Osborn sought an opportunity to make a difference on a contender, and now it appears he has found that landing spot.

Washington Commanders grab former Minnesota Vikings K.J. Osborn

K.J. Osborn wound up being a lackluster fit for the New England Patriots. It’s tough to produce without the help of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The quarterback situation being what is is in New England doesn’t help either. Now he’s headed to a playoff contender, and the Commanders can figure out a way to filter them into their offense.

Former #Patriots WR KJ Osborn, who was waived yesterday, was claimed by the #Commanders, source said. pic.twitter.com/Qm2pyR7JC4

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 11, 2024

With the Patriots, Osborn played in just seven games and drew only four starts. He turned 18 targets into seven receptions and generated a total of only 57 yards. Although he did score a touchdown, it would be hard to suggest that the veteran didn’t steal more than $3 million from his new team.

This was a nice throw by Brissett to KJ Osborn. Why didn't Osborn try to catch it with two hands? pic.twitter.com/18kQJkoyNV

— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) August 26, 2024

In moving to the Washington Commanders, Osborn has an opportunity to produce for a team with playoff aspirations. Jayden Daniels is among the best rookies across the NFL this season, and providing him with additional weapons is never going to be a bad thing.

It remains to be seen whether Osborn can contribute outside of Minnesota. Jalen Nailor has taken over his old role and posted 270 yards with five touchdowns in just 13 games. Of course Osborn’s situation was always going to be worse than it was previously, and he would need to show how his talent made the difference.

Related: Lions’ Star Wide Receiver Fears Packers More Than Vikings

Osborn is now provided a new opportunity on a good team. It will be up to him to show what he can do with that the rest of the way.

New England Patriots waive K.J. Osborn

After hitting the open market for the first time in his career, the Vikings’ 2020 5th round pick signed with the New England Patriots, on a 1-year, $4 million deal ($3.18M guaranteed). Now, just fourteen weeks into his Patriots tenure, Osborn is available to any team willing to pick up the rest of his 2024 contract.

Should he pass through waivers, the 27-year-old wide receiver will once again be a free agent, likely to sign for the league minimum with his new team. Could that new team be the Minnesota Vikings? They’d make sense, since he already knows the offense and they could use more talent in their wide receiver room, beyond Jefferson and Addison.

The #Patriots and WR KJ Osborn are mutually parting ways, as he heads to waivers with the opportunity to latch on with another team.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 10, 2024

Osborn’s struggles this year are proof that fit matters, especially as a wide receiver. Without Kirk Cousins (or Sam Darnold) to throw him the football, and KOC to scheme him open, the same guy who caught 108 passes for nearly 1,200 yards the past two seasons with the Vikings was relegated to the 2nd worst season of his NFL career, behind only his rookie campaign.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Replacement Kicker Finds New Employer

After starting 12-of-16 games for Minnesota last season, Osborn drew starts in just 4-of-7 contests for the Patriots. He was targeted only 18 times all of 2024. He leaves Boston having collected just seven receptions, 57 total receiving yards and 1 touchdown.

Former Minnesota Vikings starter struggled with new team, new QBs

Without a competent QB and play-caller, not to mention both Jefferson and Addison to demand the defense’s attention, KJ Osborn was a shell of himself. Jacoby Brissett isn’t a legitimate starter, no matter what the Patriots tried to sell their fans, in the offseason.

K.J. Osborn

Patriots career comes to an end

Guaranteed money – $3.2m

Off snaps – 232
Targets – 18
Rec – 7
Rec% – 38.9%
Yds – 57
TD – 1

so there’s that pic.twitter.com/KkAsP4MkG0

— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) December 10, 2024

Sure, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye has the talent, work ethic and personality necessary to be a really good NFL QB, but he and the New England offense are nowhere near that right now.

Across 50 total games (30 starts), over three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, the former Miami Hurricane racked up 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns, before departing for New England, where the money was better, but grass wasn’t greener.

Related: Vikings DC Brian Flores Makes Initial Short List of Coaching Candidates for NFC North Rival

If Osborn is going to resurrect his opportunities elsewhere, he’ll have to look much more like the veteran he was with Minnesota. A 38.9% catch percentage, like what he had in New England, won’t get the job done. KJ played just 53% of the offensive snaps, for the Patriots this season, a team that struggles to push the ball downfield.

KJ Osborn has to make this catch. You're a vet on a young team. Show the young guys how it's done pic.twitter.com/Z6UEJjOIV1

— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) August 26, 2024

Related: Rick Spielman Still Has No Idea How to Evaluate College Quarterbacks

K.J. Osborn – Will He Be Too Expensive?

