Vikings training camp: What to watch out for at the start in Minnesota

July 22, 2024

The Minnesota Vikings rookies reported to training camp on Sunday, but some never left.

Especially JJ McCarthy.

Last week, his father, Jim, rented a U-Haul and helped McCarthy move into a new house. They talked briefly about training camp.

Nerves? Absolutely not, says Jim. Excitement? Believe me.

The veterans arrive on Tuesday and the first practice open to the media is Wednesday. With the stage set for the 2024 season, here are 10 elements I’ll be paying attention to this week:

1. It feels like major events over the past few weeks have clouded an otherwise rosy offseason.

The death of Khyree Jackson was tragic. Internally, Vikings staff and players are still grieving. One coach even said that the day after Jackson died – in an early morning car crash that also killed two of Jackson’s high school teammates, Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton – the TCO Performance Center displayed a picture of Jackson on the stadium’s billboard.

GO DEEPER

Khyree Jackson, the Vikings’ fourth-round pick, is ready to write the next chapter of his wild story

“I find it difficult to think outside the box of my office,” said the employee.

Heartbroken. https://t.co/9y3ParEjaa

– Kevin O’Connell (@KevOC7) July 6, 2024

Days later, one of the Vikings’ most promising young players, Jordan Addison, was arrested in Los Angeles for drunk driving. Of course, that was a different situation, but one that requires a lot of leadership.

And that’s where we must begin. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell will speak to the media on Monday afternoon. How will they and Minnesota’s leadership discuss and handle these circumstances afterward? What kind of support will the Vikings provide, particularly with regards to grieving teammates? Adofo-Mensah, O’Connell and the Vikings players have a lot of football-related questions to answer. But right now, they seem trivial.

2. As trivial as this may sound, this is where we’re going to make a transition. Wednesday will be McCarthy’s first practice in front of the media. What will he look like? How many reps will the coaches give him? And if he goes up against Brian Flores’ defense, how aggressively will Flores call it?

The spring has been an easy ride: warming up muscles, getting a feel for competition and getting ready for the show. The ride is here and all eyes will be on McCarthy, even if the Vikings continue to stick with their slow approach.

He could succeed. He could fail. His progress will provide clues to his starting schedule and potential. One focus will be putting the ball over defenders. Can he consistently get the ball into shooting windows? Another priority is mastering footwork under center and play-action. Can he retreat fluidly while keeping his eyes downfield? There’s no more hiding, good or bad. No single day is a referendum on McCarthy’s future, but the blur of these weeks should provide some indication of where he stands.

GO DEEPER

Vikings fan poll: Thoughts on JJ McCarthy, biggest concerns for 2024 and more

3. How is the health of TJ Hockenson and Andrew Van Ginkel? The tight end and edge rusher have been recovering from serious injuries this spring. Hockenson trotted around on a side field while the entire practice was taking place. Van Ginkel, meanwhile, shadow boxed with a trainer.

Hockenson suffered a torn ACL and medial ligament in January against the Detroit Lions, while Van Ginkel injured the Lisfranc joint in his foot against the Buffalo Bills in January. The Vikings are concerned about whether they will be available long-term – less so whether both players will return quickly.

O’Connell did not announce a timetable for either player in June, but said in regards to Hockenson that short-term injured reserve rules might prevent the team from placing the tight end on the physically unable to perform list to begin the season.

4. We tend to talk about strategy in this area. It’s not an exciting topic in the spring and coaches don’t like to discuss it either. Why would you reveal your plans for an opponent in the media?

However, we have gotten some hints. At the NFL league meetings in Orlando, O’Connell spoke openly about Flores wanting to strengthen his man coverage. Cornerback Shaq Griffin should help with that.

My question is: Is a grouping of Griffin, Byron Murphy Jr., and possibly Mekhi Blackmon enough to get Flores to allow one-on-one situations all over the field? And does Flores believe the pass rush unit is improved enough to work in tandem with the defensive backfield to allow for more aggressive coverage?

GO DEEPER

How will the NFC pass rush groups fare ahead of the 2024 season?

5. The Vikings were more cautious on offense. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips responded matter-of-factly to a question about changes in the game system of running back Aaron Jones and quarterback Sam Darnold. Will the Vikings adopt more pistol formations? Will they rely more on gap-style man-to-man blocking concepts, as the Los Angeles Rams did last year? That’s certainly a tricky issue, but relevant in the bigger picture.

6. We’ll be writing detailed reports on the position battles, so we don’t need to go into them here. But who will get the No. 3 wide receiver job? What about the guard positions with Dalton Risner and Blake Brandel? What will the interior of the defensive line look like? Can Blackmon overtake Akayleb Evans at cornerback? Will Seth Vernon replace Ryan Wright at punter?

I can (and will) offer predictions, ideas and plans at each of these points, but the truth is that the competitions in training camp and the observations of the coaches will be the deciding factors.

7. It’s fair to wonder why Darnold is ranked No. 7 down here. This reflects what the Vikings seem to be hoping: that the surrounding talent, infrastructure, and culture will put Darnold in a strong enough starting position that he doesn’t have to carry the offense on his shoulders.

That would be nice if it turned out that way. Of course, Darnold’s play will have a big impact on Minnesota’s chances of surpassing the 6 1/2 win mark set by the bookies. And the 27-year-old’s performance against Flores’ relentless defense in training camp should be instructive. It will also be interesting to see how Darnold’s teammates handle him.

8th. What does the future hold for former first-round pick Lewis Cine and second-round pick Andrew Booth Jr.?

Both defensive backs are low in the rankings. The Vikings have plenty of cap space to absorb their contracts, and a cut could lead to additional 53-man opportunities. At this point, it seems like it will be an uphill battle to gain the trust of the Vikings coaches. Perhaps it can be done through daily performances on the practice field, but if that is going to be their approach, they have no time to waste.

9. After spring training, one of the Vikings coaches couldn’t stop raving about rookie kicker Will Reichard.

The Alabama product, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, showed no signs of buckling under pressure. The Vikings took him in the sixth round with the belief that he, more than any other prospect in the draft, had the mental ability to withstand the rigors of being an NFL kicker. He met the first criteria.

Can he continue to do it with fans in the stands and a roster spot on the line? Most of the team’s personnel would answer yes.

10. Can an unknown talent or undrafted player shock the team and work his way into a meaningful role? Maybe a player like defensive end Jaquelin Roy can make a splash on the coaching staff working with new defensive line coach Marcus Dixon. Maybe undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern Jr. can grasp the intricacies of Flores’ system as quickly as Ivan Pace Jr. did last year.

All teams are looking for these types of low-cost, difference-maker players. They are force multipliers that give management room to deploy resources elsewhere. Whether it’s Michael Jurgens at center, Levi Drake Rodriguez or Gabriel Murphy, finding a Mr. Mankato that the team can latch onto would be a nice bonus for training camp.