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Training Camp - Offensive line...

To start, the line looked fairly good in the first week of padded practices.

I wrote about that group over the weekend, but there are three players — left tackle Riley Reiff, center Garrett Bradbury and right tackle Brian O'Neill — who are locked into their same starting spots from the 2019 season.

Starting left guard competition, which has been between Dakota Dozier and Aviante Collins so far. That duo has split reps with the first-team for all of the practices we have been able to see so far.

Ezra Cleveland, who played left tackle at Boise State, has worked with the second team at left guard. He seems to be progressing nicely in the early stages of camp. Perhaps he's an option at left guard down the road, but Collins and Dozier appear to be the ones in the mix to start for now.

Hinton has been the third-team right guard for the entirety of camp so far. He's a former Division II player likely getting adjusted to the speed at the NFL level, but the team is high on his athleticism for sure.

As for Elflein, here is a possible explanation for how the team views him: he was really good as a rookie center, but injuries hampered his progression in 2018. When he switched to left guard in 2019, he wasn't entirely comfortable over there and had an up-and-down season.

Everyone involved in the decision to move him to right guard — Elflein, Dennison, Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak, Head Coach Mike Zimmer, etc. — believes he is more comfortable on the right side, where he played 25 games at Ohio State.

We'll see how he fares as the season gets going, but Kubiak and Dennison have a proven track record with the ability to develop linemen.



Vikings . com

 

WOW if he makes catches like that,it will make you say Diggs who that was a very impressive catch just hope he's durable and not injury prone

 

Vikings Say Cameron Smith Had Successful Open-Heart Surgery

 

Good to hear that it went well now take your time to recover no need.to rush it

 

I hope Alexander Mackenzie father is found alive and is just lost,this is craziness gone wild just hope he didn't fall victim to a devious plot

 

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings added linebacker depth to their roster Tuesday with the signing of David Reese II.

The Michigan native is now one of nine linebackers on Minnesota's active 80-man roster.

Minnesota waived safety Brian Cole II, a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, in a corresponding move.


Here are five things to know about the newest Minnesota Viking:

1. Second Opportunity

Reese was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft. He was with Carolina for the virtual offseason and in the early part of camp, but was released over the weekend.

2. Former Florida Gator

Reese made at least four starts in each of his four seasons at Florida. He appeared in 46 total games, with 38 starts.

He recorded 324 career tackles for the Gators, adding 19.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.


3. Solid senior season

Reese was a Second-Team All-SEC selection during the 2019 season. He tallied 94 total tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery as Florida went 11-2 and finished the season as the nation's No. 10 team.

4. 2-point play

Reese did not score a touchdown in college, but he was credited with a scoring play on special teams in Florida's loss to Alabama in the 2016 SEC Championship.

Reese recovered a blocked extra point attempt late in the first quarter and returned it for a score, giving the Gators two points on the play.

It was the first the blocked extra point returned for a defensive PAT in the SEC Championship since 1997.

5. Michigan man

Reese grew up in Farmington, Michigan, which is roughly 30 minutes outside of downtown Detroit. He was a star at Farmington High School and was named to the 2015 Detroit News football Dream Team, as well as All-Metro North Teams in 2014 and 2015.

Vikings . com

 

EAGAN, Minn. — Practice lasted just 90 minutes Tuesday, but the Vikings were crisp in getting what they needed accomplished at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.

Defensive end Danielle Hunter did not practice. Neither did linebacker Ben Gedeon, who is currently on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List.

Wednesday is a scheduled day off for players, who will resume practice Thursday.

Here are three observations from Tuesday's session presented by Minnesota Eye Consultants, the Proud Ophthalmology Partner of the Minnesota Vikings:

1. Captain Kirk leads the way

Much like Sunday's practice when the Vikings simulated the final 10 minutes of a game, Head Coach Mike Zimmer had his team play the fourth quarter of a game that was "tied" at 28 after three periods.

Kirk Cousins and the first-team offense moved up and down the field on a pair of possessions, with both drives leading to points.

Cousins ended the first possession with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Dalvin Cook, a sequence that was highlighted by third-down conversions to Adam Thielen and Bisi Johnson through the air. The nine-play drive spanned 70 yards.

Cousins later led another scoring drive that ended with a Dan Bailey field goal. Minnesota's first-team defense made a stand inside the 10-yard line, but Cousins was again accurate on third down on a pass to Irv Smith, Jr.


The Vikings first-team offense converted three-of-four times on third downs in the team period and also got a fresh set of downs after a pass interference penalty.

2. Big day for the tight ends

It's well-known how much Vikings Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak utilizes tight ends, and that was on full display Tuesday.

Kyle Rudolph looked good in both individual and team drills, while Smith had a handful of catches from Cousins in the aforementioned fourth-quarter period.

But the highlight of the day belonged to tight end Tyler Conklin, who had a leaping 16-yard touchdown catch on the final play of practice and was mobbed by his teammates.

Conklin had a smooth connection with quarterback Jake Browning on the day, catching multiple passes before his athletic score.

The Vikings are expected to rely on multiple tight-end sets again in 2020, and that trio is likely to be key pieces of the offense under Kubiak.

Vikings . com

 

Crisp means sharp looking sounds good cause the Packers game is just days away GO VIKINGS!

 

Mackenzie Alexander father found alive good to hear

 

wow !

 

Hunter on one side - Yannick Ngakoue on the other... this is going to be fun!

 

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings don't have a single cornerback on their roster over 23 years old, which helps explain why the position group has made just nine combined NFL starts.

"The entire defensive backfield, I think, has played really well. I think it's been tight coverage," Cousins said. "We've tried different route depths, we've tried double moves, and I think they've just had good discipline and been really sticky in covering our receivers and our tight ends, so that's certainly encouraging to see for the long haul during the season."

The cornerbacks group underwent the most turnover of any position on the roster in the offseason, but the opportunity is there for young players to step up.

Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler have a chance at making this defense real special...

 

I never thought or see this happening i thought it was just talk Yannick Ngakoue is a Vikings good hope he has a good year if the Vikings can get a stud or a very good NG would be nice GO VIKINGS!

 

OUTSTANDING good to hear cause the defensive backfield has been a sore spot lately maybe just maybe Harrison Smith might get some help finally

 

Watching the Vikings Eagles football game out of amazing catches Diggs has made I was reminded of the passes he has dropped oh Trey Wayne still sucks Big Time!

 

Was this the game when Diggs started all the weird azz tweets hope he works out for the Buffalo Bill's because I'm glad he's gone he didn't want to be here bye

 

O-Line

With Reiff and Hill not practicing, the Vikings had a different look at tackle.

Brian O'Neill switched to the left side, which allowed Oli Udoh to bump up to the right side with the first team. The interior of Dakota Dozier, Garrett Bradbury and Pat Elflein remained intact from past practices.

Dozier took all of the first-team reps at left guard, and Aviante Collins spent practice as the second-team left tackle. Ezra Cleveland stayed at left guard, and was next to center Brett Jones, right guard Dru Samia and right tackle Blake Brandel with the second unit.

Dozier, Elflein, Udoh and Jones were impressive in 1-on-1 drills, as were defensive linemen Ifeadi Odenigbo, D.J. Wonnum and Eddie Yarbrough.

 

Hope they get the O-line figured out cause it looks like teams in the NFC NORTH defensive lines are going be quite good

 

Is Yannick Ngakoue a one trick pony? according to some talking heads he is,DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE!!!, these guys went on and on.abount the money he left in Jacksonville this is a case of not wanting to be there anymore he wanted out no matter what PFT is a joke