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Tim Rohan
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A new best friend
Posted by: Tim Rohan under Vikings, Brad Childress, Vikings offense, Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade, Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, Visanthe Shiancoe Updated: August 31, 2010 - 12:28 PM
Greg Camarillo is a quarterback’s best friend.
Images of his 64-yard touchdown to salvage the Dolphins’ 2007 season immediately came to mind when the Vikings made the trade last week to ship Benny Sapp out of town.
And after a bit of research, anyone can see he’s an average NFL wide receiver — statistically speaking. But the most telling stat of all is that he did not drop a single pass in all of the 2009 season.
Camarillo is a possession receiver, who didn’t have a quarterback to put the ball in his hands consistently enough. Wes Welker was that kind of guy in Miami before Camarillo. Welker had 687 yards receiving the year before the Patriots traded for him. Look where he is now. (I know they’re not the same player, but bear with me).
Brett Favre has a new safety blanket. Sidney Rice served that purpose last season. But he’s gone for a half a season, maybe longer, now.
Favre would throw the ball into Rice’s general vicinity and the Pro Bowl wide out almost always came down with it. Camarillo doesn’t have the leaping ability or same skill set that Rice has, but the general thought stays intact.
Need a first down? Look to Greg.
A few years ago, Bobby Wade was that guy. And that was when the Vikings receiving corps was in much worse shape than it is today.
Wade worked out of the slot and had two 50-plus catches for 600-plus yards seasons for the Vikings. He was a reliable, crafty, slot receiver. That sounds a lot like Camarillo. And Greg’s three inches taller.
The price of Benny Sapp is hardly a concern either. The Vikings filled a need and shipped out a player at a position of depth — or at least everyone projects corner back to be a position of depth.
Camarillo’s four catches for 47 yards in Saturday’s preseason game are a sign of things to come. He will be a key contributor on offense. Favre has been around long enough to know who to trust. We’re going to see another Favre-receiver relationship blossom before our eyes. We heard it last year with Rice and Percy Harvin — but never with the drop happy Bernard Berrian.
Camarillo will be featured in an offense with other weapons for the first time. He hasn’t had that in Miami. The Dolphins didn’t have a marquee passing weapon until they added Brandon Marshall this offseason.
In Minnesota, Greg can be in an under-the-radar position. And that’s where possession receivers thrive. If defenses don’t worry too much about Camarillo and those quick-hitting passes that the Vikings offense is predicated on, then Camarillo and Favre are going to lull defenses to sleep.
With Adrian Peterson, Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Co. already there for defenses to scheme against, Camarillo just has to be a complimentary piece.
He can become much more though. As Brad Childress put it last week, Camarillo can pluck the ball and he has A-plus hands. That’s where it all starts for a receiver.
Rice will probably miss the first half of the season and maybe more time than that. Camarillo has time to prove his value within the offense. I have no doubt that he will.
When Rice comes back, Favre could have multiple best friends — it’s possible. And the offense would be better off.
You can have more than one best friend.
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