>>>ALL THINGS VIKINGS<<<

Need more guys with this attitude around the Vikings and the NFL...

Kendricks on Restructuring Contract: ‘I’m Just Trying to Help the Team’ ...

MINNEAPOLIS – Eric Kendricks is a team player.

The Vikings announced Tuesday that Kendricks has restructured his contract, which allowed the team to sign first-round draft pick Garrett Bradbury to his rookie deal.

Kendricks joined several Vikings teammates at Target Field for batting practice prior to Tuesday night’s Twins-Angels game. While there, he spoke to Twin Cities media members and spoke about his decision.

The linebacker said it wasn’t a difficult one.

“That’s what everybody’s doing, man,” Kendricks said. “I’m just trying to help the team.”

In four years with the Vikings, Kendricks has led the team in tackles each season. In 2018, he totaled 122 tackles (coaches’ tally), 1.0 sack, 5.0 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and seven passes defensed. He also hauled in a career-high two interceptions.

Kendricks’ restructure came just over a year after he signed a five-year extension with the team that drafted him 45th overall in 2015. The move occurred two months to the day since the Vikings announced that Everson Griffen had re-worked his deal and Anthony Barr, Kendricks’ longtime friend and former teammate and roommate at UCLA, re-signed with the Vikings for less money than the Jets offered him.

Kendricks’ willingness to restructure helped Minnesota’s tight salary cap situation, but he’ll leave the business talk to someone else.


“I don’t know [anything about the cap]; I play ball, and I help the team,” he said.

“You can go around the locker room. Everybody wants to be on this team, everybody wants to play. It’s no secret,” Kendricks said. “We just gotta go out and get it done now.” (Vikings.com)

 

Well it's look like the handwriting is on the wall here,Kyle Rudolph won't try to work on his contract are we looking at a brusied and sore ego here?,cause they drafted lrv Smith

 

No, you’re looking at it TE who is worth more than he’s making and they are asking him to take a pay cut. Not an equation that computes very well.

 

But i wonder can they afford to keep him he's a good redzone target for Capt Kirk,in the words of Mike Zimmer sometimes business gets in the way it's a wait and see game now

 

After the draft, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the Vikings were considering moving safety Jayron Kearse to weakside linebacker. Kearse has other plans.

Via Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Kearse expects to be in the mix for playing time as the slot corner when the Vikings launch their OTAs on Tuesday.

“Last year, I played the nickel, but that was all off of instincts,” Kearse said. “Now, I had time to work at it knowing I’ll be in that role and playing that position.”

The stakes are high for Kearse; he’s one of four Minnesota defensive backs in a contract year.

The 2016 seventh-round pick shrugs at his contractual status. He also made it clear that he won’t be moving to linebacker.

In three seasons, Kearse has appeared in 47 regular-season games with two starts.

 

I hope the Vikings can extend his contract it seems Jayron Kearse,is finally coming into his own

 

Is sam Bradford Career over?,yes it's over IMO for a guy that can"t stay healthy he's made out pretty well,i think he made 129 million dollars saw it on the VIKINGS AGE

 

Wow!

 

Mark Wilf: Vikings expect “a lot better season”...

Last year, external expectations were unreasonably high for the Vikings. This year, external expectations for the franchise have dropped.

Internal expectations remain high.

“We expect a lot better season, and we’re working hard every day,” Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf told Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I know our coaches, and staff, and players are working hard and getting ready for the season.”

The most important player to the team’s 2019 season also is the highest paid: Quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“I think a year under his belt here in Minnesota and his familiarity with everything is going to bode well,” Wilf told Hartman. “He’s doing great. We expect a lot out of him as well as our whole team.”

Last year, the Vikings followed an NFC title game appearance with a failure to make it to the playoffs.

“Well, it was a disappointing season,” Wilf said regarding a campaign that ended with a win-and-in home loss to the Bears, who weren’t playing for anything. “We didn’t like the way it ended and it was a bitter taste in all of our [mouths] and we got right to work the day after that game. Coach Zimmer, Rick Spielman, the whole organization has had a plan, and we’re executing it and we like the changes, so far.”

Not many changes were possible in free agency due to cap constraints, but the Vikings added plenty of rookies via the draft and the post-draft land rush.

“The draft, very pleased with it,” Wilf said. “We got 12 good players in the draft. As always, we were very active in the free-agency part after the draft, so on all fronts we shored up a lot of areas that needed improvement and we have some really good people, good athletes, that we brought in.”

