Matt Krohn-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Training camp for the Vikings is nearly here, mere days away. On Sunday, the rookies will clock-in at TCO Performance Center. The veterans will do so a couple days later.
Training camp and the preseason are a time of learning. Basically everyone connected to the organization — coaches, players, writers, fans — glean valuable insight and evidence during this period. Nevertheless, there’s still quite a bit that we already know even as some of those things haven’t fully resolved themselves. Consider some aspects of the Vikings that we know as July slowly gives way to training camp.
5 Things We Know about The Vikings Ahead of Training Camp
#1 — Four Quarterbacks are Too Many, So Something’s Gotta Give
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) looks to pass against the Detroit Lions during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Only three quarterbacks will make the final roster. Unless there’s an injury, J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold are going to claim two of those spots, bringing the competition down to Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall.
Not too long ago, I argued that Mr. Mullens would be shipped out. A trade, not a cut, seems like the likeliest route. After all, the NFL is a QB-starved league and Mullens is legitimately a good player, someone who is as good or better than most QB2s in the league. The appeal with Hall is that he has the potential to develop into a long-term QB2, which may have been the plan all along when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah plucked him out of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Oh, and for whatever it’s worth, former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond thinks that the end result is going to be Darnold, McCarthy, and Hall on the final roster.
#2 — The Defensive Overhaul Puts the Spotlight on Flores
Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches his team play against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Expectations were high for Brian Flores going into 2023. Expectations are high going into 2024.
The problem for Mr. Flores — or, perhaps, the challenge — is that expectations are a moving target, constantly moving and shifting as we gather more evidence. Last season, the new DC was working with an average cluster of talent and a Vikings defense that had been lousy for three straight seasons. He worked wonders with that crew, pushing Minnesota to 13th in the NFL for points allowed, a dramatic improvement over the 28th-place finish with Ed Donatell at the helm.
As an encore, Flores is being leaned on to do even more. Kirk Cousins is now gone, so the strength of the team could reasonably be the defense, an ironic twist given that Kevin O’Connell has always seemed so different from Mike Zimmer. Can Flores leverage the overhauled front seven into a defense that’s worthy of being called Flores’ Fiends?
#3 — The 2022 Draft Class is Moving into a Pivotal Period
Aug 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine (6) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Already, a pair of players from this draft class have been moved out. Defensive end Esezi Otomewo got cut and then offensive tackle Vederian Lowe got traded.
Are any others to follow?
A lot of the focus will be on safety Lewis Cine and corner Andrew Booth Jr. — both of whom are cut/trade candidates — since they were picked so high. But so, too, do the others have something to prove. Can Brian Asamoah turn his fast physicality into meaningful playing time? Does Ed Ingram become an excellent rather than passable right guard? Can Akayleb Evans regain his confidence? How much of a weapon is Ty Chandler?
#4 — Running the Ball Has Never Been More Important
Oct 29, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Akayleb Evans (21) tackles Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) during their football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Wm. Glasheen-USA TODAY Sports
Want to help Flores? Run the ball well. Want to make life easier for either of Darnold and/or McCarthy? Run the ball well. Want make Matt Daniels a happy man by winning the field position battle? Run the ball well.
Everything improves if the Vikings become a strong team on the ground.
Aaron Jones is taking over. In the playoffs, he played remarkably well, which was a carryover from a strong finish to the season. Jones averages 5.0 yards per carry in his career. Plus, Ty Chandler has speed to spare, so he’ll be layered into the run game, as well. Even if O’Connell gets funky with passes that function as runs, the message is the same: it’s time for the Vikings to figure out this aspect of the game.
#5 — The Hope is for the Kicking Curse to be Broken
Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide place kicker Will Reichard (16) reacts after a field goal against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A team doesn’t sink a draft pick into a kicker — even one in the 6th Round — unless the intention is to hand the job off to that player.
Will Reichard has been receiving hype about how well he has been playing. But while that’s encouraging, the positive reports won’t matter unless there’s on-the-field magnificence. No one is questioning the kid’s talent, but the transition to the NFL can be difficult. Can Reichard thrive as a rookie — it isn’t easy — while then settling into the position for years to come?
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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Publish date : 2024-07-19 08:00:00
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