Daily Norseman
Observations from today’s training camp practice
I decided to go down to the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp again today and check out today’s action. It was another hot day in the mid-80s but today the players got a bit of a reprieve as they were in shorts and shells rather than full pads like yesterday.
Here are my notes from the day.
This practice began and ended with special teams. The first 20-minute period was devoted to special teams drills. Once again the punt returners were out and while there were several back there getting a few reps, it still seems to be a competition mainly between Silas Bolden, Rondale Moore, and Myles Price- in that order. At the end of practice there were a few punts in team drills as well and those were the three that fielded them. But in the early special team drill period, Bolden, Moore, Price, Jalen Nailor and Dontae Fleming were back fielding punts.
Oddly, the punters were not punting during the early period, they were using a Jugs machine instead. Bolden had a drop in the early period and I didn’t see that anyone else did.
Punter Oscar Chapman also got I believe all the reps in team drills and most in position drills as holder, which is a sign of a full competition for the punter/holder role with Ryan Wright.
It wasn’t the best day for McCarthy from an accuracy standpoint as he had several off-target throws over the course of practice. He had a couple in one-on-one endzone drills, a couple in team drills, and another in 7-on-7 endzone drills. This last one targeted Josh Oliver at the back of the end zone and bounced off Oliver’s outstretched hand, then bounced hard off the crossbar as a measure of velocity. Kevin O’Connell went over to talk to McCarthy after that throw- most likely telling him to tone down the velocity- and he was better after that for the remainder of the drill.
I haven’t noticed many inaccurate throws from McCarthy so far in training camp so today stood out a bit in that regard, although nothing earth-shattering. But I sense he was a little irritated/frustrated with his inaccuracies today.
The defense rested star players today in team drills, so no Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, or Harrison Smith and only a few reps from Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.
That gave reps to others in more need of them. So with the first team there was Dallas Turner and Gabe Murphy at edge rusher, with Bo Ritchter, Chazz Chambliss, and Tyler Batty mixing in with the 2/3s. At defensive tackle, Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake-Rodriquez got the first reps with Harrison Phillips getting some action too. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins Jonathan Harris and Taki Taimani mixing in with the 2/3s. Batty’s first reps with the 2/3s came inside at defensive tackle.
On the offensive line, Walter Rouse was first at left tackle after...
