Monday Morning Mailbag: Harris' 2020 Impact and Where Beebe Stands Among Crowded WR Room

[Viktor]

Count me among the people that were happy to hear that news, too. Anthony is a great person and player, and he will get a well-deserved raise in 2020. He's worked his tail off after being an undrafted free agent in 2015, becoming a special-teams ace before exceling as a starter over the past two seasons.


This move gives the Vikings stability at safety, where they arguably have the best tandem at that position in the league in Harris and Smith. Both players are considered among the best at their position, and their experience will be needed on the back end with such a young group of cornerbacks on the roster.


The depth at wide receiver is a battle that I'm looking forward to. I think we might see some relatively surprising cuts (i.e. Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe) to make room for the first-year Vikings. How do you think the depth will shake out and how many receivers will we keep on the roster with [Vikings offensive coordinator Gary] Kubiak liking his tight ends?


— Isaac from Minnetonka


I can't wait to see what changes the outcomes from our offseason bring. That being said, I've noticed that one name keeps being left off whenever there is talk of our receivers. What is happening with Chad Beebe? There has been no update on his rehab or if there has been, I've completely missed it. Is he not expected to come back? Or if he is, in what capacity? Thank you!


— Patti James in Savage, MN


We'll group Isaac and Patti's emails since they both cover the WR group. This is a position group that I'm also interested in seeing how things shake out. The Vikings currently have 12 wide receivers on the roster, and the odds are they only keep four or five of them on the 53-man roster.


To start, Adam Thielen is now the clear-cut No. 1 receiver after the trade of Stefon Diggs, and he is viewed as the leader in that room. I expect the likes of Bisi Johnson, Tajaé Sharpe and first-rounder Justin Jefferson to battle it out for the No. 2 spot.


Beebe is in that mix, too, although the staff will likely look to get him in winnable matchups in the slot and elsewhere.


As for Beebe, he was actually mentioned a week or so ago by Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer when he was asked about the offense. Zimmer said he expects the WR group to look different now that Beebe is healthy … remember that he missed almost all of the 2019 season with an ankle injury. He's been rehabbing and involved in virtual meetings, so he presumably should be ready to roll. He'll be expected to provide depth and compete for playing time as a key member of that room.


But there are a host of young guys who are hungry to prove themselves and make a push for a roster spot. Davion Davis, Alexander Hollins and Dillon Mitchell have a year under their belt in Kubiak's system. Bralon Addison, Dan Chisena, Quartney Davis and K.J Osborn are all in their first year with the team.


We'll see how the competition shakes out once players can return to the facility and get on the field. Special teams are likely to be a key factor in determining who wins the final roster spots.