DULUTH, Minn. -- After his dynamic rookie season, Cordarrelle Patterson went through a long period adrift in the Minnesota Vikings' offense, going from focal point to little-used receiver by the end of 2014.

The Vikings were designing plays for him as a rookie in 2013 when he had 45 receptions and 12 carries, especially in the second half of the season. He was working as a running back and receiver. By the time the Vikings returned from the bye week in 2014, Patterson had lost his spot in the starting lineup.

Last season, he caught just two passes and had two rushes, working almost exclusively as a special teams player as the Vikings turned to rookie receiver Stefon Diggs at split end.

Cordarrelle Patterson is making adjustments to his offseason work to show the Vikings he can be a viable wide receiver. Tony Gutierrez/AP

Coach Mike Zimmer said after the season that Patterson still has to show he can be more than a kick returner, adding the assessment is "kind of a broken record." On Thursday, general manager Rick Spielman said 2016 will be a "telltale year" for Patterson to prove he can be a receiver in the NFL. And based on what Patterson said Friday, the 24-year-old seems to know it's now or never for him in Minnesota.

Patterson arrived in Minnesota for the inaugural Vikings WinterFest after spending three days in Orange County, California, with Steve Calhoun, the quarterbacks and receivers trainer Patterson worked with after his rookie season. Patterson had "done my own thing" after that, he said Friday, but this year, he said, he knew he needed to reconnect with Calhoun to refine the route-running skills the Vikings have wanted him to improve.

"I reached out to him, told him I want to work with him, be better," Patterson said. "He told me to come out for three days. I did that, and I'll try to see how it goes."

The receiver is once again working with Frank Matrisciano, the self-styled "Hell's Trainer" who helped Patterson get in shape last year. But he's also mixed in some work with Calhoun and plans to travel to South Florida in March to work with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, which he didn't do last year. And at this point, Patterson admits he agrees with what Spielman is saying.

"I've been feeling that way, man," he said. "I just approach this whole year way different than I've been doing. I'm a lot more focused, just trying to work on my craft -- route-running, getting in and out of breaks, just trying to get the timing good with Teddy."

The Vikings will have to make a decision on Patterson's fifth-year option this spring, but the receiver's 2016 contract -- which will pay him $1.39 million and count $2.3 million against the salary cap -- isn't guaranteed, meaning the Vikings could save $1.39 million in cap space if they released him before the start of the 2016 season. It seems likely Patterson will be on the roster in 2016, but for all of his good intentions, Patterson will have to stand on his own merits next season if he's going to have a future in Minnesota.

He seems to know it, too.

"Ain’t nothing much to say, man," Patterson. "If it don’t show this year it ain’t going to show at all. That’s all I can say about that."