>>>ALL THINGS VIKINGS<<<

Why not, AP is used to beating on people. Though, I think he will find it a lot more difficult when he does it against someone big enough to fight back. I kind of hope this is karma coming around and he gets his ass beat. If he loses, does Bell get to go out back and get a switch to finish the job?

 

Like they say karma is a b*tch well what goes around comes around

 

Good question about the switch laughing

 

Vikings announce 14 open practice dates

The 62nd training camp in Vikings history, and the fifth hosted at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, will feature 14 open practices, the team announced Tuesday.

The open practices begin with Back Together Saturday on July 30.


The Vikings will practice in pads for 10 of the 14 open sessions this summer. The unpadded practices will be free for all attendees, while eight of the padded sessions will be free for kids 17 and younger and $5 for adults.

Two premier practices will be available at $10 for adults, $5 for children 17 and younger and free for children under 36-inches. A portion of all ticket sale proceeds will go to the Vikings Foundation.

The Vikings will host the 49ers for joint practices on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18, leading up to their Week 2 preseason matchup on Saturday, Aug. 20, at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Season ticket members will receive priority access to reserve tickets at vikings.com/camp beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29, while access for the general public will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 30.

 

Waiting is the hard part for the preseason and the regular season to start

 

NFL Network analyst picks Vikings to knock off Packers in NFC North



The Minnesota Vikings are kicking in the door and taking the NFC North, according to NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt.

During Whiteboard Wednesday on Good Morning Football, Brandt responded to the question of which team had the most potential heading into the 2022 season.

Not only did he pick the Vikings as the team with the most potential, but he also chose them as the team to finally end the long and terrifying reign of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

“I am really excited about the 2022 Vikings mostly because of Kevin O’Connell,” said Brandt. “I think they’ve got one of these young little [Sean] McVay Russian nesting dolls that everyone is trying to get. They got theirs. Their offense is going to be amazing. I don’t need to go on and on. But I will tell you this right now. Screw it. It’s late June. I’m predicting them to win the NFC North. I think the Vikings are going to win the division this year.”

O’Connell serving as head coach could be the great equalizer for a talented Vikings team that underachieved under the previous regime.

The defense will return healthier this season with some much-needed reinforcements up front and in the backfield. They went out and made the splurge free agent signings for players like linebacker Za’Darius Smith and defensive lineman Harrison Phillips, along with drafting standout defensive rookies like safety Lewis Cine and cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.

The offense already had an embarrassment of riches, and it was likely the side of the ball that had the most influence over O’Connell taking the head coaching job in the first place.

Just look at his track record and see what he did with the Los Angeles Rams offense as a coordinator last season.

Considering the talent available to him in Minnesota, there’s no reason to think that the Vikings offense won’t fly as high or even higher than that Rams team in 2022.

VIKINGS WIRE

 

Very high hopes if they can end the terrifying regin of Aaron Rodgers and live up to the lofty expectations GO VIKINGS

 

3 biggest position battles for Vikings heading into training camp

In a few weeks, the Kevin O’Connell era will take shape underneath the Eagan sun at the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp.

That’s where the first-year head coach has the arduous task of whittling down the roster to 53 players, along with making key personnel decisions with the depth chart.

There are a slew of training camp battles awaiting the Vikings when they return to the practice field, and make no mistake, not all of them are set in stone.

One example of that is team commentator Paul Allen predicting running back/return man Kene Nwangwu could potentially push Alexander Mattison for lead backup duties behind Dalvin Cook.

So there might certainly be some surprises in store when the smoke settles. But as of right now, heading into camp, here are the three biggest position battles for the team.

Right guard



What will the future hold for arguably the biggest trouble spot for the Vikings?

The team signed veterans Chris Reed and Jesse Davis in the offseason for right guard depth after Oli Udoh struggled last season. They also went out and spent a second-round draft pick on rookie Ed Ingram as a high-ceiling option to hopefully fortify the position.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll take over the reins right out of the gates, as the Vikings could look at one of their veteran players to take over the role early on. It’ll be interesting to see how far along he is in comparison to Reed and Davis when the pads come on.

There’s still a long-shot hope that Wyatt Davis can somehow get into the mix as well, but it’s beginning to look like the ship has sailed on the second-year offensive lineman, who was selected No. 86 overall in the 2021 NFL draft by former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.

Cornerback



With rookie safety Lewis Cine taking a significant number of snaps with the first-team unit in the spring practices, there’s been this growing assumption that the same will be the case when rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. returns to the practice field at 100 percent.

But Cameron Dantzler might have something to say about that.

The veteran corner has continued to improve and mature to the point where he could be one of the long-term fixtures for the Vikings in the defensive backfield. Yes, Booth is a smart player with a lot of talent, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to land a starting job right off the bat.

He was limited throughout the spring practices because he’s been on the mend from a hernia sports surgery he had back in March. The plan has always been for him to be ready to go by training camp.

But he’ll clearly have some catching up to do, along with competing with a more experienced player in Dantzler. Patrick Peterson is already locked in at the other cornerback spot, and Chandon Sullivan is expected to lead the slot corner role.

So the Booth and Dantzler battle is definitely the one to keep an eye on in future practices.

Backup quarterback



Kellen Mond has been one of the more intriguing players often highlighted through the early practices. There has been talk of him playing with more confidence within O’Connell’s offense.

Back in May, Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips referred to him as “very sharp” and having his “eyes in the right place” on the field.

He started off the spring practices strong, and then he ended things at minicamp by throwing an interception to Parry Nickerson.

