Travis Taylor

Career underachiever is expected to contribute but expectations are low.

Taylor led the Vikings in receptions last season and was Brad Johnson’s favorite target in the second half of the season. However, he figures to settle into a No. 3 role with Koren Robinson and Troy Williamson improving.

Taylor was signed as a free agent after failing to live up to his first-round promise in Baltimore. He’s coming off his best season where he caught 61 passes for 869 yards and six touchdowns. But did Taylor under perform or just fail to have a good quarterback to throw him the ball? He’s got the size (6’2) to quickly become one of Culpepper’s favorite targets, but both he and Burleson are seen as possession receivers with limited speed. As a result, that may limit his ability to win a starting job.

Taylor and Kyle Boller worked out together during the offseason in hopes of improving a passing attack that was last in the NFL in 2003. Look for Taylor to continue to improve upon a season in which he averaged 16.2 yards/catch. His fantasy value this year is higher than it's ever been.

No one is going to miss Jeff Blake as much as Taylor. After doing nothing for most of the first half, Taylor clicked with Blake in the final two months and scored six times in one eight-game stretch. While it's never surprising when a talented receiver gets it together in his third season (Taylor was the 10th pick in the 2000 draft), we're not sure if Taylor will be able to maintain this success with young quarterbacks Chris Redman and Kyle Boller.