ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed unrestricted free agent WR Cordarrelle Patterson, the club announced Monday.
Patterson, who has been named to two Associated Press All-Pro First Teams (2013 and 2016), two Pro Bowls (2013 and 2016) and one AP All-Pro Second Team (2015), has spent the past four seasons as a member of the Minnesota Vikings after being drafted by the club in the first round (29th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
In Minnesota from 2013-16, Patterson totaled 64 games played with 22 starts, 132 receptions for 1,316 yards (10.0 avg.) with seven touchdowns, and posted 333 rushing yards on 31 carries (10.7 avg.) with four touchdowns. As a kickoff returner, Patterson has totaled 4,075 yards on 134 returns (30.4 avg.) with five touchdowns over his career.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder recorded 52 catches for 453 yards with two touchdowns, and totaled 25 kickoff returns for 792 yards with one touchdown. After leading the league in kickoff return average (31.7 yards) in 2016, Patterson was named to the All-Pro First Team and Pro Bowl for the second time. As a rookie in 2013, he led the NFL with a 32.4 average on kickoff returns, and was named to the All-Pro First Team while earning his first Pro Bowl selection.
A native of Rock Hill, S.C., Patterson played collegiately at Tennessee after spending two seasons at Hutchinson Community College. In his lone year at Tennessee, he started in all 12 games and set a school record with 1,858 all-purpose yards, earning All-SEC First Team honors in 2012.
