Newcomer Camarillo catching on with Vikings
By MARK CRAIG - Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
MINNEAPOLIS -- Greg Camarillo has proven to be a good guy to have around when an offense is in a state of flux and/or panic a week before the season opener.
In his third full day as a Viking, the former Dolphins receiver played eight snaps alongside Brett Favre in Saturday's preseason win over Seattle. Of those eight plays, Camarillo was targeted five times by a legendary quarterback that Camarillo admits "probably didn't even know my name."
If that's true, Favre knows it now.
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Camarillo grabbed all four catchable passes and turned third down into first down three times. Not bad for a guy who had been given 15 plays to memorize about 60 hours earlier.
"Once you get on the field, football is football," Camarillo said. "Plays end up being the same wherever you are."
In his first snap since the trade from Miami, Camarillo lined up in the right slot on third-and-9. He found a gap between three defenders and caught a well-placed pass on the run for 22 yards.
Camarillo's second snap came seven plays later. Lined up this time in the left slot on third-and-8, he found another soft spot, caught a pass and gained 12 yards to the Seattle 6.
Good play. Wrong route.
"I don't know what he was doing," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said of the route. "I'm not sure he knew what he was doing."
Camarillo's other catches were a 7-yarder while lined up wide left and a 6-yarder on third-and-3 while lined up wide right. That's four catches from all four spots where receivers typically line up. Overall, Camarillo lined up slot left twice, slot right twice, wide right three times and wide left once.
"He's got a great ability to work a zone," coach Brad Childress said. "He's a good football player and he understands route concepts. ... I think he'll be a valuable guy, being able to swing all across the board before it's over."
One thing the 6-1, 190-pounder isn't is a deep threat. Favre overthrew him badly on a deep ball and was intercepted.
"That," said Camarillo, "is probably not the strength of my game."
Camarillo won't be labeled anyone's No. 1 receiver. Then again, does it really matter?
Bernard Berrian technically is the team's No. 1 receiver while Sidney Rice recovers from hip surgery. Against Seattle, Berrian played 36 snaps and was Favre's target fewer times (four) than Camarillo.
Berrian wasn't thrown to until his 16th snap. It was a slant pass that went through his hands and was turned into an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown. Berrian also couldn't catch up to a deep ball and finished with just one catch for 8 yards. 
Regardless of his spot in the pecking order, Camarillo is looking forward to working more with Favre.
"He makes my job easy," Camarillo said. "To have a quarterback that caliber is what a receiver wants. If you run a route and get open, the ball is put right on the money."
Even if it's the wrong route run by a stranger to an offense that's still in a state of flux.
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