't even show up for the combine. Yes, he should have gone higher than 21st based on his talent, but who could blame teams for passing on him, given his stunning lack of maturity.

Of course, the rest is history. Mosscarter is right in this regard -- if he wasn't the greatest WR in NFL history, he was among the top 3 or 4. But ... that immaturity caused him problems throughout his career. Even the most ardent Moss fan has to agree with that.

Cordarrelle Patterson didn't have Moss' college numbers, for sure (even in JUCO), but the similarities are striking. He apparently has maturity issues (but none that have landed him in jail or gotten him dismissed from two programs). He apparently did not impress at the combine (but at least he showed up). He does, however, have Moss-like athleticism and size. He did score TDs via receiving, rushing, kick return and punt return at Tennessee. He has ability. Watch the videos. Some of what he can do with the ball in his hands is purely breathtaking.

So yeah, he DOES come with more risk than average. But to dismiss him because he's an immature 22-year-old who didn't impress at the combine? What if the Vikings had done that with Randy Moss? Look at what we would have missed. Yet they certainly had far MORE reason to dismiss Moss for those reasons than Patterson.