Daily Norseman
How long before they start televising these practices?
Another day of OTAs today. What nuggets of excitement will be gleaned? All eyes will be on JJ McCarthy and his every move will be analyzed by the Super Nerds to try and come up with some kind of projection. These are the dog days of the offseason. We are scratching the bottom of the barrel in an effort to entertain the masses. It is not easy.
Now that the team has gained more cap space, do you think they will make another move specifically at Cornerback or possibly even safety? I would not be mad if they did.
The next organized team activities.
The schedule is ...
OTAs: June 5, June 16-18
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
How’s J.J. McCarthy looking? Vikings June 2 OTA practice takeaways
The Vikings held their fourth practice of the Organized Team Activities (OTAs) phase of their offseason schedule on Monday, and the second one open to members of the media. It was a sunny early-June afternoon in Eagan, with temperatures in the low 80s. 15-20 mile-per-hour winds created a nice breeze for spectators, but definitely made it difficult for the quarterbacks trying to throw footballs to their intended targets.
That wind is an important part of the context when it comes to the biggest takeaway from the day, which is that it wasn’t a very sharp practice for QB1 J.J. McCarthy.
In live 7-on-7 action (all 11-on-11 reps were done at half speed), McCarthy threw an interception to new cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who undercut an outbreaking Jordan Addison route on the left side of the field. (Rodgers, it should be mentioned, looks very promising and is in line for a big role this year). There were also several plays where he held onto the ball for long enough that he would’ve been sacked in real action, then eventually rolled out or found a check-down.
In a red zone period towards the end of practice, McCarthy couldn’t quite connect with T.J. Hockenson on a seam route in the back of the end zone, though it was a potentially catchable ball. He then threw incomplete to Jalen Nailor in the end zone, with Jeff Okudah breaking it up. There were certainly some quality throws mixed in — including a few connections with Justin Jefferson — and the zip McCarthy is able to put on his passes continues to be impressive. It wasn’t his best practice ever, but again, that really doesn’t indicate much of anything.
Here are some other observations from Monday’s session:
*Nailor looks like a player to keep an eye on this year. He’s in a contract year, he has a new number (83 is out, 1 is in), and he appears to have put on some muscle this offseason. He’ll be an important part of the Vikings’ offense as their No. 3 wide receiver, and he might be needed as the No. 2 for a few games if...