The Vikings already know what they have in Sean Mannion as a backup quarterback.

His ceiling on the football field has already been established. However, the same isn’t necessarily the case for Mond, who has some intangibles that makes him a worthy project for O’Connell and company.

But will he be good enough when the pads come on to be promoted from a third option to Kirk Cousins’ direct backup at quarterback? That will easily be one of the more fascinating questions heading into late July.

YAHOO/VIKINGS WIRE

 

I think Mond is going to get a fare chance with KOC... much better than he was given with the previous HC.

Kene Nwangwu is one guy Im keeping a close look at. It will be nice if he could push Mattison and Im a big fan of Mattison, but the comp might even make the backfield even stronger.

Going to be a fun Camp.

 

Now concerning Kellen Mond just wanted him to.get a chance to show what he can and cannot do,NEVER THOUGHT HE GOT A REAL CHANCE UNDER MIKE ZIMMER

 

Alexander Mattison it's looking like he just might be on chopping block

 

I really hope not... Im a fan, but its all about production. If... Nwangwu beats him out, there is always room for depth because of injuries. The more top notch backs, the better.

 

Jim Marshall better git in the HOF this time cause lts stupid and silly now

 

Peers rank Harrison Smith in top-10 of NFL safeties



Even at the age of 33, Minnesota Vikings legendary defensive back Harrison Smith is still one of the best safeties in the NFL.

In a list compiled from league executives, scouts, coaches and players. via ESPN.com, the six-time Pro Bowler found a spot in the top-10 players at his position heading into the 2022 season.

Granted, he did drop a couple of spots from last year, when he landed at No. 5 on the list. But it’s still remarkable that he’s managed to survive the test of Father Time as the No, 7-ranked player in the updated rankings.

“[Smith is a player] you absolutely must account for on every snap, and the list of safeties that do that is pretty short,” one offensive line coach said, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “Guys like him are still hard to find.”

Age catches up with everyone at some point, but there has yet to be any major drop-off in Smith’s abilities. It does help that he’s a cerebral player that leans heavily on smarts and instincts instead of relying solely on God-given athletic talent.

He finished the 2021 season with a combined 114 tackles, three sacks, seven pass break-ups and one interception.

The hope is that he can sustain that level of production or perhaps even improve on it if the Vikings’ defensive backfield as a whole takes a step forward in 2022.

Not only would it help push the struggling defense over the hump, but it could lead to another All-Pro season, which would ultimately sweeten the Hall of Fame debate beginning to arise in Smith’s favor.

VIKINGS WIRE

 

Let the HOF debate begin wow now that's impressive at 33 he's still àn elite safety in the NFL

 

Vikings reportedly not letting up in Ndamukong Suh pursuit



One team is reportedly out of the Ndamukong Suh sweepstakes, but that team isn’t the Minnesota Vikings.

Per Cleveland Browns reporter Brad Stainbrook, the Browns have remained “out of the picture” to land the former five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, but both the Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders are still holding conversations in an effort to secure his services.

According to the report, the hope is that Suh will ultimately make a decision before the start of training camp.

“Browns remain out of the picture for DT Ndamukong Suh,” Stainbrook posted on Twitter. “The Raiders and Vikings have held conversations, and Suh will look to hopefully sign somewhere before camp opens up.”



Landing another disruptive defensive playmaker this late in the game would be significant for the Vikings. Even at age 35, Suh has shown he still has the tendency of finding his way into the offensive backfield and blowing up plays.

He’s coming off his second straight six-sack season with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team he helped win Super Bowl LV with back in 2021. But his greatest asset is his elite run-stopping abilities.

The Vikings’ defensive front was a doormat for opponents last season with the unit allowing 130.7 rushing yards per game on average. It was just too easy to move the ball up and down the field against them.

But the addition of Suh, along with Harrison Phillips and Dalvin Tomlinson, could finally change things for the better. It could bring an end to the doormat reference by reinserting some respect—and perhaps even a little fear—back into the Vikings defense.

VIKINGS WIRE

 

Suh ìs a big boy the Vikings need a big body he's not injury prone ĺike Michael Pierce seems like he was always hurt

 

Now the Browns are interested.

 

I thought it was between Vikings and Ŕaiders interesting the Browns

 

Did Za'Darius Smith send a warning to Aaron Rodgers and Packers?

For any fan in need of some “meet at the quarterback” vibes heading into the 2022 season, look no further than the recent social media post from Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith.

In the post, Smith put up a picture of himself standing back-to-back with fellow multiple-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter, along with the date September 11, 2022.

It’s the official start date of the Vikings’ regular season, and they’ll be facing Smith’s former team, the division rival Green Bay Packers. That will be the date when he gets to shed the practice pads and hit Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for real.

“I can’t wait to get a chance to face them the first game and see that look on Aaron Rodgers’ face when he see me on the other side of the ball,” Smith said back in May, during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. “…It’s going to be a, ‘It’s good to see you again, but now, it’s not at practice.'”



Vikings legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson claimed he’s never been a part of a team with as dominant of an edge-rushing combination as Smith and Hunter in his career. That’s saying a lot coming from a guy that has seen plenty of football in his days.

Rodgers and the Packers will get to experience it first-hand when the teams collide in the season-opener at U.S. Bank Stadium. Change is coming for the Vikings with the many additions they’ve made in the offseason, including bringing in Smith.

And on September 11, it all comes to a head with one of the most dynamic pass-rushing tandems in the league coming face-to-face with one of the best quarterbacks to ever do it.

Grab some popcorn.

VIKINGS WIRE