The Vikings have made it to the playoffs in alternating years under Zimmer, qualifying in 2015 and 2017 and failing to make it in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Whether they make it this year depends on plenty of factors, including whether Cousins and the rest of the team will be able to deliver in five prime-time games.

 

He’s been in the league almost as many years as games he has played. The kicker is that teams have been suckered into paying him elite money to sit on IR for most of seasons in the league.

 

It's the same thing every year as a long suffering fan when are the Vikings going show Rick Speiman the door,this guy just wasted AP and who cannot forget the nightmare that was Ponder with Tricky Ricky will they ever be an elite team...we will see this upcoming season

 

Garrett Bradbury at center, Pat Elflein at guard for Vikings...

When the Vikings made Garrett Bradbury their first-round pick last month, word from the team was that they had not decided if Bradbury would be playing center or guard as pro.

It appears they’ve made their choice. Bradbury played center at North Carolina State and lined up there with the media watching at Wednesday organized team activity.

Pat Elflein had been the starting center, but he’s now at left guard.

“I’m just focusing on left guard,” Elflein said, via the Pioneer Press. “It feels great. I played there in college. That was always one of my things. Just being able to play both positions.”

In addition to a new spot, Elflein will be getting used to a new zone blocking scheme under offensive line coach Rick Dennison. Elflein said it’s “a lot of fun and I think it’s going to work,” which would be a welcome change from some recent offensive line performances in Minnesota.
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I like it a lot !

 

EAGAN, Minn. — Kyle Rudolph said Wednesday after the Vikings second voluntary Organized Team Activity practice of the offseason that “there is some clarity” in contract talks between the team and his agent, Brian Murphy.

“The Vikings and my agent are working extremely hard to get something done, and with that being said, there are plenty of other teams that are interested, as well,” Rudolph said. “The clarity for me is that I get to come out every day and work with my teammates and have fun at OTAs and be in this team setting that I enjoy.”

The Vikings drafted Rudolph in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and extended him on a five-year deal that is set to expire after the 2019 season, which will be his ninth in Minnesota.

When the Vikings drafted Irv Smith, Jr., in the second round last month, there was some speculation regarding Rudolph’s status. He addressed it last week before playing in the Mike Zimmer Golf Classic fundraiser for the Mike Zimmer Foundation and again Wednesday.

Rudolph made sure to board an early flight from New York to Minnesota Tuesday in order to attend the first OTA. Rudolph was honored at the Kelly Cares Foundation’s Irish Eyes Gala (created by Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui) on Monday.

“I don’t know what kind of example it would set if I said I wanted to be here and I wasn’t here,” Rudolph said. “That’s not the kind of person I am. If I was at home right now, and everybody else was out here at practice, that would be really hard for me. That’s just not who I am as a person.”

When asked if there is validity to the report of a five-year extension, Rudolph simply said, “There is.”

Rudolph said he trusts the work by Vikings Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski and Murphy.

“They’re working. [The Vikings] are in a tough [salary-cap] situation. Everybody knows that,” Rudolph said. “That’s why we have the best salary cap in the NFL, and I believe I have one of the best agents. They’re working really hard.”

When Zimmer was asked if he is optimistic that the situation will be resolved, Zimmer said, “Yes.”

Asked to elaborate why he believes so, Zimmer said, “Because both sides are working towards it. And he’s under contract.”

Players have discussed excitement for the possibility of Rudolph and Smith not only being on the same team but on the field at the same time if the Vikings use more two-tight end sets this season.

“It forces defenses to play with three linebackers, and that allows us to control the game,” Rudolph said. “When we go out there in three-wide sets and people talk about creating mismatches, well, now they have five DBs on the field. There are still mismatches, size mismatches, but you can kind of control and do things how we want to do them.”

Quarterback Kirk Cousins also was asked about the prospect.

“I think it’s a win for us. I think that Kyle has done so many good things for so long, so to have him out there is a great sense of comfort,” Cousins said. “When you add Irv’s youth and athleticism, that is a great plus. No matter how you cut it, you have five players that are eligible [to receive a pass].

“You want to get the best five and the right mix and the right match,” Cousins continued. “You just try to get the best players you can out there, whether it is receivers, tight ends, running backs. But do something that is going to put pressure on the defense. And I do think having Kyle and Irv out there as a combination should be able to do that.” - Vikings.com

 

Enough of the dumb chit the ball is in your hands time to sign or not sign,i wonder can Barr replace Everson Griffen i think that can work do you think Hercules Mata'afla can play linebacker?

