Tajae Sharpe – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Analyst projects Vikings WR Tajae Sharpe will have strong 2020 season

The Vikings signed Sharpe to a one-year deal in hopes he can help fill the void that Stefon Diggs has left behind.

NFL.com analytics expert Cynthia Frelund has projected who each team’s most improved player in 2020 will be.

Frelund’s choice for the Minnesota Vikings was wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, who signed a one-year deal with the Vikings this season after spending the first three years of his career with the Titans.

Here’s what Frelund wrote about Sharpe and the Vikings:

Last season, the Vikings threw 12 touchdowns of 10-plus air yards to players aligned wide, per NGS, and while the team did draft Justin Jefferson, there should still be snaps to be had in the wake of Stefon Diggs’ trade to Buffalo. In an offseason that included big-name wideouts changing teams and a very deep receiver class in the draft, Sharpe’s signing in Minnesota did not draw many headlines, but the veteran was an actively sought-after free agent. The teams I spoke to that were interested in him consistently brought up his ability when aligning wide, something the former fifth-round pick did on 76 percent of snaps as a Titan last season, per NGS.

The Vikings would certainly love for this to happen as they try to move on without Diggs.

As a rookie in 2017, Sharpe finished with 41 catches for 522 yards, but in the last two seasons, he’s combined for just 51 catches and 645 receiving yards.

If Sharpe can have a solid season, that would be huge for this offense. His one-year, $1 million deal would certainly look like a bargain.

Vikings’ biggest sleeper listed as wide receiver Tajae Sharpe

Do you think Vikings wide receiver Tajae Sharpe will breakout for Minnesota in 2020?

The Vikings were not able to make big splashes in free agency this offseason. But the value they got on certain signings might prove to be helpful.

One of those signings, Tajae Sharpe, is among those who could provide value. Sharpe could possibly come in and fill out the third wide receiver spot.

Bleacher Report named him the Vikings’ biggest sleeper. Here’s what it said about Sharpe:

“Unlike the Tennessee Titans, we’re not ready to give up on Tajae Sharpe.

The four-year veteran is expected to at least grab the No. 3 receiver job as a new member of the Minnesota Vikings with rookie first-round pick Justin Jefferson expected by most to essentially replace the departed Stefon Diggs. But you never know what to expect from a rookie wide receiver, and Sharpe has the ability to deliver as a starter without being the focal point of the balanced offense.”

Sharpe had 1,167 yards and eight touchdowns in his three-year NFL career so far with the Titans. Due to Diggs’ departure, Sharpe has a chance to raise those numbers and take on a bigger role.

Vikings News: Tajae Sharpe vs. Bisi Johnson listed as a training camp battle to watch

Who do you think will be the Vikings’ third wide receiver next season?

One of the more interesting battles for positions on the Vikings isn’t for a starting spot.

It comes at the wide receiver three position, one where the player probably won’t start 16 games but still get plenty of reps throughout.

That battle comes down to a few candidates: Bisi Johnson, Tajae Sharpe and Chad Beebe, most notably.

Pro Football Focus thinks the competition between Tajae Sharpe and Bisi Johnson is a training camp battle to watch. Here’s what the outlet said about Johnson:

“Johnson, a seventh-round rookie, saw the field a whole lot more than the Vikings would have hoped for in 2019 because of the injuries to Adam Thielen. Now, it is Stefon Diggs who is out of the picture, and Johnson will once again have a shot to earn a significant role in Minnesota’s offense.”

Here’s what PFF said about Sharpe:

“Assuming Justin Jefferson takes over the WR2 role, Sharpe should be Johnson’s main competition for snaps in the passing game. From a PFF grading standpoint, the free-agent acquisition from the Tennessee Titans is coming off the best season of his four-year career — he earned a PFF grade of 72.3 in a low-volume role with the Titans, bringing in 25 of 35 targets for 329 yards, without any drops.”

Now that Stefon Diggs is gone, one of the ways the Vikings can replace his production is by having a wide receiver three get the ball more than in 2019. Who will that be? It could be anyone’s guess as of now.

Five Vikings who could be key reserves in 2020

The Vikings could very well need reserves to step up in order to find success in 2020. Here are five players who could rise to the occasion.

