MINNEAPOLIS -- Though the Minnesota Vikings' roster only has three wide receivers who caught more than 10 passes last season, there's a quick in-house answer to the lingering questions about the team's depth at that position.

That would be second-year receiver Laquon Treadwell, whose misadventure of a rookie season ended with him catching just one of the three passes thrown his way after the Vikings selected him 23rd overall. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has already said this will be a "critical" offseason for Treadwell, and at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix on Wednesday, coach Mike Zimmer sounded hopeful Treadwell will make more of a contribution in Year 2.

"I think he's healthy, because he was just in last week," Zimmer said. "I think he's going to have a good year. He's still learning some of the pro game, too, and understanding those things. But he's going to be a good player."

Treadwell began the year with what the Vikings have called a foot ailment, and saw his season end early because of an ankle injury he suffered on his first special teams play in Jacksonville on Dec. 11. In between, he strived to pick up the Vikings' offense and make the most of limited playing time, which increased somewhat when Shurmur replaced Norv Turner as the offensive coordinator. The last pass thrown to him in a game -- on a key third down late in a Dec. 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys -- fell incomplete as Treadwell appeared to run too deep of a route for Sam Bradford's throw. And it illustrated some of the things the receiver still needs to improve.

"I think Laquon has a better understanding of things [than fellow first-rounder Cordarrelle Patterson did as a young receiver]," Zimmer said. "I don't think he understands quite some of the subtleties he needs. I think he's got the basics down pretty good. [It was] a lot of injuries, and then he got frustrated, and then he was pressing. I think he has to just come in and be an athlete. Sometimes, you're trying to impress people so much, you get paralysis by analysis. It's, 'Ahh, I've got to try harder, I've got to try harder.' It's really just, 'Relax, and do what you've been doing."

The Vikings have two impressive young receivers in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, but they could still use the physical presence they sought from Treadwell, particularly to help alleviate their struggles in the red zone. Zimmer said in a radio interview last week that the Vikings could still use help at receiver, and they added former Cleveland Browns practice squad receiver Mitch Mathews on Thursday.

But if Treadwell is ready to develop, he'll get his shot once players return for the start of the offseason program next month. What he does with it will be one of the stories of 2017.