 

3 Observations from Initial OTAs: Viking Unveil New-Look Offensive Line...

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings are on the path to the 2019 season as they held their second Organized Team Activity practice on Wednesday at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.

Practice was moved indoors because of weather as players wore helmets, shells and shorts for the almost 2-hour session.

Minnesota is scheduled to hold 10 total OTA practices over the span of three weeks before hosting a mandatory minicamp from June 11-13.

Here are three observations from Wednesday morning’s session:

1. New look up front

Much of the talk of the Vikings offseason included pouring resources into the offensive line. With Wednesday’s session open to the media, the Vikings showed off a new look up front.

Riley Reiff was in his usual left tackle spot, while Pat Elflein was at left guard after playing center the previous two seasons. Rookie first-round pick Garrett Bradbury was at center while free-agent addition Josh Kline was at right guard. Brian O’Neill did not practice, so Rashod Hill was at right tackle.

The second-team offensive line, from left to right, consisted of: Aviante Collins, Dakota Dozier, Brett Jones, Danny Isidora and Storm Norton.


With O’Neill’s absence, the Vikings were down to 14 total linemen. Collins took snaps at right tackle with the third-team offense, and was joined by John Keenoy, Cornelius Edison, Dru Samia and Olisaemeka Udoh.

2. Wide receiver depth looks good

While Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs sit atop the depth chart at wide receiver, there is an opportunity for the group behind them.

Numerous players stepped up Wednesday, including rookie seventh-rounders Dillon Mitchell and Bisi Johnson. Mitchell showed off his quickness in 1-on-1 drills, while Johnson hauled in a roughly 50-yard pass from quarterback Jake Browning in team drills.

Chad Beebe and Brandon Zylstra, two players who return from 2018, also impressed in individual and team drills. Beebe made a nice sideline snag in front of Mackensie Alexander, and Zylstra hauled in multiple catches throughput practice.

Newcomer Jordan Taylor, who was previously with Denver, spent some time running with the first-team offense, while 2018 practice squad player Jeff Badet hauled in a 65-yard touchdown from quarterback Kirk Cousins in a team drill toward the end of practice.

3. Offense, defense trade barbs

Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer closed the session with a prolonged late-game situation on Wednesday. Zimmer gave his first-team offense the ball and against the defensive starters with the score tied at 7 and four minutes on the clock.


The drive started in fine fashion with Thielen making an acrobatic catch down the left sideline to beat Xavier Rhodes for a 34-yard gain. - Vikings.com

But the defense stood tall after that, holding the offense to 2 yards on the next three plays to force a punt. Rhodes came back and broke up a pass over the middle for Badet on third down to end the threat.

The second and third-team units then took the field but couldn’t get into scoring range.

 

David Carr of the NFL Network thinks the Vikings will win there first SB ( that's a real sweet dream ) kinda early don't you think if they can avoid that damn injury bug cause it can DESTROY your team

 

I always have high hopes, only to have them killed come mid-season, lol. The life of a Vikings fan.

A few think they will be much improved, im one, but its to early to talk SB... im still worried and focused on week 1.

 

Yeah i too think they will be improved,but winning the division and getting a first-round bye is important there schedule is tough! looks like the NFC NORTH will be one to watch

 

Kyle Rudolph and the Vikings still haven’t come to an agreement on the tight end’s future. The sides have discussed a five-year contract extension, Rudolph confirmed last week.

Rudolph has said he won’t accept a pay cut from the $7.5 million he is scheduled to make in 2019.


So where does that leave them?

After playing in the Nationwide Memorial golf tournament Wednesday, Rudolph updated contract talks with the Vikings. It does not sound as if the sides have made much progress.

“They want me in Minnesota. I want to be in Minnesota,” Rudolph told Scott Hanson of NFL Media. “Unfortunately, the business side of things gets in the way. That’s a testament to the rest of our team. We have a lot of good football players on our team. They just can’t pay everyone. You can’t keep everyone. As of right now, we still think there’s a way. I said last week after OTAs that my agent and the Vikings are working extremely hard to find a creative way to make these things happen.”

The cap-strapped Vikings selected Irv Smith in the second round but obviously still have an interest in keeping Rudolph if they can afford him.