Minnesota will have to rely on young talent in starting positions in order to find success next season, but what about the players who don’t start but still fulfill vital roles?

The nickel corner is not technically a starting position, despite the Vikings using the nickel package quite often. There’s also a question of depth at key positions such as wide receiver, safety, defensive line and offensive line.

There are some reserves who might never start but still play a lot of snaps. There are also some who may not get a high number of reps — until they’re called upon to start in place of an injured player. Here are five Vikings who could have one of those two aforementioned roles.

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Why Vikings fans should be excited about Justin Jefferson

The Minnesota Vikings landed the perfect replacement for Stefon Diggs, LSU’s Justin Jefferson, in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft

The Minnesota Vikings were looking for a wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft, and walked away with one of the best in LSU’s Justin Jefferson.

The team decided to move Stefon Diggs, which removed $10.9 million from the cap. It was a good time to trade him, with the 2020 draft’s deep wide receiver group. Jefferson will now look to be a complimentary piece to Adam Thielen.

Jefferson was highly productive in 2019 with Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow throwing to him. He accumulated 18 touchdowns and 1,540 yards on 111 receptions. With Kirk Cousins now the quarterback for Jefferson, look for him to try and hit the ground running in 2020. Along with Tajae Sharpe and Thielen, this trio is looking to make the offense more explosive in 2020. Not to mention they have an explosive running back in Dalvin Cook who can also help these pass catchers.

Much like Diggs did for years, Jefferson can win with the ball in the air. He will go up and high point the ball with catches outside of his frame. Very good catch radius and always seems to catch the ball when the offense needs a drive extending play. When the ball is in the air, Jefferson shows off great body control when off his feet. With soft hands that will snatch the ball out of the air, he will be a quarterback’s best friend. Someone that Kirk Cousins will definitely appreciate.

Jefferson isn’t just an outside receiver, he can win from the slot as well. Gary Kubiak can move him around to set up the best matchups for the offense. Very good blocker as well for Cook when he gets to the second and third levels. Jefferson couldn’t have fallen into a better situation as he is projected to start immediately.

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How can former Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs be replaced? With a group

Adam Thielen is the definitive No. 1 receiver on the Vikings now, but who will be the second wide receiver on the offense next season? It might be a committee.

The Vikings traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason, a big loss for a team that isn’t exactly rebuilding.

However, Minnesota received four draft picks from the Bills, in exchange for Diggs and a seventh-rounder. The team now has 12 picks in total, and can try to replace some of the production Diggs left with an early draft pick.

But that could very well not be good enough to replace Diggs. What are the odds that a rookie gels with the offense as well as Diggs and ends up being the leading receiver? Also, it’s not even necessary for the rookie to become a leading receiver, so long as Adam Thielen stays healthy.

Thielen had over 1,200 receiving yards in 2017 and 2018. Then, in 2019, he dealt with a hamstring injury that saw him miss some time. If he can go back to getting a ton of reps on offense, the Vikings won’t drop off in the passing game.

The team added Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe in the offseason. Sharpe wasn’t a star for Tennessee, but he showed glimpses of promise in a limited role. He tallied 1,167 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in three active seasons with the Titans.

There’s no telling how good Sharpe will fit in with Minnesota’s offense, but maybe more reps and targets will see an increase in production that’s suitable for a second wide receiver. But I think it’s likely his efforts will have to combine with a rookie and others on the team in order to fill the void Diggs left.

Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe were both in the third wide receiver spot in 2019. Johnson was mostly in the third wide receiver role, finishing with 294 yards in his rookie year with the team.

Beebe has had his moments with the Vikings, like in 2019 when he beat Green Bay defensive backs for a 61-yard reception. But I don’t think it’s going to be Beebe or Johnson consistently in the second wide receiver spot, but rather, increased production for them would take some pressure off whomever has to enter into that role.

I think Minnesota’s best option is to draft a rookie early. However, the team has other needs in the draft, so maybe it’s not necessary to take one in the first.

A wide receiver such as Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones or USC’s Michael Pittman Jr. give the Vikings good value past the first round in what is a deep wide receiver class.

A wide receiver like one of those two, in addition to Sharpe, Johnson and Beebe having decent years, gives Minnesota the boost it needs to replace at least a good amount of Diggs’ production. If the rookie steps up and Sharpe is better than expected, it might even replace all of it.

