It's probably human nature to devote more attention and headlines to the surprising fall of a star player's much-anticipated career than appreciate the striking rise of a career belonging to an unknown player on the same team.
Now amplify that human nature for those of us in the media.
We determined last spring that Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson would be at the top or among the top NFL "breakout" candidates in Year 1 of playing for new offensive coordinator Norv Turner. We didn't have an opinion on Charles Johnson because, well, he was a nobody in Cleveland recovering from ACL surgery the fall before.
Charles Johnson was a seventh-round draft pick of the Packers in 2013. They cut him and Cleveland added him to its practice squad.
The Vikings not only drafted Patterson in the first round in 2013, it cost them extra draft picks to move back into the round to make the pick.
Now, with the 2014 season recently concluded, there isn't anyone who would say Patterson is Johnson's equal as a receiver. Not … even … close.
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