Jerome Simpson re-signs with Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson (81) tries to catch a pass against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
I bet somebody high up in the Minnesota Vikings organization really likes wide receiver Jerome Simpson, because the headcase is back for at least another season despite more off-field incidents and just four games with at least 50 receiving yards. Simpson is talented, and I guess that’s enough for the Vikings organization to feel the need to reward him by bringing him back. Although his contract is likely nothing more than a one-year flier (though it isn’t a “flier”, since he isn’t a new signing), terms of the new deal haven’t been disclosed.
Simpson definitely has raw talent, but he’s such an inconsistent player that he isn’t anything more than a WR3 who can occasionally go off for big games. He had one game with seven receptions for 140 yards and another game with seven receptions for 124 yards last season, but he also had less than three receptions in a game on seven occasions last season.
Overall, he hauled in 48 receptions for 726 yards last season for the Vikings, so he was a productive receiver and did an excellent job of generating big yards per completion. Simpson has playmaking ability, but I still think the Vikings should have moved on from him, especially due to his constant off-field concerns. But there isn’t any reason to be overly critical of this re-signing, because it’s most likely cheap and bring back a receiver who did stack up some yardage in 2013.