Grading each free agency signing from the Vikings so far

See how each free agency signing for the Vikings grades out!

Minnesota had a limited salary cap heading into the offseason, and the team’s activity in free agency has ended up being pretty limited until this point.

But there are some moves the team has made. The Vikings have signed Michael Pierce, Tajae Sharpe, Anthony Zettel and DeMarquis Gates so far.

I think Pierce could have the inside track at a starting defensive tackle position, but other than him, most of those players will end up being reserves, with some possibly getting cut.

Here is the breakdown of each move individually:

Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce

As mentioned earlier, Pierce is an addition to the Vikings who could very well go on to be a starter. He’s a big-body, run-stopping defensive tackle, who could possibly replace some of the production from Linval Joseph, who left to reportedly sign with the Chargers.

Grade: B+

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Nate Burleson thinks Tajae Sharpe will have career-year with Vikings

These predicted numbers would be pretty close to what Diggs did in 2019 with the Vikings.

The Vikings took a chance on receiver Tajae Sharpe hoping that he can help the team solve its void at WR2 after trading Stefon Diggs.

Nate Burleson over at NFL.com thinks that Sharpe will do a solid job of it, which would certainly be a big win for the Vikings.

Here’s what Burleson wrote about Sharpe’s fit with the Vikings:

This is a great situation for the former Titan. During his career, as a backup or sub, Sharpe has rarely been one of the QB’s first few reads. With Stefon Diggs out of Minnesota, Sharpe has a spectacular opportunity to prove himself opposite Adam Thielen, and I think he will log his best season to date.

2020 production: 55 rec., 950 yards, 9 TDs

Those numbers would all be career highs for Sharpe and are nearly identical to what Diggs did in 2019 for the Vikings. Diggs caught 63 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns.

The Vikings are also likely to added at least one receiver in the draft as well, which could certainly cut into Sharpe’s touches.

Who will take pressure off Adam Thielen in Minnesota?

The Vikings could use one of their two first-round picks on a receiver in a draft that is loaded at the position.

The Vikings split up one of the league’s most-dangerous receiving tandems this offseason by trading Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills for a chest of draft picks.

Diggs’ partner-in-crime for the last few years Adam Thielen addressed the trade and sounded disappointed, but also understanding that the NFL is indeed a business.

“Obviously, it’s a bummer that he’s not here because it was such a fun duo to be able to work off one another and things like that, whether it be practice or games,’’ Thielen told KFAN radio via the Pioneer Press. “So, I’m definitely going to miss that, but it will be fun to see him have success somewhere else.’’

The question now is who will Minnesota bring in to help take pressure of Thielen. Tajae Sharpe likely isn’t the answer. Bisi Johnson had a solid rookie season for a seventh-round pick, but probably isn’t ready for a starting job. Chad Beebe hasn’t been able to stay healthy.

The Vikings could use one of their two first-round picks on a receiver in a draft that is loaded at the position.

Before the Vikings made the Diggs trade, they were thin at wide receiver. It now has to be a major focus for Rick Spielman, otherwise this offense is going to sputter in 2020.

Star Tribune highlights Tajae Sharpe’s precise footwork, route running and other aspects over film

A Star Tribune reporter thinks of Tajae Sharpe: “His Titans numbers undersell his potential.”

The Vikings reportedly added Tajae Sharpe in free agency, and the Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer addressed his fit with the team using film.

Krammer said Sharpe’s “Titans numbers undersell his potential.” He highlighted the following in regards to Sharpe:

Precise footwork and detailed routes
Sharpe likely won’t rack up broken tackles or yards after the catch
Sharpe can play everywhere for the Vikings

That last point is an important one for me. Sharpe might have to play in the slot or out wide, depending on his role and who the Vikings take in the draft. If Minnesota takes a wide receiver early in the draft, then Sharpe will have to find a role that lends to more versatility. If Krammer is right and Sharpe provides that versatility, then it’s an ideal fit.

Based on his stats and his role with the Titans, it seems like Sharpe likely isn’t the replacement for Diggs. However, he can still add depth and a Diggs replacement doesn’t have to be one player. It can be a by-committee solution.