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The Vikings have concluded their first week of organized team activities (or Week 1 of Phase 3 of their offseason program, I think? I might need some kind of conversion chart for Leslie Frazier naming scheme). Here are a few leftover notes and observations from the first week of OTAs, as well as some things to keep an eye on for next week:
the Vikings base defense, Erin Henderson got all of the snaps as the middle linebacker, with Chad Greenway and Marvin Mitchell flanking him. The weakside linebacker spot is still up for grabs, though, and the Vikings will continue to look at a number of players there, like Gerald Hodges and Tyrone McKenzie. But the way Leslie Frazier talked on Wednesday made me think Henderson is going to have to do something drastic to lose the job in the middle. Asked if players like Audie Cole and Michael Mauti would receive firstteam reps in practice, Frazier said, if they do enough to show that they're worthy of that. Erin will be the starter and they will have to show that they've done something to pique our interested to see how they'll handle a starting role. has hedged on the status of the middle linebacker job a couple times, which might have irked Henderson a little, but unless the Vikings somehow add a proven player, I find it hard to see the job being anyone but Henderson He still has some work to do, though Kyle Rudolph beat him up the seam for a long completion on Wednesday, and Henderson gave some time up to Jasper Brinkley last season in the Vikings nickel defense.
think the next thing for me is believing what I'm seeing, Henderson said. somebody's doing certain things or making a certain move, it's for a reason and I need to be able to adapt and adjust for what that reason was. Robinson was starting at left corner in the Vikings base defense opposite Chris Cook, but he moved inside to slot receiver in the nickel package while Xavier Rhodes came in outside. That will bear watching through much of the summer and into training camp, because Robinson still has a big adjustment in front of him as a slot corner. I let Frazier explain:
in the slot you don't have the sideline as a defensive back to help you when you're playing corner, he said. just playing corner, there are certain things by guys' alignment that can tell you what's going to happen because he doesn't have as much grass based on his split. At the corner position, you can look at him and say, 'Based on his split, he has to run this type of route. If he's a little bit tighter, he's going to run this. If he's a little bit wider, he's going to run this.' Well, in the slot, they have a lot of field. It requires a different mindset and you're actually asked to do a little bit more from mental standpoint as well. Responsibility changes versus when we say, want you to play press coverage at corner. Now, when you play the slot position, we might have you involved in our run defense as well as pass defense, as a opposed to corner, where a lot of times you're just covering. The responsibility changes, requires a little bit more awareness, you have to be a little bit better tackler and you have to have the cover skills to be able to line up against a guy that sometimes is a lot smaller. can run with the receivers he see in the slot. We know that. But Antoine Winfield had been so good as a slot corner for so long that the Vikings are out on a bit of a limb here, so to speak, especially when they face teams like Green Bay and slot receivers like Randall Cobb. Jefferson here, but he has a lot to learn.
start integrating him into that position now, just to find out if he can do it, Frazier said. think he can, but we have to get some practices under his belt and get some preseason games as well. If he can do it, it will help our secondary tremendously. We're all hoping he'll get it done. Patterson role was a bit more defined this week, though neither piece of information we received comes as a huge surprise. Patterson said the Vikings want him to learn the split end position for now, and they move him around in their formations once he mastered that. He also will be a kick returner instead of a punt returner, since the Vikings still have Marcus Sherels to do that.
Patterson still has quite a bit to learn from receivers coach George Stewart, but he already heard from Greg Jennings the importance of refining his routerunning, and Stewart said he fine with where Patterson is right now.
learning football as expected, Stewart said. not a guy that you look at that's behind on things. He's sharp. He always comes and talks through things. Jarius Wright does a good job of staying with him. He always comes to my ear and asks questions. He's very inquisitive, which I like. He's picking up things extremely well."
Frazier said on Wednesday he didn think John Carlson was fully recovered from a knee injury until Week 4 or 5 last season. Carlson first year with the Vikings was a disappointment, and another unproductive year could lead to the Vikings letting him go, after they already restructured his contract this spring. But if Carlson is healthy, Frazier said he still has high hopes for the tight end.
know when we sat down and talked, one of his goals and it's the same goal we all have for him was to stay healthy, Frazier said. a very talented guy, but he's had trouble staying on the field, so if we can get him through these OTA's, get him through training camp and get to the regular season, his numbers will be a lot better. We're all hoping he can stay healthy.
The Vikings announced a handful of dates for their 2013 training camp this afternoon, and it appears the format of the team threeweek stay in Mankato will look roughly the same as it did in 2012. buy replica oakley
Players will report to Minnesota State University on July 25, and the Vikings will hold their first practice the next day. They will hold their scrimmage on Aug. 3, and break camp on Aug. 15, returning to Mankato for six days after their first preseason game at the Metrodome on Aug. 9. Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap
The Vikings went back to Mankato after their first preseason game last year, too, and while there was some thought they might stay in the Twin Cities after opening at home, not on the road, this preseason, they maintain their 2012 format.
That should come as no surprise, considering the Vikings who improved from 313 to 106 last year have kept just about everything the same between last year offseason schedule and this year program. All of the events the Vikings announced on Tuesday (their reporting date, their first practice, their scrimmage and their last day in Mankato) are a day earlier than they were in 2012; in other words, they on the same day of the week.
The Vikings begin the first of their 10 organized team activities (OTAs) today, leading up to their mandatory minicamp from June 1820. Reporters will have access to Wednesday workout, as well as several others through the next three weeks, and there will be plenty to keep an eye on as we get our last looks at the Vikings on the field before training camp.