Electric or Bust? 1 Viking Is a Total Mystery.
The Minnesota Vikings have acquired mostly proven players this offseason. Ryan Kelly, Javon Hargrave, and Jonathan Allen all went to Pro Bowls before. Will Fries and Isaiah Rodgers have shown enough promise to give confidence in their abilities moving forward. Even top pick Donovan Jackson has amassed a wealth of experience throughout his college journey.
Electric or Bust? 1 Viking Is a Total Mystery.
One player, however, is a total mystery. The man’s name is Rondale Moore, and he’s a wide receiver. Once a highly-touted prospect in college, his NFL career hasn’t gone too smoothly so far. He has been underwhelming (compared to the hype stemming from his explosive freshman season at Purdue) on the football field and missed the entire 2024 campaign due to a severe knee injury.
Yet, the Vikings took a shot. It remains to be seen if that was worth it.
The talent is unquestioned. Moore, a tiny player by football standards at 5’7″, was a four-star recruit and enrolled at Purdue. It didn’t take him long to make his presence felt with a 313-yard debut. He recorded a 76-yard rushing touchdown. That season, he earned the Paul Hornung Award for the most versatile college player, and he was a first-team All-American as an all-purpose back.
His stats that year? He led the Big Ten in receptions (114), receiving yards (1,258), and receiving touchdowns (12). Moore also added 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns and was a dynamic punt and kick returner. Don’t forget that it was Moore’s freshman campaign.
In the next two seasons, he was limited to a total of only seven games. He remained explosive when he was on the field, but missed too much time. Regardless, the Arizona Cardinals added him in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Moore was a solid contributor in his three seasons in Arizona, but he is still waiting for his true breakout season. He gained 511, 409, and 530 yards from scrimmage and scored a combined four touchdowns. In his rookie year, he also served as the team’s return specialist.
Last offseason, the Cardinals traded him to Atlanta in exchange for backup QB Desmond Ridder, but the aforementioned knee injury suffered in training camp ended his season prematurely.
We don’t know how far he has come in his recovery and if/when he’ll be available. And once he is available, do the Vikings get the electric college prospect, the WR3 or WR4 from Arizona, or even a worse version because of the injury?
Alec Lewis (The Athletic) recently wrote: “If you’ve never seen him play, go watch some highlights. Get him the ball in space, and the combination of vision and agility is impressive. How will he bounce back from his torn ACL last summer? How quickly can he pick up the offense? Answer these questions positively, and the Vikings will possess an extra weapon.”
Kevin O’Connell’s offense is obviously built around the dynamic duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as well as T.J. Hockenson. Jalen Nailor has shown his skills in 2024, and rookie Tai Felton is an intriguing project.
Yet, none of those guys is a player with Moore’s skill set. Because of his size, he isn’t a traditional receiver, but more of a short-yardage pass-catcher with exceptional after-the-catch ability. Mostly playing in the slot, Moore can make people miss like few others in the league.
The range of outcomes is wide for the 25-year-old. He might be a serious WR3 candidate and a difference-maker on offense and special teams, or he’s just a guy. Certainly, there’s a chance that he isn’t even on the team in September. He signed a one-year deal worth $2 million with only $250,000 guaranteed. Cutting him barely costs anything.
He’s a fun player to monitor throughout training camp.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.