This afternoon the Kansas City Chiefs officially announced the arrival of Bobby Wade.
Wade was previously with the Minnesota Vikings so I checked out SBNation's local Vikings site, Daily Norseman, to see what they had to say about him over the past few months.
Here are some various Bobby Wade stories I found on Daily Norseman. It's sort of a timeline dating back to the beginning of training camp.
Gonzo's take on Bobby Wade after the first week of training camp
I'll be honest with you. . .I think that a lot of fans have given Bobby Wade a raw deal since the Vikings signed him as a free agent before the 2007 season. The guy has led the team in receptions both years he's been a Viking, and while he's not super spectacular or anything, the guy has been a fairly steady, level-headed presence for this Vikings team.
Should Bobby Wade be a starting wide receiver in the National Football League? No, probably not. Is he as bad as a lot of people would have you believe he is? Certainly not.
The problem that Wade is going to run into this season is attempting to figure out where, exactly, he fits into the roster. His ideal spot is as a slot receiver, but Percy Harvin will almost certainly take a big part of that role away, and he has to watch his back for another guy on this list that I'll get to momentarily.
He could also possibly fit in as a punt returner, but the Vikings appear to be grooming both Harvin and Jaymar Johnson to take on those responsibilities. He's simply not big enough to line up full-time on the outside, and even if he was, Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice have those spots locked down.
Before the off-season started, I was certain that Wade was going to be a lock to make the team again. Now, with the off-season having gone the way it has. . .I think he's about a 50/50 proposition to be here on Opening Weekend.
Vikings Camp: What the Heck is Bobby Wade Doing?
Now, Wade has given us a quote that may (or may not) indicate that the Vikings' "open competition" at quarterback might not be as "open" as we've been led to believe.
"Obviously, [Jackson] missed a couple of days so that always plays a toll…. You know the timing’s really important for every single one of our receivers, the timing with Tarvaris, and Sage for that matter but especially Tarvaris knowing he’ll be pretty much the named starter going into the season so timing is everything in this offense."
T-Jack and Wade On Way Out? - Daily Norseman
Indeed, Zulgad and Scoggins are reporting that the Vikings are shopping T-Jack around.
Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora suspects Bobby Wade might no longer be a Viking come Saturday. It's an interesting theory, but not one I buy into -- I think Wade remains in the final 53.
Bobby Wade escapes cut down day
Some good news to pass along as a follow-up to Jason La Canfora's article about veterans on the chopping block when rosters are cut on Saturday.
La Canfora wrote that Bobby Wade could have been on the way out because of the crowded field in the receiving corps -- but he also noted that a restructured contract could avoid such a scenario.
Guess what happened?
According to Judd Zulgad, Wade's contract has been reworked. His bank account will take a hit as a result of this restructuring-- but at the end of the day, he retains a roster spot. And that's good news for the Vikings. No one will ever confuse Wade for an elite receiver, but his production makes him an undeniably solid asset for the team.
Daily Norseman's take on the Vikings cutting Wade
"Hey, Bobby Wade! We really appreciate you taking that 50% pay cut this season and taking a significantly smaller role on the team after we drafted Percy Harvin in the offseason. You've made a lot of sacrifices to make this team better. We appreciate it. And oh yeah, one last thing...turn in you're playbook, because you're cut. Yeah, we picked up Greg Lewis instead and we don't need you anymore."
Probably not the exact way the Vikings management put it to Wade, but that's what it must feel like for the poor guy. What a difference a year makes, huh? Last year, Wade was a definite go-to target; this year, through no fault of his own, he had been reduced to an afterthought in a suddenly deep Vikings wide receiving corps.