The Facts: Patterson seemed to find a role in the Vikings' offense with Pat Shurmur taking over as the OC, and I expect the Vikings will have some interest in bringing him back on a new contract, a year after they declined his fifth-year option.

Diehards Line: This according to ESPN.com's Ben Goessling, who noted that Patterson showed impressive personal growth in his contract year; his contributions as a gunner on special teams were critical to his increased role in the offense, as he restored coaches' faith in him by showing he'd do whatever they asked. Patterson led the league in kick return average for the third time in four years, and his 52 catches were a career high. I'm sure the Vikings will see a role for Patterson during a full year in Shurmur's offense -- he became a frequent target for quarterback Sam Bradford on bubble screens last year -- and while there's a chance they'll lose Patterson to some team that waves big money in front of him along with promises of making him a star, Goessling thinks they'll make a strong effort to bring him back at a reasonable price.