Ideal Vikings Target Just Hit Waivers
The Minnesota Vikings are in the market for receiver help, especially early in the season with Jordan Addison scheduled to be out until Week 3 and Jalen Nailor’s mysterious injury. Furthermore, if the receiver can catch punts and kickoffs, that’s even better, as the team lacks a reliable returner. One of those just became available.
Vikings Target Just Hit Waivers
Trey Palmer’s name appeared in trade rumors recently, but Minnesota’s front office can skip that part. Tampa Bay said “goodbye” to the third-year receiver.
Ari Meirov reported, “The #Bucs are waiving WR Trey Palmer.”
Palmer was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft after having a 1,000-yard season at Nebraska in 2022. He spent his first three college seasons at LSU and was a depth player for the 2019 championship team with Justin Jefferson. The splashiest play that year was a punt return touchdown.
In his rookie season, Palmer caught 39 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns, playing in all 17 games with the Bucs. Last year, his role dipped a little despite the injury struggles in that room, and he produced only 12 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown under the new play-caller.
However, he returned punts — 17 to be exact — for 136 yards, and he returned one kickoff. On the current roster, the Vikings have nobody who has returned punts before. Undrafted rookie Silas Bolden has already been cut, and Myles Price was reportedly not the safest returner in training camp and also bobbled one return in the preseason finale.
Si.com’s River Well reported, “Including the playoffs, Palmer has caught 54 passes for 645 yards and has scored 5 touchdowns in 35 games for the Buccaneers. He had his best year under offensive coordinator Dave Canales in 2023, where he made his most famous play — a 56-yard touchdown catch that saw him cut through a number of Philadelphia Eagles defenders to secure a playoff win in 2023. Since then, though, he had trouble getting snaps in a 2024 season that saw multiple wideouts go down, which was indicative that the end was near for Palmer in Tampa Bay.”
Palmer wouldn’t be asked to be the star of the show for the Vikings, but he has more receiving and return experience than anyone on the roster besides Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor. Adding Palmer makes a ton of sense.
Vikings Territory’s Dustin Baker suggested, “Palmer has 4.36 speed, is 6’1,” and has youth on his side. He only logs about 17 receiving yards per game, but the working theory suggests Minnesota could afford the speedster more targets on Sundays.”
He then pointed to his return skills, “The LSU alumnus also returns punts and kicks, and with Brandon Powell and Myles Gaskin no longer a part of the Vikings’ roster orbit, the return game feels in flux or suspect. In one swoop, Palmer could fill a wide receiver, kick returner, and punt returner need for Kevin O’Connell’s team.”
The first obstacle to potential employment is the waiver process. The Vikings rank 24th, and if one of the top 23 teams puts in a waiver claim, there’s nothing the purple squad can do. Once a player passes unclaimed through waivers, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Palmer is 24 years old and fits the Vikings’ needs perfectly.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.