Taylor Earning High Praise

After a career filled with different quarterbacks and offensive systems, Travis Taylor is looking to turn the corner on his career with the Vikings.

In his career with the Ravens, Travis Taylor has played with a handful of mediocre starting quarterbacks and little in the way of supporting receivers. When he became a free agent, the Ravens showed little to no interest in re-signing him -- instead opting to go with Titans free agent Derrick Mason.

Taylor received little fanfare when signed by the Vikings. Most people believed he would be a third receiver at best (behind Nate Burleson and Marcus Robinson). When the team drafted Troy Williamson, it appeared Taylor would be fighting for the fourth spot with Kelly Campbell.

But since his arrival, Taylor has impressed coaches and teammates -- most importantly head coach Mike Tice, who is referring to Taylor as "the steal of free agency."

Tice said at the conclusion of the latest developmental camp that Taylor was brought in simply to be a slot receiver, but he has quickly shown he can play all three wide receiver positions and play them well.

While there are still more than two months between now and the start of training camp, Taylor has the opportunity to vault himself into the starting lineup. If Williamson needs time to develop and Robinson is slowed by one of his numerous injuries, it wouldn't be a suprise at all -- as Taylor looks to shed the tag of being a bust in what is arguably his best chance to succeed since being a top-10 draft pick.