While he’s never been a star in Minnesota’s offense, K.J. Osborn has also never posted a ‘bad’ season by any means. As a former fifth-round pick, he’s certainly lived up to his draft selection. Far from a Justin Jefferson-level talent, Osborn has been reliable, racking up at least 540 yards and 48 catches in each of his past three seasons.

Already set for unrestricted free agency, there’s a good chance Osborn finds a better opportunity elsewhere this offseason. It’s not that he wouldn’t be welcomed back to a top-heavy receiving corps that has very little proven depth behind it.

Instead, the Vikings may be forced to move on from Osborn simply due to cost. He becomes a free agent this offseason and other teams around the NFL may view the 26-year-old wideout as someone who could fill a starting role in their offense, in which he’s been surpassed by both Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota.

Not to mention, the Vikings might find more use out of a player who can bring more speed to the offense while offering more yards after catch opportunities, both traits Osborn does not possess.

Related: New Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer is a Die-Hard Minnesota Sports Fan

Trade Lewis Cine For Best Offer Available

Is there a ‘need’ to move on from the 32nd overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft? Absolutely not. While Lewis Cine has yet to contribute much to the Vikings since becoming a first-round selection, he’ll still be just 24 when the 2024 season starts. That’s plenty of time for the former Georgia star to make his mark with the Vikings.

Yet, no one knew the type of players Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus would become when GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made Cine his first-ever draft selection. Outside of maybe Alexander Mattison (more on him in a moment) the Vikings do not care about which round a player was drafted in or what his role was supposed to be, when acquired. The best players see the field. Ivan Pace Jr. proved that more so than anyone else this past season.

While Cine may still have something to offer, the reality is the Vikings already have three safeties who demand more playing time than him. In turn, it may be best for the front office to see if they can dump their former top pick for something like a late-round draft selection (perhaps a 5th-round pick).

While Harrison Smith’s future may be unclear, other young players like Jay Ward and Theo Jackson can likely fill the third safety role in Minnesota while still contributing on special teams.

If Possible, Vikings Should Move On From Alexander Mattison

This one may be tricky. A year ago, the Vikings essentially chose Alexander Mattison over Dalvin Cook, hoping the bulky back could provide a less expensive option that still produces at a high level. Vikings fans all across the globe will tell you that didn’t work out so well.

However, the Vikings signed Mattison to a two-year, $7 million contract in 2023, with $2.75 million of his contract in 2024 already guaranteed. Cutting him wouldn’t solve any cap issues. In fact, releasing Mattison would only offer $600K in cap savings, given the $4 million penalty releasing him would trigger.

Related: 2024 Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft Roundup

So what’s the point? Money aside, Mattison rarely looked like the best running back on this team last season. Ty Chandler’s 4.5 YPA is clearly more efficient than trotting Mattison out there, averaging just 3.9 YPA. And it’s not like Mattison’s hard-nosed running style led to more scores either, he didn’t even have a rushing touchdown this season.

The Vikings may not feel like they have much of a choice but to keep Mattison on the roster, but honestly, giving those reps to anyone else, such as Chandler, Cam Akers after he rehabs another Achilles injury OR a late-round draft pick come April would probably benefit Kevin O’Connell’s offense more than another year of Mattison.

Related: Justin Jefferson May Not Return This Season If Playoffs Are Out Of Reach

Vikings unlikely to trade Kirk Cousins, may extend him instead

Aside from the challenge of integrating a new starting quarterback in the middle of a season, there are other reasons Cousins is likely to stay put. First, he has a no-trade clause and becomes a free agent in March. Cousins has a family with two young boys in school in Minnesota, and uprooting them or living apart just to go join another team starting in November might not make the most sense.

I also was told by team sources that Minnesota is not planning on trading him. They are always going to take a call, but I’ve had numerous conversations with league sources about the Vikings’ resistance to trading their starter and also the possibility that the team keeps Cousins past this season.

Dianna Russini – The Athletic

Russini did her homework on this report. Not only has she talked to people in Cousins’ corner and those inside the Vikings front office, but she has also contacted teams like the Jets, Falcons, Steelers and Browns, none of which seem inclined to make such a groundbreaking midseason deal at QB.

Of course, all sides could be sending smoke signals through Dianna, in order to leverage the other party into offering more than they’ve been willing, so far. But as of now, it appears as if Kirk Cousins is staying in Minnesota, at least until the offseason, possibly beyond.

Other Minnesota Vikings players on the trade block

While the Vikings may not be willing to trade Kirk Cousins, they have already been fielding calls and remain interested in dealing other veterans, including KJ Osborn, Danielle Hunter and Harrison Smith.

