Vikings Training Camp Battle: Aundrae Allison vs. Robert Ferguson

Training camp is finally here and FanHouse breaks down the most important position battles heading into the season, team by team.

It says something about the Vikings roster that one of the biggest battle during this year's training camp will be for the No. 4 receiver job. The reality is that besides a lot of drama about Brett Favre and the quarterback situation, there aren't many positions where Minnesota doesn't have a clear starter.

And even more encouragingly, there's some pretty good depth at several spots. Chester Taylor is one of the best backup tailbacks in the league. Second-round pick Tyrell Johnson gives the team an excellent back-up safety, and Jared Allen's acquisition means that Brian Robison goes from being an every-down starter to a very useful backup defensive end.It's a very similar situation at wide receiver. Replacing Troy "this year I'll catch the ball, really" Williamson with Bernard Berrian allows every other Vikings receiver to slip into a more fitting role. Berrian will be the No. 1, providing a deep threat that can actually catch the ball (unlike Williamson). His arrival means second-year pro Sidney Rice can mature into the No. 2 role, instead of being asked to do too much too soon. And Bobby Wade will no longer have to be the Tarvaris Jackson's top target. Instead, he'll work in the slot, where his good hands (65 % catch percentage last year) will be valuable while his inability to get open deep will be much less notable.

Which leads to the team's battle for the No. 4 spot. Last year the Vikings receiver corps was bad enough that Ferguson was actually the team's second-most used receiver. The best thing that can be said about that is that he blocks really well--which was actually pretty useful for a team that was best off running the ball on third and eight.

But Ferguson's catch percentage has been pretty brutal for the past three years (he's caught less than 50 percent of passes thrown his way over the past three years). And at this point in his career he is no threat to beat anyone deep. That's where Allison comes in. Last year's fifth-round pick showed his big-play ability as a kick returner. He's still way too raw to play a large role in the offense, but as a No. 4 receiver, he won't be asked to do too much. If he can just catch an ocassional deep ball to draw safeties away from Berrian and Rice, and show that he can block, he'll be a very useful addition to the Vikings offense.

There are still a lot of questions about the Vikings passing attack, but unlike last year, the receivers shouldn't be a big part of the problem. And while Allison probably won't catch more than 25 passes this year, those 25 catches could do a lot to help fix the Vikings inability to complete passes 20 yards downfield. Besides, you've got to like the guts of a player willing to wear #84 in Minnesota not long after Randy Moss left town.