The Minnesota Vikings made a difficult, albeit necessary, move earlier this offseason with their roster. Hometown kid and long-time wide receiver Adam Thielen was released as the team sought out ways to get under the salary cap.

With a cap hit of nearly $20 million, Minnesota really had no choice but to move on from Thielen, who had been with the team since going undrafted out of Minnesota State in 2014. He had some big seasons with the Vikings, but his production no longer matched the price. He hasn’t recorded a 1,000-yard season since 2018, which was also the last time Thielen made a Pro Bowl.

With Thielen now on the Carolina Panthers, the Vikings have a hole to fill on their offense. Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, but the team is lacking in depth behind him.

K.J. Osborn could be asked to take on a larger role after catching 60 passes for 650 yards and five touchdowns last season. However, without Thielen in the mix, the next most productive wide receiver on the roster is Jalen Nailor, who caught nine passes for 179 yards in 15 games last season.