As for Vikings players who are more viable trade candidates, Minnesota has received calls and will continue to listen on three-time pro bowl defensive end, Danielle Hunter, receiver KJ Osborn and safety Harrison Smith.

Dianna Russini – The Athletic

Osborn will be looking for a bigger role elsewhere, next season, even after a very mediocre start to 2023-24. Danielle Hunter already has suiters that we’ve heard about, though the Jaguars may not have what it takes in draft capital to get the deal done.

Related: Kirk Cousins Sidesteps Question About Waiving No-Trade Clause

Harrison Smith makes sense, even after he took a pay cut during the offseason, to stay with the Vikings. Statistically, Harry is having one of the best seasons in his career and it will be Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s last chance to cash in on a decent return package, before he hits the age of 35.

The Vikings will play the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, on Sunday. A win could put a pause on any of these trade plans, but a loss could trigger them to start happening as early as Monday.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Needless to say, most people in Colorado root for the Denver Broncos, the state’s team. But given how disappointing last year’s campaign was, chances are some will be looking forward to switching sides.

If that’s the case, they could turn to a team that made the playoffs last season and won its division: the Minnesota Vikings. Of course, the campaign didn’t end in the way the team expected, but they still fared more than decently in the regular season.

Even so, the Vikings roster has gone through some major changes in the offseason. With that in mind, we’ll dig deep into the roster and talk about the top five players expected to have a breakout campaign in Minnesota.

5 Vikings Breakout Candidates

5. Byron Murphy

With veteran Patrick Peterson no longer in the picture, the much younger Byron Murphy is expected to fill in for his follow former Arizona Cardinal. His numbers don’t exactly pop out — one interception in four seasons is subpar, to say the least — but the physical tools are there.

Murphy is quite efficient when it comes to press-man coverage, and he gives the team enough positional versatility to be granted a lot of snaps and playing time next season. Also, it might be now or never for him.

4. Josh Metellus

Josh Metellus was only able to make a handful of starts last season, subbing in for Harrison Smith. He’s spent most of his time with special teams, but his versatility as a linebacker or a guy who could play everywhere in the secondary is something Brian Flores will simply love.

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been quite high on Metellus for a while, and it’s not like Lewis Cine or Camryn Bynum have done enough to widen the gap between them and Metellus as the starting safety.

3. Akayleb Evans

To be honest, Akayleb Evans has already surpassed expectations. He did much better than expected in a somewhat unimpressive CB room, so he’s obviously expected to keep improving in his sophomore season after playing 162 snaps on defense last season.

He logged two passes defended, 23 tackles, and three tackles for a loss despite having his first season cut short due to a couple of concussions. He should have plenty of opportunities to be on the field, as the Vikings’ CB room is still subpar, to say the least.

2. Ty Chandler

Most fantasy football players will rush to pick up Alexander Mattison as the obvious Dalvin Cook replacement. Nonetheless, don’t be surprised if Ty Chandler winds up outplaying him and getting that starting spot at some point in the season.

Chandler will have a complementary role at the very least, but his upside is significantly higher than Mattison’s. He’s a much better fit in passing downs and has much better hands, logging 73 receptions for almost 700 receiving yards in college.

1. K.J. Osborn

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Jordan Addison to be the Robin to Justin Jefferson’s Batman. And while that might be the case at some point, K.J. Osborn is already next in line, and the rookie wideout might need some more time to develop.

Osborn is likely to step up in Adam Thielen’s role. He already exceeded the 600-yard mark in his first two seasons in the league, and he’s had some big games. He’s fast, athletic, and a solid route-runner, and he should have his hands full when defenses double-team Jefferson.

Colorado Viking | Minnesota Sports Fan

In other words, which teams have the best tool belt for their offense and for the quarterback? The author, Ted Nguyen, used a simple player rating system of ELITE or VERY GOOD or ABOVE-AVERAGE or AVERAGE and used it to put a value on each individual skill position player (WR1, WR2, WR3, TE1 and RB1) for all teams. Then, he used those individual ratings to build his list of teams outfitted with the most elite set of skill position players in the NFL.

No. 1: Cincinnati Bengals

Nguyen didn’t add much context for why players received the ratings they did. No formulas. Just a respected (75K Twitter followers?) football writer using his football knowledge. His No. 1 ranked group of skill players? The Cincinnati Bengals.

• WR1 (X): Ja’Marr Chase – ELITE
• WR2 (Z): Tee Higgins – VERY GOOD
• WR3 (S): Tyler Boyd – VERY GOOD
• TE: Hayden Hurst – AVERAGE
• RB: Joe Mixon – VERY GOOD

After studying this list of Bengals, I shrugged, and scrolled on. As a level-headed 2022 Minnesota Vikings fan, I expected to see my team listed near the top of this article. I didn’t open it wondering IF my team was listed, just HOW HIGH they were ranked.

