The Vikings auditioned wide receiver Dede Westbrook earlier this week, and the club was prepared to sign him following his showcase. Per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter), Minnesota extended an offer to Westbrook, but the 28-year-old wideout did not immediately accept it, as he wanted to consider his other options.

As such, the Vikings pivoted to Albert Wilson, who worked out for the club alongside Westbrook and who signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for $1.12MM (the veteran minimum). Wilson now slots in behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn on Minnesota’s WR depth chart, and he will attempt to rejuvenate a career that has stalled since he signed a notable free agent contract with the Dolphins during the 2018 offseason.

At the time of Westbrook’s workout with the Vikings, it was reported that he did indeed have interest from other teams, though it is unclear who those teams are. It is understandable that he did not pounce at the opportunity to fight for snaps as Minnesota’s WR4 with recent Day 3 selections like Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Jalen Nailor, but at this point, he may have to settle for a similar opportunity elsewhere and hope that a strong training camp/preseason showing earns him a larger role.

A fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2017, Westbrook earned a significant target share across the 2018-19 seasons. He was targeted 101 times and caught 66 passes in both of those campaigns, and while his yards-per-reception rate of 10.4 over that time was nothing special, he appeared to be emerging as something of a reliable pass-catcher who could perhaps become more than that in a more productive offense. He was also a dynamic punt returner in 2018, taking back 19 punts for 266 yards (14.0 yards per return) and a score.

In 2020, the final year of his rookie contract, he slipped down the Jacksonville depth chart and appeared in just two games. That season was also cut short by a Week 7 ACL tear, and he settled for a modest one-year contract with the Vikings last July. He did generate a fair amount of open market interest during the second and third waves of free agency last offseason, but in his first year in Minnesota, he caught just 10 passes for 68 yards. As the Vikes’ primary punt returner, his 8.3 yards-per-return rate was solid enough, but obviously a far cry from his best work with the Jags.

Despite his recent underwhelming history, he is young enough and has enough of a track record to land a new gig. It sounds as if that will be happening at some point within the next few weeks.

Dede Westbrook waited until days before training camp to sign in 2021. That made sense, considering the former Heisman Trophy finalist was coming off an ACL tear. The veteran wide receiver has gone deep into this year’s offseason without a deal as well.

The Vikings’ new regime will take a look at one of the previous staff’s additions, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noting (via Twitter) Westbrook is working out with the team Tuesday. The former Jaguars draftee signed with the Vikings last year but operated patiently before doing so. A quick reunion could be in the cards soon.

The Bengals, 49ers and Seahawks showed interest in the Oklahoma product last year. Westbrook met with the Vikings first and scrapped plans for a Seahawks visit, signing a deal with Minnesota. That contract — a one-year, $1.1MM pact — did not end up leading to a prominent role for Westbrook, who worked as a backup and caught 10 passes for 68 yards. He also operated as the team’s primary punt returner. The now-Kevin O’Connell-led Vikes will determine if the 6-foot wideout is a fit.

While Rapoport adds other teams have shown interest, Westbrook’s market is not likely to produce a contract much more lucrative than his previous deal. Given the 28-year-old wideout’s recent history — a two-game 2020 and a 10-catch 2021 — he stands to face a crucial career stretch. He does have a history of decent production, however, combining for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns from 2018-19 — on 66 receptions in each season. Westbrook led the 2018 Jacksonville outfit in receiving. The former seventh-round pick should also be in better form this coming season, being more than a year removed from the severe knee injury.

Westbrook’s most notable contributions came as a Sooners senior, when he broke through on a Baker Mayfield-piloted offense for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns. Mayfield and Westbrook ate into each other’s vote shares that year, finishing behind Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson, respectively, in the Heisman balloting.

Minnesota struggled for years to find a reliable No. 3 wideout. The team, however, received promising work from 2020 draftee K.J. Osborn, who totaled 50 receptions for 655 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Westbrook returning to the Vikings would likely mean being positioned behind Osborn and regulars Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.

The Vikings are working out former Jacksonville wide receiver Dede Westbrook on Saturday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If all goes well, Westbrook could reunite with former Jaguars wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell.

Westbrook has two other teams interested in his services, but RapSheet hears that the Vikings are his preferred destination. It’s been just nine months since Westbrook suffered his torn ACL but Westbrook appears to be ready for training camp.

Westbrook recorded 66 grabs in both 2018 and 2019 for an average of 699 yards and four touchdowns per slate. He was hoping to build on those marks in 2020, but he was limited to only a pair of games thanks to the torn ACL and an unrelated early-season injury. We heard earlier this year that the wideout was drawing interest from multiple teams, including the Vikings, 49ers, Bengals. The wide receiver was also being recruited by Chiefs players, but it’s not clear if he got into serious talks with the front office.

A healthy Westbrook could give the Vikings’ opposition fits this year. Kirk Cousins is already armed with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen at wide receiver — not to mention weapons like Dalvin Cook, Irv Smith, and Tyler Conklin.