Show me the Vikings

First, it’s important to remember that this The Athletic article was at the top of MY, [Eric Strack] personalized landing page. Not ‘Joe Blow’ Burrow Stan from Cincinnati’s landing page or weird guy on muscle beach with a Dolphins hat on’s landing page. If a national NFL story is there, it’s almost guaranteed to have the Vikings featured or mentioned in it somewhere.

But even more importantly, it’s a well-known fact, to anyone who pays attention, that Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, KJ Osborn, Irv Smith and Dalvin Cook are one of the best collection of skill players in the league. Any questions surrounding the Vikings offense float around the offensive line and quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

But as I scrolled, the more dumbfounded I became. Past No. 2, No. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (yup, still scrolling), past 8, 9… and finally 10. The end of the list, end of the page. I went back to the top, sure I had missed something, and scrolled through again. No Vikings.

Others in disbelief

Other subscribers of The Athletic were immediately in the comments asking the same questions that I had.

Adam W: No Vikings with cook, Jefferson, and Thielen? Joke of a list

Grayson K: Ted, I love your work but there’s no way to leave the Vikings off of this list. I scrolled though the top 5 and was shocked they didn’t even make top 5, but leaving them off the entire list is unfathomable.

Ryan M: Ive read a lot of athletic articles, some I’ve agreed with and some that I haven’t. But this is the first time I’ve read one that is simply demonstrably wrong.

The only explanation to leaving the Minnesota Vikings off of this list is that the creator (Ten Nguyen) forgot about them. If we use the same rating system as Ted did, their inclusion should be obvious. He claims different, saying they conveniently came in 11th (off the list).

Author Responds

Mostly because Irv Smith Jr is “average at best?” and that Dalvin Cook is “yet to play a full season”. Austin Ekeler, Leonard Fournette, Miles Sanders and Raheem Mostert all helped their teams get on this list and all have dealt with significant injury absences. Like I said, he probably forgot about fly over country.

Ted Nguyen (STAFF): They would be next but Cook has yet to play a full season and Irv Smith Jr is average at best? I think Osborn has potential to be a really good player.

Rating the Vikings

If distributing these ratings from my own homer point of view, Irv Smith Jr would get bumped up to ABOVE AVERAGE. But, since Smith sat out all of last season, I wouldn’t expect a national writer to see things the same way.

• WR1: Justin Jefferson – ELITE
• WR2: Adam Thielen – VERY GOOD
• WE3: KJ Osborn – ABOVE AVERAGE
• TE: Irv Smith Jr – AVERAGE
• RB: Dalvin Cook – ELITE

Even when tempering expectations for Irv Smith Jr, the Minnesota Vikings clearly have a better group of skill players than many of the teams included in this top 10 list. Only three teams (Raiders, 49ers, Eagles) match the Vikings with two or more ELITE level players. Only half of the teams roster three or more ELITE + VERY GOOD level position players (like the Vikings).

Bring in the Science

But let’s add some science, or numbers, into this equation. Let’s make a simple points system that makes ELITE players worthy of 4 points, VERY GOOD (3 points), ABOVE AVERAGE (2 points) and AVERAGE (1 point).

In that case, the Minnesota Vikings are worth 14 points. Here’s Ted Nguyen’s list, with that same point system applied to his ratings of each skill position player.

1. Cincinnati Bengals (14 pts)
2. Miami Dolphins (13 pts)
3. Las Vegas Raiders (14 pts)
4. San Francisco 49ers (15 pts)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (13 pts)
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14 pts)
7. Los Angeles Rams (12 pts)
8. Seattle Seahawks (11 pts)
9. Los Angeles Chargers (11 pts)
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (10 pts)

The best group (according to Ted Nguyen), the Cincinnati Bengals, would also matches the Vikings 14 points. So do the Raiders and Bucs. Only one team, the San Francisco 49ers, scores more points (15) than the Vikings.

Maybe some Packers fans, or anyone else with an incomprehensible cynicism toward the Minnesota Vikings, would take a point from Cook or KJ Osborn. Still, 12 points should get them onto the list.

The Steelers making it over the Vikings, even with an admittedly average group of skill position talent and zero ELITE players, may prove the purple were forgotten about all together, at the time of writing.

• WR1: Chase Claypool – VERY GOOD
• WR2: Diontae Johnson – ABOVE AVERAGE
• WE3: George Pickens – NA (ROOKIE) – 0 PTS
• TE: Pat Freiermuth – ABOVE AVERAGE
• RB: Najee Harris – VERY GOOD

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan