DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 LOCAL NEWS: Friday, August 3, 2018

Star Tribune

BEST EVER? MOSS KNOWS WHO'S THE BOSS By Mark Craig http://www.startribune.com/randy-moss-vikings-hall-of-fame/489527891/

Randy Moss was greatness, wherever you might rank him By Jim Souhan http://www.startribune.com/randy-moss-was-greatness-wherever-you-might-rank-him/489947731/

Randy Moss changed the Minnesota sports landscape for good in 1998 By Ben Goessling http://www.startribune.com/randy-moss-changed-the-minnesota-sports-landscape-for-good-in-1998/489941271/

Anthony Barr's hit on Aaron Rodgers would be penalty this season By Ben Goessling http://www.startribune.com/anthony-barr-s-hit-on-aaron-rodgers-would-be-penalty-this-season/489908391/

Vikings' second-year defensive tackle now looks the part By Andrew Krammer http://www.startribune.com/vikings-second-year-defensive-tackle-now-looks-the-part/489950471/

The stories behind Randy Moss' two most outrageous and unforgettable quotes By Strib http://www.startribune.com/the-stories-behind-moss-two-most-unforgettable-quotes/489945181/

Randy Moss unplugged: Outtakes from and about the Vikings' Hall of Fame receiver By Strib http://www.startribune.com/randy-moss-unplugged-outtakes-from-and-about-the-vikings-hall-of-fame-receiver/489941111/

Randy Moss timeline: A walk through his colorful NFL career on the way to the Hall of Fame By Strib http://www.startribune.com/randy-moss-timeline-a-walk-through-his-colorful-nfl-career-on-the-way-to-the-hall-of- fame/489950681/

Vikings day at camp Thursday: Offense misfires on bombs, snaps By Strib http://www.startribune.com/vikings-day-at-camp-thursday-offense-misfires-on-bombs-snaps/489950181/

Stefon Diggs' deal with Vikings: Guaranteed money early, salary escalators late By Ben Goessling http://www.startribune.com/stefon-diggs-deal-with-vikings-guaranteed-money-early-salary-escalators-late/489877381/

Pioneer Press

Vikings star Harrison Smith likes how he feels after working on explosiveness By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/02/vikings-star-harrison-smith-likes-how-he-feels-after-working-on-explosiveness/

Vikings on new helmet rule: ‘There’s going to be a lot of challenges with it’ By Dane Mizutani https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/02/vikings-respond-to-new-helmet-rule-theres-going-to-be-a-lot-of-challenges-with-it/

Suddenly underpaid Adam Thielen not thinking contract: ‘That’s why I have an agent’ By Dane Mizutani https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/02/suddenly-underpaid-adam-thielen-not-thinking-contract-thats-why-i-have-an-agent- vikings-receiver-says/

NFL ref: Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr’s hit on Aaron Rodgers would be penalty in 2018 By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/02/nfl-referee-hit-by-vikings-anthony-barr-on-aaron-rodgers-would-now-be-penalty/

Vikings.com

NOTEBOOK: Anthony Barr on NFL's New Rules By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/notebook-anthony-barr-on-nfl-s-new-rules

3 Observations: Vikings Focus on 3rd Downs By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/3-observations-vikings-focus-on-3rd-downs

Presser Points: Zimmer on Vikings D-Line, Harrison Smith and Slot Corner By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/presser-points-zimmer-on-vikings-d-line-harrison-smith-and-slot-corner

Diggs' Extension Latest Step in Vikings Long-Term Plan By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/diggs-extension-latest-step-in-vikings-long-term-plan

Lunchbreak: Treadwell Turning Heads in Training Camp By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/lunchbreak-treadwell-turning-heads-in-training-camp

Randy Moss Personally Invites Vikings Chef to Hall of Fame Festivities By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/randy-moss-personally-invites-vikings-chef-to-hall-of-fame-festivities

VIKING Update

NFL referee: Barr’s hit on Rodgers would be penalty this year By Tim Yotter https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/NFL-referee-Pete-Morelli-Anthony-Barrs-hit-on-Aaron-Rodgers-would-be- penalty-this-year-120322697/

Murray had incredibly busy offseason off the field By Tim Yotter https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Minnesota-Vikings-RB-Latavius-Murray-had-incredibly-busy-offseason- off-the-field-120333263/

Barr: ‘Very difficult’ to adjust to rules changes By Tim Yotter https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Minnesota-Vikings-LB-Anthony-Barr-Very-difficult-to-adjust-to-rules- changes-120331852/

1500 ESPN

Vikings DE Bower learning to deal with death as he battles for playing time By Matthew Coller http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/08/vikings-de-bower-learning-deal-death-battles-playing-time/

Thielen on his contract: ‘I’m worried about football’ By Matthew Coller http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/08/thielen-contract-im-worried-football/

With starters on the shelf, depth linemen get a look at Vikings camp By Matthew Coller http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/08/starters-shelf-depth-linemen-get-look-vikings-camp/

A weighty matter: Anthony Barr’s hit on Aaron Rodgers now would be a penalty By Judd Zulgad http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/08/weighty-matter-anthony-barrs-hit-aaron-rodgers-now-penalty/

Zulgad: Randy Moss gets exactly what he deserves with quick induction into Hall By Judd Zulgad http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/08/zulgad-randy-moss-gets-exactly-deserves-quick-induction-hall/

The Athletic

Anthony Barr’s hit on Aaron Rodgers would be penalized this year By Chad Graff https://theathletic.com/456789/2018/08/02/anthony-barr-hit-on-aaron-rodgers-would-be-penalized-this-year-vikings-packers/

Banks: Remembering the greatness of Randy Moss as the Hall of Fame beckons By Don Banks https://theathletic.com/456138/2018/08/02/banks-remembering-the-greatness-of-randy-moss-as-the-hall-of-fame-beckons/

‘This isn’t going to be fair’: An oral history of the arrival of Randy Moss By Chad Graff https://theathletic.com/455111/2018/08/02/randy-moss-vikings-1998-packers-cowboys-thanksgiving-oral-history/

NATIONAL NEWS: Friday, August 3, 2018

ESPN

Anthony Barr would be flagged today for Aaron Rodgers hit By Courtney Cronin http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24266658/tackle-injured-aaron-rodgers-penalty

USA Today

Vikings practice 'changeup' look, with Barr at defensive end By AP https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2018/08/02/vikings-practice-changeup-look-with-barr-at-defensive-end/37271021/

NFL.com

Ref: Barr's hit on Aaron Rodgers would be illegal By Nick Shook http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000944189/article/ref-barrs-hit-on-aaron-rodgers-would-be-illegal

Predicting the most productive new QB-pass catcher duos By Gil Brandt http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000944134/article/predicting-the-most-productive-new-qbpass-catcher-duos

Hall of Fame: Each NFC team's most deserving candidate By Elliot Harrison http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000943792/article/hall-of-fame-each-nfc-teams-most-deserving-candidate PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

BEST EVER? MOSS KNOWS WHO'S THE BOSS

By Mark Craig

April 18, 1998, draft day, was a date that re-energized a proud franchise, awakened its slumbering fan base and birthed one of the most electrifying careers in the 99-year history of the NFL. This story is how a Vikings playoff team that didn’t need a receiver and was picking 21st landed one of the greatest ever.

Or, perhaps, the greatest, eh SuperFreak?

“I’m the best receiver that’s ever played,” Randy Moss told the Star Tribune last fall. “Hands down. All day. There shouldn’t even be a discussion.”

Saturday night, Moss’ journey reaches a grand finale that will enshrine the once poor, often troubled kid from little Rand, W.Va., into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in his first year of eligibility.

But first, let’s return to April 18, 1998 …

Brian Billick, offensive coordinator: “[Coach] Denny Green poked his head in my office before the draft. He says, ‘I think we’re going to get Randy.’ My first thought? What are you smoking, Denny? There was no way.”

But there was. Three years earlier, Moss made the first of multiple mistakes that ultimately outweighed his talent.

He was a senior at DuPont High School. A place rife with racial tension. A place where Moss, a multisport superstar, often clashed with white students along a hallway dubbed “Redneck Alley.”

That spring, Moss’ friend, Rayeshawn Smith, saw his name and a violent racial epithet scrawled on a desk. Outraged and suspecting white student Ernest Roy Johnson, Smith challenged Johnson to a fight and asked Moss to watch his back.

When Johnson hit the floor during the fight, Moss kicked him twice. Johnson was hospitalized with a lacerated spleen and a concussion.

Moss pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery. He was expelled and lost his scholarship to Notre Dame. He spent three days in jail.

He went to Florida State but tested positive for marijuana, got dismissed and spent more time in jail.

That fall, at Marshall, as he was tying Jerry Rice’s Division I-AA record of 28 touchdown receptions, Moss and the mother of his child, Libby Offutt, were arrested and charged with domestic battery. Charges were dropped, but NFL teams added it to their list of reasons to look the other way on April 18, 1998. Except one …

Jeff Diamond, then-Vikings GM: “We had an inside track on Randy because Conrad Cardano, one of our scouts, had coached with Bob Pruett, the Marshall coach. He got a really good read from Bob that there were no more problems.”

Marie Green, Denny’s wife: “I think Denny always identified with Randy and where Randy came from. Dennis came from kind of a rough neighborhood. With one or two small mistakes, he felt he could have ended up in a similar situation.”

Red McCombs, Vikings owner: “I remember thinking, ‘How bad can this guy be off the field?’ Because you looked at the film and he was a player you could not stop.”

Moss: “A lot of the things I had to learn, I had to learn on my own. My mother [Maxine Moss] raised me and my older sister [Latisia] and brother [Eric]. It was poverty, struggling, survival. Wondering, ‘What am I going to eat?’ I would not change it for the world. But there are a lot of things a young man needs a father for that a woman can’t teach you. My father [Randy Pratt], I knew him, but he wasn’t around.”

When Moss fell out of the top five, he assumed Dallas would catch him at No. 8. He says owner Jerry Jones promised him he would. Even said he’d send a limo to pick him up.

But the Cowboys selected Greg Ellis, linebacker, North Carolina. Moss was deflated. Maxine was angry. And a buzz swept through Winter Park …

Marie Green: “I was in Denny’s office that day as he was going to and from the war room. It might have been after the Dallas pick when he let loose with quite a few expletives, as Denny could do at times. He said, ‘I can’t believe it! We’re going to get bleeping Randy Moss!’ ”

Diamond: “We needed defense that year. And we had our eye on Tebucky Jones, who went No. 22. But as Randy is falling, we got on the phone. That was the clincher for me. We said, ‘Cris, will you be willing to mentor Randy?’ Cris said, ‘Absolutely, yes.’ Tennessee took the first receiver, Kevin Dyson at 16. And I thought, ‘Wow, Denny might be right.’ ”

Cris Carter, Vikings WR: “He was definitely the most talented receiver I’ve ever seen. His raw talent is what saved him and kept him from blowing his opportunity.”

Diamond: “Randy was one of my tougher contract negotiations. We wanted to be protected. There was some very tight language that if anything happened off the field and he got suspended, there would be some give-back on the signing . As it turned out, we got the language we needed in the contract. I remember that day, when Randy signed the contract, he said, ‘You don’t have to worry about all that stuff you put in the contract. We’re going to be fine.’ And he was. He had some issues, but never got suspended.”

In 2002, Moss spent a night in jail and was charged with two misdemeanors for marijuana possession and knocking a traffic officer to the ground with his car. He was fined. He also was fined for squirting a referee with a water bottle, and for pretending to moon fans at Lambeau Field. He also verbally abused corporate sponsors on a team bus and was fined and forced to attend anger management classes.

McCombs: “I would say we got lucky in that draft. Yeah, he was a pain … but he could deliver greatness.”

Matthew Hatchette, WR: “We had a drill called 40 and 5. The quarterback takes a five-step drop and throws the ball 40 yards down the field and 5 yards from the sideline. But Randy was so fast, 40 was too short.”

Randall Cunningham, QB: “Denny said, ‘Then throw it 45 and 5.’”

Hatchette: “Randall and Brad [Johnson] start throwing it 45 and 5. And they’re still underthrowing Randy. Randy goes, ‘Hey, that 45 and 5 … ain’t working.’”

Cunningham: “Randy was more like 50 and 5. It was like street ball back in the day. But we played street ball with structure.”

Moss: “I told them, ‘Throw that daggone ball as far as you can and I’ll go get it.’ I caught bombs in junior high, high school, college and the NFL. I can’t remember not scoring. I scored a touchdown when I was 6 years old. Belle Bulldogs versus the Cedar Grove Wildcats and [former NBA player] Jason Williams, who also went to DuPont. We won 6-0. First time I got my name in the newspaper. USA Today.”

Moss, now 41, played 14 seasons for five teams. His 156 career touchdowns rank second in NFL history. He caught 17 touchdowns when the Vikings scored a record 556 points while going 15-1 in 1998. Nine years later, he caught a record 23 touchdowns as the Patriots went 16-0 and upped the scoring record to 589 points.

Matt Birk, Vikings center and fellow ’98 rookie: “Growing up in St. Paul, I remember games not selling out. In 1998, not only did we win, we were the sexy, exciting team with Randy.”

Bill Belichick, Patriots coach: “He’s the greatest deep-ball receiver I think that’s ever played.”

Season ticket sales at the Metrodome increased 38.1 percent and sparked a 14-year streak of sellouts.

Of course, 1998 also is remembered for the 30-27 overtime loss to Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game.

Moss: “Billick let Randall open up the offense just a little bit more. But one thing I didn’t figure out until I was older was when you start putting multiple receivers on the field, that means you’re exposing your edges. Maybe if we have a tight end in there at the end of the first half, Chuck Smith doesn’t strip Randall of that ball and Atlanta doesn’t score on the next play. We got outsmarted. We outsmarted ourselves that day.”

Cunningham: “I had Cris Carter wide open. It would have been a big gain and, who knows?”

Moss didn’t win either Super Bowl he played in for New England and San Francisco. But he will go down in history as one of the most dangerous playmakers on the big stage.

McCombs: “Jerry Jones and I were friends long before I bought the Vikings. Before that Thanksgiving game in ‘98, he put me up in a nice suite and says, ‘And just so you know, your boy Randy is not going to run wild on us. Matter of fact, I doubt he’ll even catch a significant pass.’ I told Randy that, and he said, ‘That don’t mean nothing to me. People have ganged up on me my whole life. You watch and see.’ ”

Three catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns over 50 yards. Vikings win 46-36.

Mike Zimmer, Cowboys DB coach and current Vikings head coach: “We saw the freaky speed and decided to have our scout team receivers start plays 2 yards offsides. We thought we had a good plan. Obviously, Randy was mad at everybody in Dallas for not drafting him. He wanted to show us in front of the whole country what a big mistake we made. Boy did he.”

McCombs: “John Madden awarded me with one of his turkey legs after the game. Never gave one to an owner before. I took a couple of bites and I’m walking away and there’s this one beautiful lady … hanging over the railing, yelling, ‘Red! Red! Give me a bite of your turkey!’ I was so happy, I said, ‘Honey, you can have a bite of anything I got!’ I threw the turkey leg to her. [Wife] Charlene wasn’t happy with me, but that was a great day for the .”

Moss: “I didn’t say nothing that week. But everybody knew exactly what was going to happen to those Cowboys. Denny knew it, too. I owe Coach Green so much for drafting me. I just remember when I finally heard my name called, saying, ‘Thank you, Coach Green. Thank you, Minnesota Vikings.’ I’ve learned a lot of things in my life and had to take a lot of lumps for it. But this little country boy from Rand, West Virginia, made it. All the way to Canton, Ohio.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Randy Moss was greatness, wherever you might rank him

By Jim Souhan

Randy Moss has called himself the greatest receiver ever. Was he:

• Displaying the kind of useful arrogance that defined his career?

• Slandering the great Jerry Rice?

• Ignoring his own flaws?

• Or making the same kind of modern, analytical argument that has made the Baseball Hall of Fame voting so frustrating and fascinating, that has destroyed certainty when it comes to evaluating greatness?

Moss will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. His fans have progressed from worrying whether he would enter the Hall of Fame on the first ballot to debating whether he ranks first among all receivers.

Before the arrival of Moss, Vikings fans were generally pessimistic about the franchise, and bored with offense except when Cris Carter was catching a pass that would have landed 6 feet out of bounds.

Upon Moss’ arrival, a new generation of Vikings fans changed the atmosphere at games — and during entire game weekends. Moss became the centerpiece of an ongoing festival — Hendrix at Monterey, torching defenses instead of a guitar.

Are Moss fans practicing idol worship, recency bias or advancing thinking?

I’ll admit to a pre-existing bias on this topic. I covered Rice in many postseason games, and frequently talked with Vikings defensive coaches about him when Rice was in his prime. Rice remains the best all- around receiver I’ve ever seen, combining incredibly reliable hands, precise routes, football speed and sense that made him faster than any stopwatch time would suggest, excellent blocking, intelligence, maximum effort and the ability to win big games.

I also have a certain bias against Moss. I heard him say disgusting things and misbehave as a public figure. I watched him give up on certain deep balls, perform below his capabilities in two NFC Championship Games, take plays off, walk off the field on his team at the end of what he wrongly thought was a season-ending loss, and praise the Patriots and rip the Vikings after a game in which he appeared to loaf on a deep pass while playing for the Vikings.

Rice ranks first in NFL history in touchdowns, catches and receiving yards. He is so far ahead of the second-place players in those categories that it is easy to build a case that he is the greatest football player ever. He also won three Super Bowl rings.

Moss did not win a title. He ranks fourth in career receiving yards, 7,603 yards behind Rice. Moss would have to add the career totals of Sidney Rice, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs to pass Rice.

Moss ranks 15th in receptions and fourth in touchdowns.

If accumulated statistics, longevity and championships matter most to you, there is no argument to be made that Moss is superior to Rice.

Is there any argument at all?

Yes. Rice played with two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and for one of the greatest offensive minds ever. He played in a balanced offense that attacked defenses that might otherwise have overplayed Rice. Despite Rice’s strength, speed, quickness and body control, he couldn’t match Moss in any of those categories.

Moss played mostly with quarterbacks who were at their best when he was their teammate — Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, . Tom Brady has thrown more than 39 touchdown passes in a season once — when he threw 50 in his first season with Moss.

If the Patriots defense had held up in Super Bowl XLII, Moss would be famous for catching the game- winning touchdown that secured the only 19-0 season in NFL history.

In his last season in the NFL, as a role player, Moss helped San Francisco’s Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick set what stand as career bests for completion percentage and quarterback rating. He caught only 28 passes, but this is a good time to remember that Vikings teammates often raved about Moss’ intelligence and teaching skills. His presence might have helped as much as his hands.

Moss correctly notes that he altered NFL defenses, prompting the installation of the Cover-2 (two safeties deep) scheme, and prompting division rivals to stock up on large cornerbacks.

So should we believe our calculators, which favor Rice, or our eyes, which favor the almost superhuman Moss?

Should we view Rice as the perfect receiver … or the perfect receiver for the 49ers system and precision quarterbacks? Should we factor in behavior?

Considering Moss’ dynamic influence on his quarterbacks makes the debate more interesting than it otherwise would be. But when the question is, “Who is the greatest ever?’’ how can you not lean toward the receiver with all of the records and none of the flaws? PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Randy Moss changed the Minnesota sports landscape for good in 1998

By Ben Goessling

The Vikings’ 1997 season was a fascinating ride, one that saw the team start 8-2 to put itself in a three- team NFC Central race with the Buccaneers and the defending Super Bowl champion Packers. The Vikings lost five consecutive games after that, recovered to make the playoffs with a season-ending victory over the Colts and staged a fourth-quarter comeback in the Meadowlands to beat the Giants for their first playoff victory in a decade.

And for half the games the Vikings played in the Metrodome, nobody in the Twin Cities’ TV market saw them.

The Vikings had four of their eight home games blacked out that year, when three of the first four failed to sell out before a league-imposed deadline to show the game on local TV. In Week 17, with a playoff spot on the line, the Vikings’ victory over the Colts was blacked out.

It was a dreary time on the Twin Cities sports scene, with no NHL franchise, a Twins team that played insignificant games before scores of empty seats at the Metrodome and a Wolves club that was still a few months from the first playoff victory in team history. The Gophers men’s team had captivated the state earlier that year with its Final Four run, though that, too, was eventually to be tainted by scandal.

And then the calendar turned to 1998, the Vikings used the 21st pick in the draft on Randy Moss and everything changed.

My memories of what Moss did to the Minnesota sports scene that year, filtered through my mind’s eye as a high school sophomore, are crystal clear 20 years later: purple jerseys dotting the hallways at Apple Valley High School in numbers that weren’t there before, those “Purple Pride” flags that were clamped to cars everywhere you drove, the raucous atmosphere at the Metrodome that lived up to new owner Red McCombs’ pledge to make it the “noisiest stadium in the NFL.”

When Moss filleted the Packers on that rainy October night at Lambeau Field and roasted the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day — turning the teams that had represented the NFC in five of the past six Super Bowls into stooges — Vikings fans swelled with pride. It was weeks before Super Bowl XXXIII when KDWB debuted its Vikings-themed parody of Will Smith’s “Miami;” as much as the song and its timing belied the self-effacing (and often fatalistic) nature of Minnesota sports fans, nobody raised a fuss at the time. That team, that offense, and particularly Moss made Vikings fans that confident they would be in South Florida for the Super Bowl.

The Vikings lost the NFC Championship Game in overtime at home, of course, and would go 4-4 in the playoffs with Moss on the roster, but the electricity he delivered to the fan base never really faded, and in some ways it hasn’t gone away since.

Despite a few close calls, the Vikings haven’t had a game blacked out locally since 1997. They sold out 144 consecutive home games from 1998 to 2012, and in the time since drafting Moss — especially with fans my age, who’ve spent most of our years since then in advertisers’ prized 18-to-34 demographic — the Vikings have lapped every other team in town for popularity. It might never have been in serious doubt who rules the sports landscape in the Twin Cities, but it certainly hasn’t been a question since Moss came to town.

Would U.S. Bank Stadium exist without Moss? Perhaps — but the push for a new stadium began while he was still on the team. His exits from Minnesota — especially his second one in 2010 — were ugly, but this state hasn’t parted on particularly good terms with many of its stars.

And while the excitement level surrounding the Vikings has reached its high points since Moss’ rookie year (particularly with in 2009), I’d argue there’s no team and no player that has captivated Minnesota quite like the 1998 Vikings and Moss.

Favre was a future Hall of Famer who arrived in Eden Prairie with a cinematic narrative; was a Heisman Trophy runner-up with a well-established pedigree. There was something fresh, something scintillating about Moss. He changed the way the entire league defended receivers; Mike Zimmer has told a story about how, when he was a defensive backs coach in Dallas preparing for Moss, he’d have receivers line up a yard offside to mimic how quickly his corners would have to react to Moss. He dominated in a way that almost seemed impossible, like Minnesota couldn’t have it this good.

Despite the state’s sad-sack view of its sports teams, Minnesotans my age have enjoyed their fair share of great moments. If we weren’t quite old enough to remember the 1987 Twins, we certainly were old enough to be thrilled by the 1991 North Stars and Twins. We were in high school for Kevin Garnett, in college for the Wild’s 2003 playoff run, the Gophers’ two men’s hockey titles and the beginning of Lindsay Whalen’s storied career,

But for sheer exhilaration — in the 20 or so years of my youth, adolescence and young adulthood when sports matter the most — Moss left an imprint on Minnesotans my age that hasn’t been matched, and quite possibly won’t be again.

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Anthony Barr's hit on Aaron Rodgers would be penalty this season

By Ben Goessling

While the NFL’s new rules for the 2018 season mean Packers fans will have to hear, “Dez caught it,” Vikings fans will undoubtedly hear, “Anthony Barr’s hit was illegal.”

In a briefing with reporters on new NFL rules and points of emphasis for the 2018 season, referee Pete Morelli said the hit Barr delivered to Aaron Rodgers on Oct. 15 — which broke the Packers star’s right collarbone and caused him to miss nine games — would now be a penalty, under Rule 12, Article 9 of the NFL’s rulebook that prevents defenders from landing on a quarterback with all or most of their body weight while the quarterback is in a defenseless position.

“Players will have to kind of roll to the side when they make that tackle, instead of plopping down on them,” Morelli said when asked of the play. “So yeah, Aaron Rodgers would be a this year. As long as he’s out of the pocket, established and all that. If he’s running, that’s not going to be the same.”

In a video that is being shown to NFL players throughout training camps and was scheduled to be shown to the Vikings on Thursday night, the voiceover says, “To further protect quarterbacks, when tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture, the defender may not land on top of him with all or most of his body weight.”

Barr’s hit on Rodgers was not shown in the video, however, as an example of an illegal hit under the new of emphasis.

Morelli said defenders can still make two steps toward the quarterback and tackle him when he is the ball; the penalty comes when a quarterback is setting up to throw and gives up his ability to defend himself.

“If you roll out and get set up, you’re still a passer now,” Morelli said. “But if you’re rolling out and throwing and a guy chases you and tackles you, you’re not defenseless. They get two steps, and they can tackle you. You become defenseless when you’re setting up.”

Barr’s hit on the former NFL MVP started a firestorm on social media last fall, and the linebacker became a special target of angry Packers fans. Rodgers also appeared on Conan O’Brien’s talk show last fall, saying his angry response to Barr’s hit was triggered by Barr giving him the middle finger and making a lewd gesture toward him. Barr responded to Packers fans on Twitter on Oct. 28, before the team’s game against the Browns in London, saying Rodgers was shouting profanities at him before he responded.

Asked about the rule change Thursday, Barr said: “It’s difficult. You know, it’s very difficult. You’re playing fast, trying to make a play on the ball. It’s going to be tough. It will be interesting to see how that’s officiated and how it’s called.”

The league’s video also clarified its much-maligned catch rule, which famously voided a fourth-quarter Dez Bryant catch in the Packers’ 2015 NFC divisional playoff win over the Cowboys. Under the new rule, a catch is completed when a player demonstrates control of the ball, gets two feet (or another body part) on the ground, and makes a football move such as reaching to gain additional yardage. Players no longer have to maintain control of the ball when going to the ground, provided they have already satisfied the three requirements for a catch.

Diggs gets $40M guaranteed

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ new contract, which gives him $72 million in new money, includes $40.07 million in guaranteed money over the next three years.

Only Diggs’ $15 million signing bonus and his $1.907 million base salary this year are fully guaranteed, however. The rest of his base salary guarantees — $8.9 million in 2019, $10.9 million in 2020 and $3.3 million of his $11.4 million base in 2021 — are only guaranteed against injury for now, and would become fully guaranteed if Diggs is on the roster by the third day of each league year.

More tickets released

The Vikings announced they are releasing another round of general admission tickets for the final two weeks of their first training camp in Eagan, reflecting the amount of available space they have at their new facility, the ease of their security procedures during the first days of camp and the number of no-shows so far.

Jeff Anderson, Vikings vice president of strategic and corporate communications, said the team anticipated no-shows, given the fact GA tickets to camp were free. The Vikings, he said, can offer more GA tickets now that they have a better understanding of daily attendance patterns.

Fans can reserve up to four GA tickets per transaction on the Vikings’ website. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Vikings' second-year defensive tackle now looks the part

By Andrew Krammer

Jaleel Johnson is always on the move.

The “Dancing Bear,” as Johnson was affectionately known inside the University of Iowa’s football locker room and his fraternity, has halted the groove as much as possible. Johnson, the Vikings’ second-year defensive tackle, only seldomly slapped his hands together, shook his shoulders and kicked higher than any 6-foot-3, 295-pound man should during his rookie NFL season.

“Try to hold it back,” Johnson said. “Being around all the older guys, it’s straight business. Once those guys lighten up, might as well start dancing and have fun.”

However, Johnson didn’t weigh 295 pounds last year. He was closer to 280, far too thin for the type of dual-threat defensive tackle the Vikings envisioned when drafting him in the fourth round (109th overall) last year.

Now at the “optimum” body weight, Johnson is positioned to play a role on the Vikings defensive line as much-needed relief off the bench for starters Linval Joseph and Sheldon Richardson. The Vikings want a more robust defensive line rotation. The candidates are young, unproven and start with Johnson.

“When you look at him, he looks a little broader,” defensive line coach Andre Patterson said. “But he still looks the same. But when he gets on the scale, it says 295. That’s the way you want it to be.”

Grilled chicken, spinach and barbells dominated Johnson’s winter and spring. That’s the “good weight” Patterson and the Vikings’ strength and conditioning staff wanted him to add.

The issue started during his NFL draft process. Johnson weighed in at 316 pounds during the NFL combine, about 20 pounds over what the Vikings wanted. The rookie then took the weight loss too far entering his first camp last summer, leaving him with an undesirable build to fight for a job.

So the Vikings essentially redshirted Johnson. He saw only 41 snaps while suiting up for five games.

“I just think he made a mistake,” Patterson said. “He got too big. Then he dropped the weight. I think in his mind he thought, ‘I’m trying to get in the best shape.’ I don’t think it was a conscious effort to be 280 or something.”

Johnson still brings the impressive pedigree that attracted NFL teams. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native’s wrestling background, disruptive play for the Hawkeyes and nimble hands and feet brought him to Minnesota. His 10 tackles for a loss and 7 ½ sacks led the Hawkeyes in 2016, including a team-high nine combined tackles in Iowa’s memorable upset of No. 2 Michigan that fall.

But the NFL’s level of play requires college boys to quickly become men. Most, if not all, of Johnson’s added weight is lean muscle. Even though he’s 20 pounds lighter than at the NFL combine, Johnson said he would crush the 21 reps of 225 pounds he had benched in Indianapolis.

“A lot stronger,” Johnson said. “You put me on the bench, I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but if you put me on the bench right now — way more than 21.”

That’s what nose tackle demands.

Just ask Joseph, the human wrecking ball. Johnson has been lining up as Joseph’s backup during training camp, where he can earn snaps at both nose and undertackle should he play well this month. Defensive tackles Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes and David Parry are also vying for roster spots.

“He’s improved a lot,” head coach Mike Zimmer said. “I think one of the biggest things is he was a wrestler, so he wanted to get into wrestling matches with guys as opposed to locking him out and playing the gap he’s supposed to be in.”

The Vikings hope Johnson has plenty of reasons to dance this season — after making plays.

“I thought with big guys there was a height and weight limit,” defensive end Tashawn Bower said. “He shouldn’t be moving that way, but he has fun with it.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

The stories behind Randy Moss' two most outrageous and unforgettable quotes

By Strib

‘Straight cash, homey’

I’ve done this sportswriting thing at the Star Tribune for 34 years. In that time, I’ve covered everything from the Summer Olympics, Ryder Cups, the Masters, Final Fours, NBA and NHL finals and the World Series to Wimbledon and a six-week assignment 2,400 miles across the Southern Ocean to Antarctica.

A mere 35 seconds of it all — and three uttered words — on a subzero winter’s afternoon in January 2005 remain about as memorable as any.

That’s when our Vikings beat writer, Kevin Seifert, asked me rather sheepishly if I’d go stand out in the cold as a Thursday turned to dusk just in case Randy Moss had anything to say about the $10,000 fine he had just received from the NFL for pretending to moon the Green Bay crowd during a playoff game the previous Sunday.

Kevin had so done every other day that week, casing out the parking lot, chasing news as players left for the day. But it was a Thursday, and deadline for a package of Sunday stories loomed and so he asked me — a very occasional helper out at Winter Park — if I’d do the often fruitless leg work.

So out I went with several other media members to await Moss’ departure for the day. He finally appeared, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt that covered everything but a grin when he was asked by a KARE-TV Ch. 11 producer if he had written the NFL a check yet.

“When you’re rich, you don’t write checks,” he said.

So if you don’t write checks, how do you pay these guys, he was asked?

It was then that Moss uttered the immortal words that would have broken Twitter if it had existed then.

“Straight cash, homey.”

And it wasn’t even his best quote of the short exchange.

Before he ducked into his vehicle and drove away, he said $10,000 didn’t mean, well, anything to him.

“Ain’t nothing but 10 grand. What’s 10 grand to me?” he asked.

Then he said next time he might shake something other than his behind.

And off he drove.

When I returned to the warmth of the Winter Park media work room, Kevin asked me how it went and if my time out in the plunging temperature had been in vain. As did some of Moss’ words that day, my reply required an editor’s touch, but paraphrased:

Pure gold.

JERRY ZGODA

‘I play when I want to play’

Randy Moss was often portrayed as being quiet or selfish when it came to the media, but he was always open and available to me when I needed a quote.

One thing Moss appreciated was that I would publish some of the charitable work he was doing for the St. Joseph’s Home for Children, where he donated time and money without asking to have it publicized.

That’s how it came to be that he uttered a phrase that would stick with him his entire career, “I play when I want to play,” after the Vikings had defeated the 28-16 on “” at the Metrodome in November 2001.

The quote often lacks all context and has been used to portray Moss as someone who was selfish when that couldn’t be further from the truth.

When I talked to Moss that Monday night the first thing he said to me was that the game had nothing to do with his 171 receiving yards or his three touchdowns but instead with the retiring of Korey Stringer’s jersey.

“I think that I got more emotional over Big K’s jersey,” Moss said. “Monday night had nothing to do with it.”

When I told him that some media members questioned whether he always gave 100 percent, Moss then gave the quote that would stay with him forever.

“I play when I want to play,” Moss said. “Do I play up to my top performance, my ability every time? Maybe not. I just keep doing what I do, and that is playing football. When I make my mind up, I am going out there to tear somebody’s head off. When I go out there and play football, man, it’s not anybody telling me to play or how I should play. I play when I want to play, case closed.”

For months after, people would ask Moss about the quote, and he could have denied it up and down, but instead he always said that I got the quote right.

On top of that, Cris Carter came to me and said that no NFL player can give 100 percent all of the time, it just isn’t possible.

Yes, that night ended up being all about one quote, but for Moss that night was really about Stringer, who was one of his closest friends and who four months earlier had collapsed in the heat on a practice field and died.

Moss had spoken at Stringer’s funeral and said this: “I’ve been praying to God to at least let me see him in a dream, let me talk to him again for the last time.”

Moss would have more issues pop up throughout his career, from walking off the field early in the final seconds of the final game of the 2004 regular season to mooning the Lambeau Field crowd, and in 2002 he told me, “I can’t get my reputation back,” after he had an incident during a traffic stop.

But Moss has done that and more. He has become a big star for Fox and ESPN on NFL telecasts, and people see him more like I did when he played with the Vikings, as an honest and open person who says what is on his mind.

Only now it works to his advantage. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Randy Moss unplugged: Outtakes from and about the Vikings' Hall of Fame receiver

By Strib

Fans remember Randy Moss as a human highlight reel during his career. But what about the behind-the- scenes stories they might not know about? We break down two of those, as well as one of Moss’ most memorable on-field moments at Lambeau Field.

Moss too fast on snowmobile

Randy Moss remembers his first experience on a snowmobile. It’s a painful memory.

“I’m in Minnesota and it’s the offseason early in my career,” he said. “We’re going up this hill. I hit the gas. Nothing. I hit it again. Nothing.”

Someone yelled to him, “Give it a little more.”

“I gunned it and it was like, vroom!” Moss said. “I’m like 8, 9 feet in the air. I jump off the snowmobile, land and get this big gash in my ankle. Needed stitches. Bad.”

But Moss hates needles.

“I head to Winter Park to see the trainers,” Moss said. “I knock on the door. I say, ‘Don’t call anybody. Don’t say nothing.’ They said, ‘Randy, you need stitches.’ I say, ‘I’m not getting no stitches.’ Get me some tape. They put like five of those stirrups on there and I left.”

Moss’ moon over Lambeau

Moss thought he was being funny, not disrespectful, when he bent over and pretended to moon Packers fans after catching a touchdown pass in a playoff win at Green Bay in January 2005.

“I tell you what would have been disrespectful — actually pulling down my pants,” he said. “I really thought it was cool. ... I thought it would be a hee-hee, haw-haw moment.”

He said he was just joking with fans, some of whom make it a tradition of mooning the opposing team’s buses on game day.

“You drive into Green Bay and there’s this whole line of big old white butts up on the hill,” he said. “I looked at that and I’m like, ‘For real?’ ”

Moss was fined $10,000.

Days later, leaving practice, he gave the quote that has followed him to this day. Asked how he’d pay the fine, Moss said, “Straight cash, homey.”

“I wasn’t trying to be funny,” Moss says all these years later. “I was frustrated. Leaving work. I barely remember saying it. It gets on ‘SportsCenter.’ I call Coach [Mike] Tice and he’s like, ‘Oh, Randy.’ And I said, ‘Coach, I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful.’ I just said what I felt.”

Red, Zygi disagree on Moss ‘deal’

As he welcomed Moss into the Vikings Ring of Honor during a private ceremony last September, owner Zygi Wilf told the Super-Freak he never should have been traded to Oakland back in 2005.

The Wilfs were in the process of buying the team from Red McCombs when he was traded.

“One of the conditions [in the sale] was that you were going to stay with us,” Wilf said. “A week later, we found out you were traded.”

McCombs said last week by phone from San Antonio that there was no such agreement.

“That’s not true,” McCombs said. “I would never make that agreement. That never happened.”

Moss said he thinks McCombs’ inability to get a new stadium is the reason he was traded.

“That man didn’t get his stadium, couldn’t get no [public] money,” Moss said. “I think there were bad words exchanged and he said, ‘OK, I’ll take Randy from you.’ ”

McCombs ordered the trade despite objections throughout the organization.

“We had seven years together, and they were great,” McCombs said. “But the last three or four games, Randy lost his place in the locker room. To this day, I still don’t know what happened. He was still a prized player, but not the way he became with us. I don’t know what happened, but he was not the same guy.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Randy Moss timeline: A walk through his colorful NFL career on the way to the Hall of Fame

By Strib

Feb. 13, 1977: Randy Gene Moss is born in Charleston, W. Va. He graduated from DuPont High School in nearby Belle, and was named West Virginia’s player of the year in football and basketball while also playing baseball and running track. He helped DuPont win back-to-back state football championships in 1992 and 1993.

1995: Moss signs a letter of intent to play football at Notre Dame but the school pulled its scholarship offer after Moss pleaded guilty to battery stemming from a fight at the high school. A year later, Moss is dismissed from Florida State without ever playing a game after he tested positive for marijuana.

Dec. 21, 1996: Moss, a redshirt freshman, hauls in nine catches for 220 yards and four TDs from quarterback Eric Kresser in Marshall’s 49-29 romp over Montana in the Division I-AA championship game. “Randy Moss is, perhaps, the best football player I’ve seen in 24 years of coaching,” Grizzlies coach Mick Dennehy said after the game.

April 18, 1998: Moss is selected 21st overall by the Vikings after several teams reportedly removed Moss from their draft boards due to his checkered past, and the Bengals passed on him twice. “Coach [] took a lot of heat for this but he just caught a ,” Moss told reporters after he was drafted.

Oct. 5, 1998: Moss arrives on a national stage, catching five passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns on Monday Night Football in a 37-24 victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field. Moss also had a long TD called back by a holding penalty. “I’m very thankful to God that Randy Moss is on my team,” Vikings safety said. Minnesota’s victory ends Green Bay’s 29-game home winning streak, including playoffs.

Jan. 17, 1999: Moss catches five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in the first half of the NFC Championship Game at the Metrodome but the Vikings lose 30-27 in overtime to Atlanta. Moss had one catch in the second half, for 4 yards. “Our problem was that nobody stepped up,” Moss said.

July 25, 2001: Vikings owner Red McCombs personally finalizes a deal that gives Moss an eight-year, $75 million contract extension — including an $18 million signing bonus — just before the start of training camp. Two days later, after a morning workout at Winter Park, Moss is asked his goals for the duration of the new deal. Moss replied: “Super Bowl, homeboy.”

April 26, 2002: Vikings open mini-camp under new head coach , who reveals his plan for the “Randy Ratio” — getting Moss the ball at least 40 percent of the Vikings’ offensive snaps. The verdict? The Vikings hit the Randy Ratio just twice in 16 games that season. Moss finished with a career high in receptions (106) but a career low in touchdowns (seven).

September 24, 2002: Moss is arrested in downtown Minneapolis after he nudged a traffic control officer with his car. He issued a rambling, nine-minute apology a day later, then dropped four would-be touchdown passes in a forgettable 48-23 loss at Seattle.

Jan 9, 2005: A week after walking off the field before the clock hit zero in a three-point loss at Washington, Moss scores the game-winning touchdown in a playoff victory at Green Bay. After the score, Moss pretended to pull down his pants and shook his rear-end at the Lambeau Field crowd. Moss is fined $10,000 by the league for the stunt. Asked if he had already sent the check, Moss said, “When you’re rich, you don’t write checks. Straight cash, homey.” The fine puts Moss’ total to $125,000 in his seven-year career.

March 2, 2005: Moss is traded to Oakland, where he arrives to his introductory news conference in a limousine escorted by seven police motorcycles. “I’m in love,” he declared.

April 27, 2007: Moss is traded to New England, where quarterback Tom Brady agrees to restructure his contract to help the team get enough salary-cap space to sign Moss. The Patriots finish the regular season undefeated with Moss catching an NFL-record 23 touchdown receptions. The Giants, however, defeat New England in the Super Bowl.

Oct. 6, 2010: Moss is traded back to Minnesota. The reunion lasts 27 days. It includes a bizarre, expletive- laced locker-room rant directed at Gus Tinucci’s catering business, which provided lunch for the team. The final straw is a lackluster effort in a Nov. 1 loss to New England, after which Moss staged his own “press conference” asking and answering his own questions at the podium in front of reporters.

Nov. 3, 2010: Moss is claimed off waivers by Tennessee but never makes an impact with the Titans.

Feb. 13, 2012: On his 35th birthday, Moss announces he is coming out of retirement. He spends the 2012 season with San Francisco, helping the 49ers to the Super Bowl, but again comes out on the losing end.

Feb. 3, 2018: Moss becomes a first-ballot inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Aug. 4, 2018: Moss puts on his gold jacket and is officially enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Vikings day at camp Thursday: Offense misfires on bombs, snaps

By Strib

Effects show after day off

Setting the scene

As the Vikings returned to work after their first scheduled off day of camp, their offense had a rocky showing on a cool afternoon in Eagan, with Kirk Cousins and Stefon Diggs getting their signals crossed on a deep ball that could have gone for a touchdown and Nick Easton misfiring on two snaps, including one that ended practice.

Thielen happy for Diggs

Two days after the Vikings signed Stefon Diggs to a five-year, $72 million contract, fellow wide receiver Adam Thielen said he “couldn’t be happier” for Diggs or the Vikings. “I’ve never seen anybody grind the way he does in the offseason, during the season,” Thielen said. “So, if there’s anybody that deserves getting a contract like that, it’s him.” Thielen, who earned second-team All-Pro honors last year, is in the second year of a deal that pays him just $4 million this season. “That’s why I have an agent,” Thielen said. “He takes care of that stuff so I don’t have to worry about it. When I signed my contract before last season, that’s why I did it — because I didn’t want to have to worry about money. I didn’t have to want to worry about my contract. I wanted to just go out and play football.”

Harris on hand

Former Vikings guard Mike Harris, who had to retire after the 2016 season because of a congenital brain condition, was on the sidelines for practice Thursday, looking to glean tips from the offensive linemen that he could take back to his new job: Harris is now the offensive line coach at Hopkins.

Offensive line in flux

Injuries to Pat Elflein and Mike Remmers, and an illness for Rashod Hill, have kept the Vikings from getting their starting offensive linemen much work together. Coach Mike Zimmer said the Vikings will try rookie tackle Brian O’Neill on the left side of the line later in camp, after working him at right tackle so far. “When you’re only dressing seven on game day, you have to be prepared for anything,” Zimmer said.

Camp chatter

“He was the guy who made me want to play football, number one, and play receiver. So it is really cool.” – Thielen, on Randy Moss entering the Hall of Fame this weekend.

Injury report

Wide receiver Stacy Coley returned to practice after nursing a groin injury, while guard Mike Remmers watched practice with his left ankle wrapped. Running back Roc Thomas and linebacker Kentrell Brothers did not practice, and Anthony Barr did not take part in team drills, for reasons he said he was not able to discuss. “Any questions about that, talk to the head man,” Barr said. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/3/18

Stefon Diggs' deal with Vikings: Guaranteed money early, salary escalators late

By Ben Goessling

The numbers for Stefon Diggs’ new contract with the Vikings are in, and here’s the upshot of the wide receiver’s deal: He will need to continue to produce if he wants to earn the biggest annual salaries in the deal.

The Vikings, in keeping with their pay-as-you-go approach, packed all $40.07 million of Diggs’ guaranteed money into the deal between now and 2021, giving him a $15 million signing bonus and guaranteeing his base salaries of $1.907 million this year, $8.9 million in 2019 and $10.9 million in 2020. The Vikings guaranteed $3.3 million of Diggs’ 2021 base salary, which is worth a total of $11.4 million. It remains to be seen how much of Diggs’ money is fully guaranteed now, and how much will require him to be on the roster at a later date; the Vikings will often guarantee a certain amount of money against a catastrophic injury for the time being, but require the player to be on the roster at the start of a league year to lock in his guaranteed money for that season.

In any case, it will be incumbent upon the 24-year-old to keep growing; his $11.4 million base salaries in the final three years of the deal come after all but $3.3 million of his guaranteed money is gone. Diggs’ $15 million bonus will amortize against the cap over each of the next five years, meaning the Vikings won’t have any dead money in the final year of the deal. He can earn annual workout bonuses of $100,000, and make $31,250 in roster bonuses for each game he’s on the active roster, up to a total of $500,000 per season.

The Vikings also gave Diggs the opportunity to earn base salary escalators in 2022 and 2023; his deal is worth $72 million now, but could earn him up to $81 million through escalators and incentives.

Minnesota has $9.822 million in salary cap space left for 2018, and Diggs’ deal carries cap numbers of $12.5 million next year and $14.5 million in 2020. We’d assumed a cap number of $13 million for Diggs in this piece, and $2 million of other expenses for the Vikings this year; adjusting those calculations with Diggs’ actual numbers would give them around $13.1 million in cap space for 2019, with the ability to push it to $18.6 million if they decline safety Andrew Sendejo’s $5.5 million option. There’d be more money available, of course, by restructuring the contracts of other veterans, though the Vikings will inevitably have a few other roster spots they need to take care of along the way.

Nonetheless, they’ve still got enough money to do another sizable contract for another player on the roster, if they apply their usual resourcefulness and find a willing partner. The determination they’ll have to make, as we talked about in our initial analysis of Diggs’ deal, is whether they want to do one more big deal, and which player is worth the expense.

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/3/18

Vikings star Harrison Smith likes how he feels after working on explosiveness

By Chris Tomasson ome players talk about coming into a new season having gained strength or endurance. For Vikings safety Harrison Smith, something else was very important.

“Not necessarily anything weight wise, but just staying bouncy,’’ Smith said. “I did a lot of plyometrics and stuff and it seems to get me going. It kind of ignites me. Get explosive and ready to go.’’

Smith said he’s more “bouncy” after having continued to work with Charles Petrone, his longtime trainer in his hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., during the time between minicamp and training camp at TCO Performance Center. Let Smith explain what that means.

“I’m pretty comfortable with my bounce right now,’’ said Smith, who last season was named All-Pro for the first time and made his third straight . “The way we train, it’s not all about just like a straight-up standing vertical leap, it’s about reaction times and getting on and off the ground because that’s what the game is. It’s quick movements and reaction, so we work on that stuff a lot.’’

Overall, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Smith, 29, is continuing to improve as he enters his seventh season.

“I can come up and talk to him and say, ‘Hey, try this today’ and he’ll do it,’’’ Zimmer said. “Sometimes I’ve had safeties in the past that you talk to them about something and it might take them three days working on it to do it. As soon as you tell Harrison, he can get it. He’s a really, really smart guy. … The thing I like about him is that he works on his deficiencies, so if he doesn’t feel like he’s doing (something) good, he’s going to get out there and work at it.’’

BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR COOK?

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook wouldn’t mind getting one present for his birthday.

Cook turns 23 on Aug. 10, the day before the Vikings open the preseason at Denver. Would Cook, recovering from a torn left ACL suffered last October, like the gift of returning that weekend to the field?

“Yeah,’’ he said. “If that’s what they got planned for me on the sheet, I’ll be out there.’’

Cook said Friday he doesn’t know yet if he will play against the Broncos. He also didn’t “know the game plan” for his work load in the night practice on Saturday.

Cook has returned to practice in training camp with no apparent limitations after being hurt Oct. 1, 2017 against Detroit.

“My family really and my teammates, they pushed me through the process,’’ Cook said. “I’m just grateful to have the people that I have in my corner. My family is my backbone.’’

DIGGS’ BIG DEAL

More details have emerged about the five-year, $72 million extension Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs signed Tuesday.

Diggs will get base salaries between 2019-23 of $8.9 million, $10.9 million, $11.4 million, $11.4 million and $11.4 million. The dead money decreases each season from $12 million to $9 million to $6 million to $3 million to none.

Diggs gets $100,000 annually in workout bonuses and $500,000 annually in roster bonus. He is guaranteed in the deal $40.007 million, including a $15 million signing bonus. With additional incentives, the deal could be worth as much as $81 million.

BRIEFLY

–Wide receiver Stacy Coley returned to practice Thursday after missing six straight days with a strained groin. Tackle Mike Remmers sat out after suffering an ankle injury Tuesday, and linebacker Kentrell Brothers was out with an undisclosed condition. Linebacker Anthony Barr didn’t take part in team drills but wouldn’t say why. Wide receivers Tavarres King and Chad Beebe left the workout early with undisclosed conditions.

–Rookie Jalyn Holmes said plays are “happening a lot faster” as he makes the transition from being primarily a defensive end at Ohio State to three-technique defensive tackle with Minnesota. But he’s vowing to be patient. “It definitely takes time,’’ he said. “You definitely try to enjoy the process. You can’t really get too down on myself.’’

–The Vikings, who initially had capped the limit on tickets for fans at training camp to 5,000 a day, are making more available. For details, go to www.Vikings.com/trainingcamp.

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/3/18

Vikings on new helmet rule: ‘There’s going to be a lot of challenges with it’

By Dane Mizutani

Like most NFL teams, the Vikings seek clarification about a new rule that will penalize tacklers for lowering their head and leading with their helmets.

“There’s going to be a lot of challenges with it,” coach Mike Zimmer said last week. “It’s going to take a little bit of preseason to clean up a little bit. It’s going to be tough at first.”

In accordance with the new rule, if a player lowers his head and makes contact with any part of an opponent’s body, it will result in a 15-yard penalty. It can include an ejection if 1) a player lowers his helmet to establish a linear body posture prior to initiating and making contact with the helmet; 2) there’s an unobstructed path to his opponent; 3) the contact is clearly avoidable and the player delivering the blow had other options.

“There were only two plays (last season) that were ejectable plays,” NFL referee Pete Morelli said. “Fouls? There may be an increase until players kind of understand this rule.”

Morelli and the rest of his NFL officiating crew were in Eagan on Thursday to talk to the Vikings about new rules for the 2018 season.

“It’s trying to change the culture,” Morelli said of the new tackling rule. “It’s just a safety thing.”

As for how the new rule will be policed, longtime cornerback Terence Newman doesn’t anticipate much of an issue. He understands it’s designed to keep players safe, and said it proves the league is “moving in the right direction” as it attempts to limit concussions.

“There are always rules being changed, so we have to adapt,” Newman said. “It shouldn’t be that big of a deal. If we look at how to tackle properly, we’re not supposed to dip our head in the first place. It’s just going to help everyone being more safe.”

While the Vikings will certainly prepare for the new rule in practice, cornerback Mackensie Alexander said it probably won’t change much as far as how the team approaches an actual game.

“You’ve just got to play fast and see what happens,” Alexander said. “You can’t really go out there and say, ‘I’m not going to do this.’ It’s all reaction. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“It’ll be a learning process,” Morelli said. “If we think it’s a foul, or are pretty sure it is, we’ll be throwing our flags. They can rein us in, or point out plays after that.” PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/3/18

Suddenly underpaid Adam Thielen not thinking contract: ‘That’s why I have an agent’

By Dane Mizutani

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen might be the NFL’s best bargain.

After bursting on the scene two seasons ago, Thielen signed a four-year, $19.2 million contract last offseason that pays him an average of roughly $4.8 million a season, according to OverTheCap.com. He then caught a career-high 91 passes for career-high 1,276 yards while assuming the No. 1 role while partner Stefon Diggs battled a groin injury.

This summer, Thielen, 27, watched wide receivers across the league cash in with more lucrative extensions. That includes Diggs, the Minnesota Miracle wideout who signed a five-year deal worth an average of $14.4 million per season.

“Honestly, I couldn’t be happier for him and his family,” Thielen said of Diggs. “I’ve never seen anybody grind the way he does in the offseason and during the season. If there’s anybody that deserves getting a contract like that, it’s him.”

Well, an argument can be made that Thielen deserves a contract like Diggs.

While he earned a $1 million bonus this season for reaching 90 catches last season, in light of his recent production, his current deal is drastically below market value. (see chart below)

As to not ruffle any feathers, Thielen deferred to his agent, Blake Baratz, when asked point blank about whether this offseason has made him re-evaluate his current deal.

“That’s why I have an agent,” he said, adding that he’d rather keep his focus on football. “He takes care of that stuff so I don’t have to worry about it.”

In search of comment, the Pioneer Press reached out to Baratz and did not immediately hear back.

“When I signed my contract before last season, that’s why I did it, because I didn’t want to have to worry about it,” Thielen said. “I wanted to just go out and play football, and it allowed me to do that. I want to continue to do that, just play football, focus on the things I can control, and let the other people take care of that.”

As of right now, the Vikings have roughly $9.8 million in salary cap space. Linebacker Anthony Barr is widely considered the next player in line for an extension.

Thielen has become a folk hero of sorts in Minnesota, a kid from Detroit Lakes that has risen to stardom after going undrafted out of Minnesota State Mankato. He was signed to the practice squad in 2013, made the 53-man roster in 2014 and became a special teams ace in 2015 before he really started to make a name for himself.

“I don’t even know if I remember him from the first training camp, to be honest,” joked head coach Mike Zimmer, who took over in 2014. “He’s always been a great competitor. He tried to get on the field any way he possibly could. Now he’s a guy for us.”

While his current deal will likely be a talking point for the foreseeable future, Thielen doesn’t feel any animosity toward Diggs for getting paid. The two are good friends and push one another to be better players.

“It starts in the offseason and how we work off the field,” Thielen said. “I see him doing stuff (via) Instagram and things like that, and it makes me think, ‘Man, I’d better get my butt out there and be doing the same things.’

“Then when we’re in the building, in meeting rooms, we hold each other accountable. He’s the first guy to tell me I ran a terrible route. That’s exactly how it should be.”

It’s safe to say Thielen will enter this season as confident as ever, even if he doesn’t restructure his contract before it starts. He’s started to garner more attention from defenders across the league, and because of that, he knows he has to keep his focus on improving.

“Your play kind of speaks for itself,” Thielen said. “I just want to make sure that I continue to get better, because people are probably starting to realize that I’m a little better than they thought I was.”

BAD TIMING? This summer, a handful of top NFL wide receivers hauled in huge contract extensions. Here’s a look at those contracts and productivity last season compared to Vikings receiver Adam Thielen, who signed a four-year extension before the 2017 season:

Player/Team 2017 Rec/Yds/TDs Total/Years Base Avg.

Mike Evans/Tampa Bay 71/1,001/5 $82.5M/Six $16.5M

Brandin Cooks/L.A. Rams 65/1,082/7 $81M/Six $16.2M

Jarvis Landry/Cleveland 112/987/9 $75.5M/Five $15.1M

Stefon Diggs/Vikings 64/849/8 $72M/Five $14.4M

Adam Thielen/Vikings 91/1,276/4 $19.2M/Four $4.8M PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/3/18

NFL ref: Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr’s hit on Aaron Rodgers would be penalty in 2018

By Chris Tomasson

Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr wasn’t penalized last October when his hit on Aaron Rodgers broke the Green Bay quarterback’s collarbone.

In 2018, that type of play will be looked at differently.

If it were this season, NFL referee Pete Morelli said it would result in a penalty because of a new rule interpretation that provides additional protection to “defenseless players.”

“Players will have to kind of roll to the side when they make that tackle instead of plopping down on them,” Morelli told reporters Thursday at the TCO Performance Center. “So, yeah, (the) Aaron Rodgers (hit) would be a foul this year. As long as he’s out of pocket, established, and all that. If he’s running, that’s not the same.’’

Barr’s hit on Rodgers came late in the first quarter of a 23-10 victory over the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Barr hit Rodgers and drove him to the ground after he had rolled to his right out of the pocket and threw a pass that would be incomplete.

Rodgers missed eight weeks because of the injury, returned for one game, and then sat out the final two games when the Packers were eliminated from the playoff race. Barr was never disciplined for the play.

Morelli said that under the new rule, Barr would be charged with a 15-yard penalty because even though Rodgers had left the pocket, he had re-established himself as a passer.

“When he’s a passer in a defenseless position,” Morelli said. “If you roll out and get set up, you’re still a passer now. But if you’re rolling out and throwing, and a guy is chasing you and tackles you, then you’re not defenseless. They get two steps and they can tackle you. Becoming defenseless is setting up (to pass) again, pocket or outside the pocket.”

Morelli and his officiating crew showed reporters a video that outlined all of this season’s rule changes and points of emphasis. The crew showed the video to Vikings players on Thursday night.

“You just got to play by the rules at all times,’’ Barr said after Thursday’s practice and before the meeting with officials. “I did last year. I’ll continue to do that as my career goes on.’’

Barr said it could be a challenge being in a similar spot with Rodgers.

“It’s very difficult,’’ Barr said. “You’re playing fast, trying to make a play on the ball. It’s going to be tough. It will be interesting to see how that’s officiating and how it’s called this year.

“I’m sure there will be some debate from the players from the coaches, from the officials as to who’s right and who’s wrong. … You can complain about it all you want, but it’s not going to change unless they change it. It’s your duty as a player to continue to play by the rules.’’

Barr participated in individual and position drills Thursday but not in team drills. He wouldn’t say why not.

It was the first time Barr has spoken to the media since wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Tuesday signed a five-year, $72 million contract extension. The Vikings this year had signed linebacker Eric Kendricks and defensive end Danielle Hunter to extensions, making Barr the last remaining key player they want to sign to an extension before the start of the season.

Barr shrugged off a question asking if Diggs reaching a deal has created additional urgency for him to sign. He did congratulate Diggs on his contract.

“Very well-deserving,’’ Barr said. “He’s worked extremely hard. He’s obviously a huge part of our team and what our offense does. No one deserves it more, so I’m very happy for him.’’ PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/3/18

NOTEBOOK: Anthony Barr on NFL's New Rules

By Craig Peters

EAGAN, Minn. — An NFL officiating crew headed by referee Pete Morelli arrived at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on Thursday to help them prepare for the upcoming season, show a video to illustrate new rules to players and explain the changes to Vikings players.

Morelli’s team also showed the video to members of the media.

The new rules make it illegal to lead with the helmet to initiate contact, simplify the language of what constitutes a catch and make it illegal for a defensive player to land on an offensive player with full body weight.

Naturally, the conversation with reporters turned to Anthony Barr’s hit on Aaron Rodgers from Week 6 of 2017. Barr hit Rodgers just after the scrambling quarterback attempted a pass. Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone.

Morelli said the hit that was within the rules of the game in 2017 will be a foul in 2018.

“Yeah, that was that second bullet point they showed you about full-body weight,” Morelli said. “Any time a quarterback is in a defenseless position, that’s just after throwing a pass, that could increase.

“You’ll see more tackles, so players will have to kind of roll to the side when they make that tackle instead of plopping down,” he added. “Yeah, [the] Aaron Rodgers [play] would be a foul this year. As long as he’s out of the pocket, established and all of that, but if he’s running, then it’s not the same.”

Barr said: “You’ve got to play by the rules at all times. I did that last year and will continue to do that as my career goes on.”

He does, however, think it will be a challenge for defenders to make adjustments.

“You’re playing fast, trying to attack the ball. It’s going to be tough,” Barr said. “It will be interesting to see how that’s officiated and called this year. I’m sure there’s going to be some debate from the players, coaches and officials as to who is right and who is wrong, but we’ve got to try our best as players to play within the rules.”

Barr also said he believed meeting with officials would be helpful.

“I think it’s good to have some dialogue, to communicate back and forth and ask questions that are necessary,” Barr said. “If you have a question, definitely speak up and write down all of the information you’re given and make it a point to learn as much as you can and apply it when it’s necessary. It will be a good meeting for us to have, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Barr has spent more time this training camp with the Vikings defensive linemen, picking up tips from coach Andre Patterson, as well as defensive ends Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter and Brian Robison. The Vikings might utilize the linebacker in a special rush package this season.

“I think I’ve gotten a lot better. Working at it has definitely helped,” Barr said. “Obviously, the more you do something, the better you’re going to get at it. Working with Dre and watching Everson, B-Rob and Danielle do it, I have great teachers in front of me so it makes it a little easier. They’re great examples. I am going to continue to grind at it, continue to try and get better with it, and hopefully it pays off.”

Barr also was asked why he wasn’t at linebacker with the first-team defense (Eric Wilson stepped in).

“Yeah, there was a reason for that,” Barr said. “I’m not able to discuss that. Any questions about that, talk to the head man.”

Holmes feeling more at home

Rookie Jalyn Holmes said he’s taken a low-key approach in a Vikings defensive line room with a couple of big personalities.

“I’m just trying to fit in,” Holmes said. “I speak when spoken to and just try to keep my head low and try to learn defenses. I don’t do too much joking with them, but I just try to do my place.”

When asked who has been the most fun to observe, Holmes said, “B-Rob, for sure,” in reference to 12- year veteran Brian Robison, the longest-tenured Viking.

“They’re all good guys with different personalities, but it’s just real unique how at the end of the day it all jells together and is for the betterment of the group,” Holmes said. “I’m just trying to learn their ways, how they get along and how to mesh for a greater cause.”

Holmes spoke from the turf of TCO Stadium where the Vikings held a walk-through for the first time. He liked the set-up and has enjoyed having Vikings fans at practices.

“It’s dope,” Holmes said of the stadium at the center of the Vikings headquarters. “It’s kind of new, having fans here all the time because we never had that in college, but I’m just enjoying taking everything in.”

Play of the day

Receiver Tavarres King high-pointed a deep pass thrown by Trevor Siemian down the left sideline for a substantial completion against Horace Richardson.

Minnesota Vikings ✔ @Vikings Back to work. #VikingsCamp

12:44 PM - Aug 2, 2018

Special guests

Mike Harris, who started 21 of 28 games for the Vikings from 2014-15 before a medical condition landed him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List in 2016, attended Thursday’s practice and gravitated toward the position work by the offensive line.

Former quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who played in seven games from 2006-07 for Minnesota, brought his entire family to TCO Performance Center for practice.

PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/3/18

3 Observations: Vikings Focus on 3rd Downs

By Craig Peters

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings on Thursday returned to the practice fields after a day off.

The team held walk-through for the first time inside TCO Stadium on a crisp and cloudy morning in preparation of Saturday’s night scrimmage. The team then transitioned to the practice fields for an afternoon session under a sun-splashed sky.

Minnesota is scheduled to hold a walk-through from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Friday, followed by practice from 2:45-5 p.m. Click here to check on tickets available for remaining sessions.

Here are three observations from Thursday’s session:

1. Third-down Thursday

The Vikings did a considerable amount of work on third downs Thursday, fielding multiple snaps from near midfield.

A play after Everson Griffen and a host of others converged on Kirk Cousins for what would have been a sack, the quarterback connected with Kyle Rudolph for a nice conversion.

Cousins followed with a completion to Brandon Zylstra that would have moved the chains on third-and-10. The following play, however, he was forced to check down for Latavius Murray for a completion that was shy of the sticks.

Zylstra and Tavarres King also earned first downs on passes from Trevor Siemian when the drill continued with the second-team offense.

2. Sometimes, you’ve gotta punt

The Vikings offensive improved its third-down rate considerably from 2016 to 2017, going from a success rate of 38.0 percent to 43.5 percent.

It’s impossible to convert them all, and that’s where a solid punt and coverage can be important.

Ryan Quigley punted multiple times from just beyond midfield and in positive territory as gunners worked to down the football.

Jayron Kearse continued to show his skill at downing a punt inside the 5-yard line. Holton Hill got to a returner quickly for what would have been a tackle. Hill also was in good position when another punt took an awkward bounce from Mike Hughes.

Quigley implemented a point-down kick on three punts when the line of scrimmage was in the opponent’s territory.

3. RBs involved in the passing game

Whether it was a check-down like the one to Murray or a to Dalvin Cook (covered by Ben Gedeon), or lining up at a wide out and running routes, the Vikings running backs were busy out of the backfield.

It will be interesting to see how Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo implements running backs in the passing game.

When DeFilippo was Eagles coach in 2017, a committee of backs combined for 53 receptions.

Cousins, meanwhile, connected with running backs for 76 of his 347 completions in Washington last season. PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/3/18

Presser Points: Zimmer on Vikings D-Line, Harrison Smith and Slot Corner

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings returned an already dominant defensive line, and they also have several young lineman who can add depth as they develop.

Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer spoke to media members after Thursday morning’s walk-through session, which was held in TCO Stadium at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, and fielded questions about three second-year defensive lineman.

Zimmer said that Jaleel Johnson, who was drafted 109th overall last year, has improved significantly. He pointed out that Johnson is a former wrestler who “wanted to get in wrestling matches” with offensive lineman, “instead of locking them out and playing the gap he’s supposed to be in.”

“When a guy would come to him, he would knock him back and jump inside, and then his gap would be open,” Zimmer further explained. “He’s been a lot more disciplined that way.”

Johnson has been with Ifeadi Odenigbo on the interior of the line for some reps.

Odenigbo, acquired by Minnesota in the seventh round (220th overall) in 2017, is listed as a defensive end but – according to Zimmer – may be a better fit for the defensive tackle spot.

“I feel like that’s the best position for him,” Zimmer said. “His quickness shows up, he’s a tough, heavy- handed kid. And he probably didn’t have the juice that you need at that spot. So I think inside is a better spot for him.”

Finally, Zimmer was asked about Tashawn Bower, who made the team last summer as an undrafted rookie and has continued to improve since then.

The defensive end bulked up this offseason, but size isn’t the only positive quality evident to his head coach.

“He’s a really hard worker. He’s got great size and length, great speed. And he’s becoming better and better with the techniques,” Zimmer said.

“He’s more of a power-rushing end than a speed-rushing end,” Zimmer added. “But there’s a lot of guys like that. His skill set is different than Danielle Hunter.”

Here are four other topics Zimmer talked about during his podium session:

1. Adding Richardson to the mix

In addition to all of the returning defensive linemen, the Vikings also signed Pro Bowl defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson in free agency.

Zimmer highlighted Richardson’s quickness and said that he’s played the run extremely well thus far.

“We’re working on some things pass rush-wise because, he’s always been a guy that’s been disruptive, he can get around the quarterback, but he doesn’t finish,” Zimmer said. “So we’ve been working on a lot of things with him, and I saw it happen about two or three times the other day at practice, where he got to the spot and is working on things we’re teaching him when he’s got an opportunity to finish at the quarterback.

“So that part has been great,” Zimmer added. “He’s got excellent quickness, strong, he’s good in the locker room, good on the field.”

2. Smith can do it all and then some

How can someone who’s got it all down get better?

Harrison Smith is entering his seventh year in Purple, and Zimmer said that the All-Pro safety has “probably always been able to do pretty much anything.” His familiarity with the defensive system now, though, enables him to make changes or react to something even quicker than before.

“Now I can come up and talk to him and say, ‘Hey, try this today.’ Sometimes, I’ve had safeties in the past where you talk to them about something and it might take them three days of working on it to do it. But as soon as you tell him, he’ll get it,” Zimmer said. “He’s a really, really smart guy, and he sees things really well. He very rarely makes the same mistake twice.”

Added Zimmer: “The thing I like about him, he works on his deficiencies. If he doesn’t feel like he’s doing [something] good, he’s going to get out there and work on it.”

3. From college to the NFL at nickelback

Cornerback is arguably one of the most difficult positions in the NFL.

But what makes the slot corner position especially challenging when transitioning from the college level to the pros?

“It’s not near as complicated [in college], number one,” Zimmer said. “Number two, all the different concepts that they have to go against – man within zone, zone – if it’s just man-to-man it’s not that much different, but some of the zones you might have to carry it vertical and then see another guy coming into his zone and go off the vertical. He might have to carry No. 2 on the vertical or pass a guy off. There’s a lot to it.”

Zimmer also pointed out that there’s a “lot more room” for the nickelback.

“Guys on the outside, he’s really only covering, maybe, a half a field,” Zimmer explained. “That guy in the slot, he’s got to cover everywhere.”

4. Assessing Minnesota offensive line

The Vikings offensive line group is continuing to carry on Tony Sparano’s legacy in the wake of tragedy.

Zimmer said the unit is working hard and that he and the coaches are getting looks at players in different spots. Minnesota is no stranger to adversity on the offensive line, and Zimmer wants to ensure versatility within the position group.

“We will continue to do that because there’s a possibility that one guy may have to play guard, may have to play tackle, may have to play center, something like that,” Zimmer said. “We’re trying to figure out how we can get the best five in there and how they work best together.

“It’s always going to be a work in progress, but these guys work their butts off,” Zimmer added. “They come out here and they grind and work and study up in the room. They’re good guys.” PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/3/18

Diggs' Extension Latest Step in Vikings Long-Term Plan

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – General Manager Rick Spielman is working to keep the Vikings family in place.

Stefon Diggs’ contract extension Tuesday provided the receiver a special moment with his mother and allowed him to make good on a promise he made his late father 10 years ago.

But beyond that, the deal marked one more player that Spielman has been able to keep within the organization’s fold.

It’s a team effort for Spielman, Vikings Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski and Assistant General Manager George Paton, who have helped the team extend Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, , Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter and now Diggs – all within the past year.

“I’m probably sitting in Rob’s office more, especially this time of year,” Spielman told media members Tuesday afternoon. “We’ve had a plan in place for a long time; I told you that when we first started back in February. We do our three-year cap planning, so we’re very excited and we’ve worked through this to be able to get this done.”

Added Spielman: “It’s great to not only sign [Kirk] Cousins and [Sheldon] Richardson but to keep our own, and that’s going to always be the priority for us if we can.”

Under the Wilf family’s ownership, through restructuring the front office – including Spielman’s position – and eventually Head Coach Mike Zimmer’s hire in 2014, the organization’s leadership has been “on the same page,” Spielman explained.

He emphasized the time he and Zimmer spent together when he stepped in as head coach.

“We’ve had some success, not the ultimate success that we’re looking for, and we’re going to strive for that, but everybody knows what direction we’re going, what we’re looking for,” Spielman said. “And I think the continuity and the stability that we have – not only on the front office side but with the coaches working together as one – hopefully will benefit us.”

Also consistent within the organization is the character and mentality of its players.

Spielman and Zimmer alike have emphasized time and time again the “type” of players they want in the locker room. It’s that culture of putting team goals ahead of individual accolades that has resonated through the locker room.

“I think with the culture that we’ve established here and that we have a pretty good football team, ultimately everybody wants to win a Super Bowl. That’s why we’re in this business,” Spielman said. “Financially you take care of your families, but I think ultimately everybody is so competitive that they want to say that they were a Super Bowl champion.”

Added Spielman: “I believe a lot of the guys that are coming here and the guys who don’t want to leave, want to stay here, believe that we have a chance to potentially do that.”

Looking ahead through the 2020 season and beyond, Spielman feels confident about the Vikings family he’s helped to establish.

“As long as we keep our philosophy in place and continue to bring in the right type of players, not only for what they can do on the field but off the field – and I’ll be the first one to admit, I’m never going to be a hundred percent,” Spielman said. “But we’re sure as heck going to try as hard as we can and do everything the right way to put the team together and to keep this going.” PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/3/18

Lunchbreak: Treadwell Turning Heads in Training Camp

By Craig Peters

Laquon Treadwell was the star of the show at a recent practice, hauling in four touchdowns from quarterback Kirk Cousins in a six-play span inside the red zone.

The Vikings wide receiver is hoping his performance in training camp so far can translate over to the regular season.

Treadwell recently chatted with Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press about his game as he enters his third season in the NFL.

Mizutani wrote:

A first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the 23-year-old Treadwell hasn’t lived up to his billing, barely playing as a rookie and catching 20 passes for 200 yards last season.

Mizutani added that the ‘lack of production has weighed on Treadwell,’ who is determined to prove doubters wrong in 2018.

“You have all these goals, and when you fall short, you kind of stress yourself out,” Treadwell said. “Sometimes it takes time. Now I feel like I’m coming into my role. I just want to relax and have fun. That’s the biggest thing for me.”

Mizutani also wrote that Treadwell has drawn plenty of praise from those in the organization, including Vikings Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo and Cousins.

At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Treadwell certainly has the size to be a productive NFL receiver and already has spent time working with the first team alongside the dynamic duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.

“I’m really proud of (Treadwell),” offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said. “He has worked his butt off to really improve. I think from what I’ve heard, he has matured. You see a young man having some success and not letting that success go to his head.

“We are going to continually challenge him every single day to stay mentally focused,” DeFilippo added. “He can do that. There is no doubt in my mind he can do that. I’m really happy where he is right now.”

Treadwell, a first round-pick in 2016, has 21 career catches for 215 yards.

Linval Joseph opens up about traumatic experience

Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph has been a significant addition to the defensive line since signing as a free agent in 2014.

The powerhouse has been an anchor on the middle of the line, stuffing the run and allowing fellow linemen to rack up sacks. Joseph also has tallied 11 sacks of his own in 60 games.

People have taken notice of Joseph’s play, resulting in him making the past two Pro Bowls.

Joseph come a long way from a traumatic experience that happened in August 2014 when he was shot. He agreed to open up about the night with The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.

Krawczynski wrote:

He was an innocent bystander when a gunman opened fire in the night club, allegedly targeting another man in what police determined was a gang-related incident. Nine people were shot and one eventually died from wounds suffered that night. Joseph took a bullet in his calf that went straight through his leg.

In his determination to move forward, put a traumatizing experience behind him and recover from an injury that has been known to inflict almost as much psychological damage as physical, Joseph has never publicly discussed what he went through that night and in the days and weeks that followed.

“That was a big moment in my life,” Joseph told Krawczynski. “It showed me that as hard as it is to get here, it can be gone just as fast. Never walking again, never playing football again, and not even being here. Those are the three things that ran through my head. At the end of the day, you can’t take it for granted.” PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/3/18

Randy Moss Personally Invites Vikings Chef to Hall of Fame Festivities

By Eric Smith

EAGAN, Minn. — When Randy Moss gets inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night, he’ll be joined by scores of family and friends who saw a kid from West Virginia grow into one of the most successful wide receivers in NFL history.

Others who impacted Moss’ professional career will be on hand, too, including one of the most beloved members of the Vikings organization, Geji McKinney-Banks.

McKinney-Banks is the team’s Director of Food Service and Operations and has been with the Vikings since 1994, four years before Moss was selected with the 21st overall pick.

Moss made sure McKinney-Banks was on the attendance list for his big night in Canton, Ohio.

“Randy personally invited me … he wanted me there,” McKinney-Banks said. “This is a first-time opportunity and maybe my last. I’m going to take this opportunity.

“It’s just a blessing,” McKinney-Banks added. “But I was surprised. I was surprised and I was honored.”

While McKinney-Banks may have been caught off guard by Moss’ kind gesture, she wasn’t surprised that he has landed in Canton.

Moss ranks second all-time with 156 career receiving touchdowns, 92 of which came in Purple. He also ranks fourth in league history with 15,292 receiving yards.

“I knew it was coming,” McKinney-Banks said. “It was just a matter of time.”

McKinney-Banks and Moss hit it off soon after former Vikings Head Coach Dennis Green introduced them in the Winter Park cafeteria.

“We kind of grew up together,” McKinney-Banks said. “I was young, and Randy was a friend and he was really cool. I took [lessons learned from Randy] with me all through my life.”

McKinney-Banks said she heard rumblings about the perception of Moss before he was drafted. But she found none of that to be true as he tore up the NFL from 1998 to 2004 in his first stint in Minnesota.

“I develop a lot of good relationships with the guys in the café. Just talking … you develop a lot of good relationships,” McKinney-Banks said. “He happened to be one of those. We connected with age and [share] a lot of things in common.

“I like how he quietly gave back to children. He didn’t let everybody know he was doing that, but he did it and he did it quietly. Everybody didn’t have to know about it,” McKinney-Banks added. “I remember, I think it was the Boys & Girls Clubs, he gave all these kids bicycles. The news didn’t know anything about it.”

Not that Moss wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. McKinney-Banks recalled a story where she had made tuna salad, and Moss swore it was missing some ingredients. The wide receiver promptly went into the kitchen and made his own version of it.

“He had a little extra to him, but that was Randy,” McKinney-Banks said. “It didn’t bother me, and he always treated me with respect and kindness.”

During a recent chat at the beginning of training camp, McKinney-Banks recalled fond memories of playing spades with Moss and Daunte Culpepper at the quarterback’s house during Thanksgivings.

“We had a good time,” McKinney-Banks said. “It was like family.”

Or the time she and Moss got into a debate in the early 2000s about wide receivers in the NFL who were destined for the Hall of Fame.“Now, here we are, and he’s going there,” McKinney-Banks, who had Moss on her list, said with a laugh.

Moss and McKinney-Banks last connected in June of 2017 when the wide receiver was surprised with the announcement at Winter Park that he would be inducted to the Vikings Ring of Honor.

The two caught up, with McKinney-Banks noticing Moss’ maturity — and his penchant for grilled chicken wings.

“That was awesome. Oh boy, how he grew up. I just saw that right away. We had great conversation,” McKinney-Banks said of Moss’ visit. “He told me that he hadn’t had good chicken wings in a while. I think it was ‘Chicken Wing Thursday,’ so I said, ‘I got you.’

“I cooked him up some special wings. He yelled [across the room], ‘Geji! This is it!’ He loved them,” McKinney-Banks added. “That was the last time I saw him. We said we were going to get a picture together, and then something happened. I still have to get that picture.”

There couldn’t be a better place for that than Canton.

“Now, here we are, and he’s going there,” McKinney-Banks, who had Moss on her list, said with a laugh.

Moss and McKinney-Banks last connected in June of 2017 when the wide receiver was surprised with the announcement at Winter Park that he would be inducted to the Vikings Ring of Honor.

The two caught up, with McKinney-Banks noticing Moss’ maturity — and his penchant for grilled chicken wings.

“That was awesome. Oh boy, how he grew up. I just saw that right away. We had great conversation,” McKinney-Banks said of Moss’ visit. “He told me that he hadn’t had good chicken wings in a while. I think it was ‘Chicken Wing Thursday,’ so I said, ‘I got you.’

“I cooked him up some special wings. He yelled [across the room], ‘Geji! This is it!’ He loved them,” McKinney-Banks added. “That was the last time I saw him. We said we were going to get a picture together, and then something happened. I still have to get that picture.”

There couldn’t be a better place for that than Canton. PUBLICATION: Viking Update DATE: 8/3/18

NFL referee: Barr’s hit on Rodgers would be penalty this year

By Tim Yotter

Anthony Barr’s hit that essentially ended Aaron Rodgers’ 2017 season will now be a penalty, according to an NFL referee who is visiting Minnesota Vikings training camp this week.

Pete Morelli’s officiating crew is at training camp explaining to coaches and players the changes in the NFL rules and the points of emphasis this year. During their annual training camp session with the media, Morelli was asked specifically about Barr’s hit on Rodgers last year that broke the quarterback’s collarbone.

Morelli said that hit will now be a penalty.

“Yeah, that was that second bullet point that showed you about full body [weight on a player],” Morelli said, referencing a training video that was shown to the media and will be shown to players and coaches. “Anytime a quarterback is in a defenseless position, that’s just after throwing a pass, that could increase. You’ll see more tackles, players will have to roll to the side when they make that tackle instead of plopping down on him.

“So, yeah, the Aaron Rodgers [hit] would be a foul this year. As long as he’s out of the pocket, established and all that. But if he’s running [with the ball], that’s not the same.”

Barr’s hit on Rodgers occurred on Oct. 15 last year after Rodgers had released the ball in the first meeting between the two teams at U.S. Bank Stadium. Barr continuously denied allegations that he is a dirty player.

“By no means was I trying to injure or take out Aaron Rodgers. He’s one of the, if not the best, player in this league. I’m not a dirty player. I don’t play dirty. They don’t preach that around here,” Barr said five days after the hit. “It’s unfortunate, the injury. I hate to see anybody get hurt. I know how hard we work each week to prepare to play. It’s a gift and privilege to play on the field each week so I would never try to take that away from anybody, let alone one of the best players in our game. It’s unfortunate it happened.”

Morelli said players will now have to roll to the side when tackling players, and a video that will be shown to the Vikings Thursday night explains that players must avoid putting “all or most” of their body weight on top of a passer who has just released the ball when bringing him to the ground.

Barr’s tackle still appears to fall under a grey area because he took, at most, two steps after the ball was released and rolled off of Rodgers quickly.

“When he’s a passer in a defenseless position. So the rollout and get set up, you’re still a passer now,” Morelli said. “But if you’re rolling out and throwing and kind of chasing and he tackles you, you’re not defenseless. They get two steps and they can tackle you.”

Morelli did say that Barr’s hit wouldn’t have resulted in an ejection this year.

Here is the rule Morelli was referencing: “A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as “stuffing” a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation provided for in (a) above. When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player’s arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight.”

Another rule that will get stricter this year is the lowering of the helmet by any player to initiate contact. In some cases, that could result in an ejection, but Morelli said there were only two instances last year when that would have happened. Even so, there are likely to be many more penalties called for that this year.

“Really, there’s no thought that there’s going to be a lot of ejections. Those are the only two that they found through all the film,” Morelli said. “Fouls, there may be an increase in fouls until players kind of understand these rules. Initiating contact [with the helmet], any part of the body, any player on the field. It will be a learning process for the players and the officials.”

Morelli’s crew will be officiating Vikings practices through their Saturday night practice and another officiating crew will be in town to oversee the Vikings’ joint practices with the Jaguars on Aug. 15-16. PUBLICATION: Viking Update DATE: 8/3/18

Murray had incredibly busy offseason off the field

By Tim Yotter

Latavius Murray spent four weeks in Minnesota this spring and has been back at Eagan for more than a week of training camp. Other than that, he’s been as likely to be in a foreign country as would be in Eagan, Minn.

The Minnesota Vikings running back has had a busy year, to say the least. Like get-engaged, Haiti- traveling, USO-touring, baby-on-the-way, Masters-pursuing kind of offseason.

“Really busy year. I think it’s been fun,” Murray said. “Right now, I think when you talk about those life- changing things, God-willing everything goes well, I have my son and obviously by far it will be the most important year of my life.”

Murray’s busy offseason started with a March engagement to childhood friend Shauntay Skanes. Born in Orlando, Murray returned there often to visit his dad while Murray grew up near Syracuse, N.Y.

“I would visit my dad in the summers. We met and just always liked each other, always had a thing for each other, always connected, but just got serious,” Murray said. “It was, not even high school, just young love. As we got older, we stayed connected and then got serious.”

The two are expecting a son with a due date of Aug. 31. Murray, nicknamed Tay Train, jokes that his son will be named Baby Train, but the real name is expected to be Major.

The month of April sent Murray on a USO Tour of NFL players visiting U.S. military personnel in Italy and Germany (Skanes has been in the Navy for 11 years and is now a personnel specialist). It was a time to connect with fans of NFL teams and Murray saw plenty of his fans from his days with the Raiders and Vikings.

“Raiders fans, Vikings fans, I seen both for sure. Again, to be far away from home but to still feel that love was a cool feeling,” he said.

“It was awesome. Not only obviously to go to these great places overseas, but to see our military, our servicemembers serving our country elsewhere and then we’re able to bring the NFL to them, I thought that was really cool. You could see the excitement. You could see how happy they were, especially if they saw their team or a player that represented their team or even a player. Again, another one of those experiences. … I think that was a great deal when you’re able to bring a little bit of home to others.”

Murray says military service would have been a strong contender for his occupation if he wasn’t a football player.

His passion for serving others is also evidenced in a trip to Haiti with former teammate Derek Carr, the quarterback for the Raiders. They went to orphanages, visited churches and Carr delivered a sermon.

“I say it every time, it’s a humbling experience. You see some things that really, really make you appreciate everything that I have and what I’m able to do right now. I enjoyed going there and giving back,” Murray said.

“This year we were able do some more interactive things with the kids. I think that was a cool part for me. We met with them last year, talked to them, but this time we got out there and played soccer with them and did some activity with them and had some fun. I think that was really cool for me. I think, as they said, the same for them. And then hearing Derek’s speech and talk to them and give the sermon at the church was also something different from the year before and was cool to see.”

And, finally, Murray continues to work on his master’s degree in business, something that could be achieved in about a year-and-a-half, but this offseason for him sounds it would have taken a degree in time management.

PUBLICATION: Viking Update DATE: 8/3/18

Barr: ‘Very difficult’ to adjust to rules changes

By Tim Yotter

Anthony Barr was vilified by Green Bay Packers fans for his hit that injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year. It was a hit that the NFL said at the time was legal – the league didn’t fine him – but now NFL referee Pete Morelli said that hit would no longer be legal.

Morelli’s officiating crew is working the Minnesota Vikings training camp this week and held an informative session with the media on Thursday and were scheduled to go over rules changes with players and coaches Thursday night. Barr found out about Morelli’s comments after Thursday’s practice and said he would adjust to whatever rules changes the league is implementing.

“You’ve just got to play by the rules at all times,” Barr said. “I did that last year and I’ll continue to do that as my career goes on.”

After showing an NFL video about the rule changes being implemented this year, Morelli was asked about Barr’s hit on Oct. 15, 2017 that left Rodgers with a broken collarbone and essentially ended his season.

“Yeah, that was that second bullet point that we showed you about full body [weight on a player],” Morelli said. “Anytime a quarterback is in a defenseless position, that’s just after throwing a pass, that could increase. You’ll see more tackles, players will have to roll to the side when they make that tackle instead of plopping down on him.

“So, yeah, the Aaron Rodgers [hit] would be a foul this year. As long as he’s out of the pocket, established and all that. But if he’s running [with the ball], that’s not the same.”

Barr said it’s “very difficult” to adjust on the fly with the speed of the NFL game.

“You’re playing, trying to make a play on the ball. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be interesting to see how that’s officiated and how that’s called this year,” he said. “There’s going to be some debate from the players, from the coaches, from the officials as to who’s right and who’s wrong, but we’ve got to try our best as players to play within the rules.”

NFL officials annually visit training camps across the league to help explain changes and new emphases on playing rules. This year is no different, except that Barr’s hit was specifically referenced and Morelli said there is a difference in how that will be officiated this year.

It’s one of many rules that will change on an annual basis, making it difficult at times for players trying to keep up with all the adjustments in the playing rules.

“It is what it is. You can complain about it all you want, but it’s not going to change unless they change it, right? It’s your duty as a player to play by the rules and not penalize the team,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to try and do.”

But Barr also indicated he would seek some clarification when the officials meet with players and coaches.

“I think it’s good to have some dialogue, to be able to communicate back and forth and ask the questions that are necessary,” he said. “If you have a question, definitely speak up and write down all the information you’re given. Make it a point to absorb as much as you can and apply it when it’s necessary. It will be a good meeting for us to have.”

PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 8/3/18

Vikings DE Bower learning to deal with death as he battles for playing time

By Matthew Coller

If you have ever had a moment where something takes you by such surprise, you have to walk outside and make sure the world is still spinning on its axis, you understand what Tashawn Bower went through when he heard the news that Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano passed away.

Seriously? Another one?

Within a matter of months, Bower saw tragedy strike several men who helped him along his journey to the NFL.

On the morning of Sparano’s death, the Vikings’ defensive end tweeted:

Man, when it rains it pours. Rest In Peace coach Sparano. Prayers going to your family and friends and our Viking organization. Lost 4 coaches in the past 2 months. Wishing I was able to reverse time and tell not just these people but everyone that’s import to me I appreciate you

One month and four days before the Vikings’ organization mourned Sparano, Bower woke up to news of his former Kenilworth wrestling wrestling coach Bobby Jeans dying in a car accident at age 42.

Bower wrestled at first only with football in mind, but continued because he appreciated the lessons learned from his coach.

“I wrestled to get better at football, for footwork, stamina, hand-eye coordination, I just did it for football at first but after being with Coach Jeans I was like ‘wow, I really like this,’” Bower said. “I did it for another year and he coached me then, too. It was hard when I found out he passed away. It’s just tough seeing these people fly by and leave all of the sudden. You can’t take any day for granted.”

On July 16, Bower’s ex Immaculata High School assistant football coach Michael Cleary died at age 67.

”He had a great energy,” Bower said. “He would always bring the high energy and excitement and just kind of relax people when situations were tense. He was a guy who knew exactly what to say when things weren’t going great and get guys’ mindset right when we needed to get going. He was the voice that we needed.”

Cleary was also a lacrosse coach and had been inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2016. It was Cleary’s personality that stuck with Bower throughout his time at LSU and now with the Vikings.

“As you mature and get older you realize those are the things that matter. It’s not always the coaches who rah-rah, it’s the ones who know exactly what to say,” Bower said. “It’s not always the ones who yell at you but the ones who understand what’s going on and how to talk to kids at a younger age.”

Eight days later, Bower and his teammates were mourning the loss of Sparano.

“It just happened back-to-back-to-back,” Bower said. “It really puts things in perspective about life and how fast it can be and how fast people can go and how you should really take the time out of your day to just say hello or to check on someone because you never know when you’ll get to talk to them again.”

Following a summer of tragedy, the young defensive lineman is tasked with competing for a job. After winning a roster spot in last year’s camp and seeing a touch of NFL action in 2017, he has an opportunity to earn a position as a rotational pass rusher. But the loss of people close to him is tough to shake.

“You just wish you said hello or something like that,” Bower said. “Anything just to see how they’re doing because you never know when someone’s last day is…it’s hard because you’re out here on the field competing and you just have to focus on the white lines.”

Bower is lucky enough to have veterans around him who have been through everything. Everson Griffen struggled with off-field issues early in his career, Linval Joseph was shot in the leg in 2014, and Danielle Hunter was once like Bower, a young, raw prospect from LSU looking to crack the lineup.

Given an opportunity to see the dominant Vikings defensive linemen work up close, Bower is soaking up lessons from the Pro Bowlers around him. Asked what made Griffen and Hunter such good pass rushers, Bower said:

“I think it’s because they’re great listeners. They are both extremely coachable, they both and come every day with a passion and a mindset to get better at the little things and that’s what it takes.”

Over the offseason he worked to gain strength an work in his “little 10-yard box.”

Head coach Mike Zimmer said he is seeing progress.

“He’s getting better every day,” Zimmer said. “He’s a lot stronger and more physical now. He’s still working on the really good techniques that Andre [Patterson] teaches, so it’s still little steps as we go. But he’s doing a good job.”

Bower noted that he’s more comfortable with his teammates, the schedule and his overall surroundings than he was as a rookie last year. But it will be a long time before he gets over the feeling of the past few months.

“This is the first time it’s happened like that,” Bower said. “I’ve never really experienced anything, especially like that fast. All those people were really quick. It was definitely hard.”

PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 8/3/18

Thielen on his contract: ‘I’m worried about football’

By Matthew Coller

When you compare production to dollars, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen has one of the best value contracts in the NFL.

Around the league this offseason players like Julio Jones, Le’Veon Bell, Aaron Donald and Earl Thomas have sat out while they wait for new deals. But following a five-year, $72 million extension for Stefon Diggs, Thielen won’t be making any noise about his deal, which will pay him only around $13 million over the next three years.

“For me I’m worried about football, I’m worried about coming out here and practicing and grinding every single day, that’s why I pay an agent, that’s why I have an agent, he takes care of that stuff so I don’t have to worry about it,” Thielen said. “When I signed my contract before last season, that’s why I did it, I didn’t want to have to worry about money, I didn’t want to have to worry about my contract.”

Thielen’s agent could potentially approach the Vikings about a new deal following this season. Last year Thielen racked up 91 receptions. Now with the price set by Diggs, who had 64 catches last year, there would be a strong case for re-working his contract rather than letting it play out through 2020.

Over the past few years, Thielen and Diggs have risen to become the top receiving tandem in the NFL. Thielen said Thursday that they drive each other’s success.

”When we’re in the building in meeting rooms we hold each other accountable,” Thielen said. “Diggs is the first one to tell me I ran a terrible route and that’s how you want it to be. You want a guy who’s going to push you.”

Opponents struggled to slow down either player last season as Diggs and Thielen both ranked in Pro Football Focus’s top 10 receivers. Thielen said Diggs’ presence makes it harder for defenses to focus on just one of them.

”The best offenses that I’ve ever seen are the teams that can’t just go to one guy,” Thielen said. “Also when you have a really good receiver like Diggs, it opens up for other guys to get the ball as well. That’s why you want those guys on your team, you want guys who are big-time playmakers on your team.” PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 8/3/18

With starters on the shelf, depth linemen get a look at Vikings camp

By Matthew Coller

Heading into training camp, the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line was one of the team’s biggest question marks.

How would Pat Elflein look in his return? Would Rashod Hill show signs of improvement? How would Mike Remmers adapt to right guard? Can the depth players be trusted? Of all of those questions, we have only gotten hints to the answer of one of them over the first few days.

Hill has missed a large chunk of snaps with an illness, Remmers suffered an ankle injury on Tuesday that will keep him out a few days according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Elflein is yet to return from ankle and shoulder surgery.

The upside to having three starters out or limited is that the Vikings’ second-team linemen get opportunities to practice against the likes of Linval Joseph and Danielle Hunter.

With starting left guard Nick Easton at center and Remmers dinged up, veteran Tom Compton and 2017 fifth-round pick Danny Isidora have subbed in. At right tackle, rookie Brian O’Neill has exclusively seen action in place of Hill.

When the Vikings picked O’Neill in the second round, the expectation appeared to be that he would see limited action early in his career. The highly-athletic lineman started out as a tight end in college and has only begun to fully adapt to one of the toughest positions in the sport.

“He’s getting better every day,” offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said. “Watch him get to the second level today. He gets there with ease. Now the thing he needs to keep working on is his anchor, his hands, and his angles in pass protection. You see a guy get to the second level like him, it’s pretty special.”

Compton has been in the NFL since being drafted in the sixth round by Washington in 2013. He played a large portion of the 2014 season as a starter, but has only 621 snaps since then. Pro Football Focus credited him with zero sacks and 14 total pressures allowed in 2017 in 210 pass blocking snaps and gave him the 47th best run grade out of 100 guards to play more than 100 snaps last season.

Isidora saw 147 snaps last year, allowing six pressures in 85 pass plays. In his lone start against the Cleveland Browns, he had ups and downs but showed flashes of his athleticism. The biggest question about him coming out of college was his ability to handle powerful interior defensive linemen.

“Isidora has enough talent to become a starter, but his issues holding up against power could derail those plans if he doesn’t address them,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote.

At one point head coach Mike Zimmer hinted that others would mix in, but thus far that is yet to happen. Sixth-round pick guard Colby Gossett and tackle Aviante Collins would figure to be next in line if there are opportunities to see first-team reps throughout the week.

“Just trying to work through the process of figuring out who the best five are,” Zimmer said.

Last year the Vikings made a last-second change by cutting Alex Boone and moving Easton to left guard prior to the opener against the Saints, so much can change over the coming weeks. At very least, the projected backups will get a chance to prove themselves against elite talent. PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 8/3/18

A weighty matter: Anthony Barr’s hit on Aaron Rodgers now would be a penalty

By Judd Zulgad

Each offseason NFL rule-makers spend time trying to decide what rules they are going to change or tweak in order to make the sport safer. The problem is these decisions are made in meeting rooms with the plays in question being slowed down and scrutinized.

How much consideration is given to the fact that the expectation is these calls can be made by an in a bang-bang situation? The answer is not much. Yet, each year more and more rules and points of emphasis come along.

One of the latest was revealed on Thursday at the Vikings’ practice facility in Eagan, when referee Pete Morelli met with reporters and said the hit Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr put on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Week 6 of last season now will be a 15-yard penalty. Rodgers broke his collarbone on the play, ruining his season and the Packers’ season along with it.

The desire to protect Rodgers, one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, makes sense, but Morelli’s explanation was nearly comical considering how difficult it will be to enforce the rule in real time.

“Players will have to kind of roll to the side when they make that tackle instead of plopping down on (the quarterback),” Morelli said. “The Aaron Rodgers (hit) would be a foul this year. As long as he’s out of the pocket, established and all that. But if he’s running, that’s not the same.”

So let’s see if we have this right. If Rodgers, or any quarterback, is rolling out of the pocket and makes a throw, the defender can hit him as he releases the ball but the defender can not land on the quarterback with his full weight or its a 15-yard penalty. But if the defender puts some of his weight on the quarterback, just not all, that’s not a penalty.

Pro Football Talk offered this explanation in noting the slight change: The NFL rulebook states that “when tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down OR land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight.” In 2017, the rulebook read that a player must not “unnecessarily or violently throw him down AND land on top of him.”

“If you roll out and get set up, you’re still a passer,” Morelli said. “But if you’re rolling out and throwing and a guy’s chasing you and tackles you, you’re not defenseless. They get two steps and they can tackle you. Becoming defenseless is setting up again outside the pocket.”

And we wonder why respected veteran officials are leaving the NFL?

This doesn’t even address the challenge that officials are going to face this season when attempting to properly enforce the league’s new use of helmet rule that is sure to cause controversy and will lead to ejections.

PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 8/3/18

Zulgad: Randy Moss gets exactly what he deserves with quick induction into Hall

By Judd Zulgad

There are many words that could have been used to describe Randy Moss during his 14-year NFL career. They include petulant, recalcitrant, defiant, cocky, brilliant and complex.

Moss was all of these things and more but no matter how you felt about him, or his personality, he also was one of the greatest wide receivers to play the game.

That greatness is why Moss will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday evening in Canton, Ohio. The 48-person committee that selects the class each year picked Moss last February in his first year of eligibility.

There was a thought this group might make Moss wait because 1) Wide receivers often have had to be patient when it comes to getting into the Hall, as evidenced by the fact it took Cris Carter six tries; and 2) The committee is made up of mostly media members and Moss’ surliness with that group could have been held against him.

Neither of these things ended up being an issue and they shouldn’t have been. It was only fitting that Moss was quickly elected to the Hall considering he had to wait until the 21st pick of the 1998 draft before the Vikings selected him. Nineteen teams passed on Moss because of character concerns, including the Cincinnati Bengals doing it twice.

All of them came to regret it.

I have followed professional sports in Minnesota since 1978 and nobody has had the immediate impact that Moss did. Moss’ rookie season is best remembered nationally for his performance on a Monday night in Green Bay, when he caught five passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, and for his three touchdown catches (his only three receptions of the day) for 163 yards on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas.

But anyone who watched the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Moss on a weekly basis understood that he spent all of 1998 helping to redefine the down-the-field passing game and using his athletic ability to make plays that left everyone, including opponents, marveling. That would continue as Moss combined blazing speed with athletic grace that made so many of his catches look easy.

Moss ranks 15th all-time in receptions (982), fourth in receiving yards (15,292) and second in touchdowns (156) and yet those numbers don’t do justice to what we saw from him in his prime.

To this day when a wide receiver makes a highlight-worthy play to beat a defensive back, the latter is referred to as getting “Mossed.” The impact that Moss had on this league became obvious to me in 2010 when he returned to the Vikings in a trade with New England that ended up backfiring. His stay in Minnesota lasted a little less than a month before he was released.

Moss, who caught 13 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the time, was treated like royalty by many of his teammates when he arrived from New England. That Vikings team had Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson on it, but Moss’ arrival resulted in a level of awe that made it clear where he stood among NFL legends. , not a bad receiver himself, became an awestruck kid when he saw Moss.

That’s the type of respect you get when you hold the NFL single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007 with New England) and the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17 in 1998). It’s the type of respect you get when your ability causes future NFL players to demand to pretend they are you in backyard pick-up games, and when the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters elect you in your first year of eligibility even though you didn’t win a Super Bowl.

Vikings receiver Adam Thielen was an 8-year-old kid growing up in Detroit Lakes, Minn., when Moss arrived in Minnesota. “I try to emulate him as much as I can,” Thielen said of Moss. “Honestly, when you are watching the film and stuff you are like, ‘Wow, I want to do that.'”

Thielen has become an outstanding NFL wide receiver, but he knows few can do what Moss did in his prime. That’s why Moss is only the sixth wide receiver in the modern era who will go into the Hall in his first year of eligibility.

Anyone who saw him from his first day wearing purple isn’t surprised. PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 8/3/18

Anthony Barr’s hit on Aaron Rodgers would be penalized this year

By Chad Graff

On a day Anthony Barr sat out most of the team’s afternoon practice — potentially the start of a semi- holdout regarding his contract status — he also became an inadvertent talking point because of a new NFL rule that would penalize a player for a hit like the one Barr had last season on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Vikings signed wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a five-year extension on Tuesday. After having Wednesday off, Barr did not participate in the team portions of Thursday’s practice, though he did participate in individual drills.

The extension of Diggs made Barr the last remaining homegrown player without a contract beyond this season, and Barr was vague in explaining why he didn’t practice, raising questions about whether he’ll sit out more practices until a new contract is signed. The Vikings entered the offseason with Danielle Hunter, Diggs and Barr all entering the final year of their deals. Now, only Barr remains without a long-term contract.

“There was a reason for that,” Barr said of why he didn’t practice. “I’m not able to discuss that. If you have any questions about that, talk to the head man. … Like I said, it’s on the coach. If you’ve got questions about that, go ask him.”

Barr became a talking point earlier Thursday because NFL referee Pete Morelli said in a meeting with Twin Cities reporters that Barr’s hit on Rodgers last season, which left Rodgers with a broken collarbone, would result in a 15-yard penalty this season thanks to a rule change forbidding defenders from landing on the quarterback after a hit.

“Players will kind of roll to the side when making that tackle instead of plopping down on them,” Morelli said, adding that Barr put his “full body weight” on Rodgers during that hit.

Barr addressed those comments after practice.

“You’ve just got to play by the rules at all times,” he said. “I did that last year and I’ll continue to do that as my career goes on. … It’s very difficult. You’re playing fast trying to make a play on the ball. It’s going to be tough. I’ll be interested to see how that’s officiated and how that’s called this year. I’m sure there’s going to be some debate from players and coaches and officials as to who is right and who is wrong, but as players, we’ve got to try our best to play within the rules.”

The entire Vikings team is scheduled to meet with Morelli and his crew Thursday night to go over the rule changes.

“I think it’s good to have some dialogue and communicate back and forth and have some questions that are necessary,” Barr said. “It’ll be a good meeting for us to have. I look forward to it.”

PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 8/3/18

Banks: Remembering the greatness of Randy Moss as the Hall of Fame beckons

By Don Banks

Randy Moss’s memorable and record-breaking football career will conclude in celebration this weekend with his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It makes for superb symmetry, because 20 years ago almost to the day, he was putting his breathtaking and transformative talents on display in an NFL training camp for the very first time.

As a third-year Vikings beat writer for Minneapolis Star Tribune at that point in my career, I had a fairly unique vantage point for Moss’s audacious debut in that summer of 1998, a front-row seat to the start of his road to Canton.

Moss was simply the most gifted and dominant athlete I’ve ever covered, with a, yes, freakish knack for creating indelible moments on and off the field. I can’t say I knew from the beginning I was watching a first- ballot Hall of Famer when he took the field for camp in Mankato, Minn., but everyone almost instantly realized we had never seen anyone quite like No. 84. Moss was a revelation and a force of nature on the football field. Your eyes easily drifted his way even when he wasn’t the focus of a particular play because you never knew what he might do (or say) next.

Two decades have not dimmed the memory of my two seasons of getting to watch and write about Moss, who wasn’t easily covered, journalistically or otherwise. Here’s a retrospective of some of my favorite moments from his one-of-a-kind career:

The 1998 opener, against Tampa Bay — The Bucs had been a break-through playoff team in 1997 and fielded one of the NFL’s most feared defenses. They thought they knew how to contain the explosive Vikings rookie. They were misinformed.

Tampa Bay head coach told his defensive backs there was only one must-do in facing Moss: Don’t let him beat you deep. Keep him in front of you, no matter what.

So much for that plan. It was Moss who dictated his will on opposing defenders, not the other way around. In the first quarter against the visiting Bucs, he pulled off a highlight-reel tip-drill 48-yard touchdown catch over Tampa Bay cornerback Floyd Young, bobbling the ball three times before finally hauling it and scoring. It was almost as if Moss was toying with the Bucs defensive backs. He finished with four catches for 95 yards, including touchdown bombs of 48 and 31 yards in the Vikings’ 31-7 blowout win.

“He just reached back and tipped the ball to himself,’’ then-Vikings center Matt Birk said of the play in a SI.com story I wrote years later. “It was just like, ‘Wow. He’s as good as advertised.’ It was like the balls he was catching and the touchdowns he was scoring, they weren’t just catches and scores, they were statements.’’

The 1998 Monday Night Football masterpiece at Green Bay — In Week 5, the Vikings journeyed to rainy Lambeau Field to face the vaunted Packers, who were coming off two consecutive Super Bowl trips and were still very much the beasts of the NFC. Brett Favre and Co. reigned supreme. Or so they thought.

In the first truly big-stage game of his NFL career, Moss destroyed the Packers that night, catching five passes for a gaudy 190 yards, a mind-boggling average of 38 yards per catch. Nothing the outmanned Green Bay defenders tried in the way of coverage worked against Moss, who had touchdowns of 44 and 52 yards as well as receptions of 41 and 46 yards (with a 75-yard score negated by a holding penalty against a Minnesota lineman).

Even when there were Packers hanging on Moss, he simply out-leaped them and made the catch. It was a display of utter domination that almost didn’t seem fair, and it signaled a changing of the guard in the NFC Central, at least for 1998. Minnesota improved to 5-0 with the 37-24 win, while Green Bay fell to 4-1 and realized it had a major matchup problem to contend with.

The loss snapped the Packers’ 25-game home winning streak, and the next season Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf went hog wild for cornerbacks in the draft, selecting one in each of the first three rounds. It was the first time in the history of the NFL Draft a team had used its first three picks on defensive backs, and it was a direct result of Moss mauling the Packers that October night.

While I can’t prove it, I’ve always thought Moss’s heroics and Minnesota’s season sweep of Green Bay that season played a least some small role in Packers coach Mike Holmgren’s surprise decision to leave Titletown for Seattle after the 1998 season. Perhaps Holmgren saw the future in the division and wanted no part of the seemingly impossible task of defending Moss twice a year.

Thanksgiving Day 1998, in Dallas — Everyone who followed the NFL in 1998 remembers the havoc Moss wrought against his once beloved Cowboys — the team he wanted to play for but was spurned by in the draft — on Thanksgiving afternoon in Texas Stadium. He had vowed to make the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones pay for passing on him, and he delivered in ridiculous, almost cartoonish fashion, hauling in three passes for 163 yards, all of which went for touchdowns of 51 yards or more. The Vikings won 46-36 and improved to 11-1.

But for me, the priceless memory I’ll always take from that game occurred after it was over when Moss was still on the field and receiving the postgame “reward’’ of John Madden’s famous Thanksgiving “Turducken’’ (that turkey, duck and chicken concoction Madden helped make famous). Moss had a headset on, talking to Madden and Pat Summerall up in the FOX booth when they wheeled the big bird out before him and presented it to him.

The Turducken looked like it had been cooked on Tuesday and then sat around for two days as the mere prop it was intended to be, but Moss didn’t know that, and at one point while still live on national television he snatched off a leg and took a huge, aggressive chomp out of it. Chewing for all he was worthwhile still being interviewed, Moss’s face suddenly told the story of a man who knew he had a mouthful he couldn’t possibly swallow.

So he didn’t even try. Instead, while FOX was still rolling, Moss tried to casually lean out of camera range and quickly spit out the bite of way-too-chewy bird, all over the pretty Texas Stadium turf. You had to see it to believe it, and I was there, waiting to interview Moss after his TV hit. Not that any of us sportswriters who witnessed Moss’s latest unbelievable move could stop laughing long enough to pose a question.

The plane ride home from Hawaii, in February 1999 — This one is a quiet little personal anecdote, involving only Moss and me, and then just barely. The 1998 Vikings, record-breaking season and all, famously lost one step short of the Super Bowl, falling in overtime in heartbreaking fashion at home against upstart Atlanta. That meant the final game Moss played during his epic rookie season came in the Pro Bowl, in Honolulu, the week after the Super Bowl.

Moss played well enough during the game, but then came the long flight back to Minneapolis the day after the game. I happened to get upgraded to first class for the Northwest Airlines flight and was positively giddy about the prospect of the eight or nine hours of uninterrupted solitude coming my way, especially since there was an open seat next to me in my two-seat row.

Moments before they shut the cabin door, the situation changed as someone quickly bustled up the aisle and plopped themselves down in the seat next to me. We glanced at each other and briefly met eyeballs. It was Moss, and he looked as surprised as me to discover who was going to be sharing his space for the long ride home.

“Hi, Randy,’’ was all I managed to sputter. “What’s up, dawg?’’ came his reply, a fairly standard greeting from him in all situations. And with that Moss proceeded to pull the bill of his baseball cap low over his eyes, slump back in his seat and sleep for the entire flight, waking up only as we touched down in the Twin Cities that night.

He didn’t eat anything, drink anything, and barely moved. I, on the other hand, sat ridiculously still and tried to mentally will myself to be anywhere but there. Alas, for me at least, sleep didn’t remotely come close to happening. After more than six months-plus of seeing each other during the course of the Vikings eventful season, this unexpectedly long goodbye seemed comically ill-timed.

The Korey Stringer aftermath, August 2001 — No one in the Vikings’ shell-shocked organization was more inconsolable and grief-stricken than Moss in the surreal days following the stunning death of offensive tackle Korey Stringer due to heatstroke early in training camp 2001.

I didn’t cover the team as a beat writer by then, but I had been hurriedly sent to Mankato, Minn., by Sports Illustrated to report on Stringer’s death, and will never forget the sight of a sobbing Moss having to be physically helped from the podium after speaking at a press conference on the morning of Aug. 1, the day Stringer died at the age of 27.

Stringer was Moss’s closest friend on the team — not Cris Carter or Daunte Culpepper or anyone else — and the raw emotion and honesty that poured out of him as he tried to come to grips with such a senseless tragedy were beyond moving. The scene repeated itself three days later as Moss spoke at Stringer’s private memorial service, before a crowd of at least 300 people.

“Big fella, I’m going to miss you, bro,’’ Moss said, whispering the words as he looked at Stringer’s body in the casket. “I love you.’’

Super Bowl XLVII week in New Orleans in February 2013, Baltimore versus San Francisco — Maybe you’ve forgotten by now, but after retiring and sitting out the 2011 season, Moss returned to the game and had one last shot at Super Bowl glory and earning a ring with the 2012 San Francisco 49ers. It turned out to be not only the celebrated final NFL game for Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis — his 2018 Hall of Fame classmate — but Moss’s as well, and it represented another excruciating near-miss in his quest for a career-capping championship.

Moss’s 15-1 Vikings of 1998 couldn’t get it done, the undefeated 2007 Patriots couldn’t finish the job, and finally, the 2012 49ers fell just short as well, losing to the Ravens 34-31 despite having the ball just yards away from a game-winning touchdown in the game’s final seconds. Moss finished with two catches for 41 yards in the game, an impressive 20.5-yard average.

I wrote about Moss and fellow ex-1998 Viking, Matt Birk, the Ravens center, that week in New Orleans, and how one of them was going to finally realize their Super Bowl-title dreams. I remember Moss being relaxed and forthcoming that week before the assembled Super Bowl media throng, giving thoughtful and insightful answers to the big-picture questions that came his way.

“To be able to win a championship really would complete my career,’’ Moss said. “I’ve always told myself that I wanted to win a championship on this level. Having a Super Bowl ring, I think my career would be complete.

“It’s actually a dream, really. Me taking a year off and having to work out for almost a whole year, being able to come back and be in the Super Bowl one year later is just a dream. I really didn’t expect this…I just want to make the best of it and take advantage of it and bring a trophy back to San Francisco.’’

There was no trophy earned by the 49ers. But Moss still went out on top, playing on the game’s grandest stage in his typical big-play fashion. And now his career culminates in Canton, 20 years after he first took the NFL by storm. Moss and the memories he’s inspired have been unforgettable. PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 8/3/18

‘This isn’t going to be fair’: An oral history of the arrival of Randy Moss

By Chad Graff

Twenty years ago, Randy Moss captivated the state of Minnesota and the NFL world with one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history. He sparked an already-good Vikings team to set offensive records en route to a 15-1 regular season.

With Moss entering the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, this weekend, The Athletic looks back to the 1998 season when a 21-year-old rookie made playing wide receiver look easy. In the words of teammates, coaches and opponents from that season, they discuss their memories of how Moss became a Viking and two games in 1998 that came to define his career.

The draft As Vikings coaches prepared for the 1998 draft on the heels of their first playoff victory in eight years, much of their attention focused on defense. The offense in 1997 ranked 11th in the NFL in scoring and returned almost all of its starters. The defense ranked 19th — and 29th in yards. Besides, most Vikings coaches thought there was little chance an offensive stud would be available when they picked No. 21 overall — all except head coach Dennis Green.

Brian Billick, Vikings offensive coordinator: We knew going in that we were going to be pretty good offensively. … When we talked about the draft, I didn’t think there was going to be any way (Moss) was going to be there. But Denny was very confident that he was, and I thought there’s just no way. So I had done some work (studying) Randy, but not to a great degree because I just didn’t think we were going to get him. When you have a late pick, you do your due diligence, but it’s not like you’re totally focused on one player.

John Randle, Vikings defensive lineman: I think as a player you think about yourself at that time and think, yeah, it’d be nice to have somebody on the defense. … I remember as a player, I wanted to know what direction the team was going to go with that draft pick.

Andre Patterson, Vikings defensive line coach: The one thing I’ll never forget is Denny Green walked in the day before the draft. And he said, ‘If Randy Moss makes it past the Dallas Cowboys, we’re going to get him. Nobody after Dallas will have enough guts to take him.’ He called it the day before the draft and he was absolutely right.

The Cowboys had the No. 8 pick in the draft and a pre-draft meeting with Moss in Dallas had gone so well that Moss later said the Cowboys told him they were going to draft him.

On draft day, and Ryan Leaf went Nos. 1 and 2. When the Cowboys were on the clock with the No. 8 pick, Moss was still available. Instead, they chose defensive end Greg Ellis. Finally, when the Vikings were on the clock with the 21st pick, Moss was still available — just as Green had predicted. The Vikings selected Moss even though they already had two 1,000-yard wide receivers in Cris Carter and Jake Reed.

NFL History ✔ @NFLhistory With the 21st pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, the @Vikings got one of the best receivers in #NFLHistory, @RandyMoss.

21⃣ ⃣ days until the 2018 NFL Draft.

9:09 AM - Apr 5, 2018

Robert Griffith, Vikings defensive back: Denny, before he passed, we were very, very close, so I asked him extensively what he was thinking. And he saw Randy on the board and thought, ‘How is this guy still available with all this talent?’ It’s still amazing. Dennis knew Randy was the jewel of the draft and we knew right when we saw him who he was going to be. Dallas and a lot of other teams obviously made a mistake, but we couldn’t believe we got him.

Randle: I knew a little bit about Randy because there was an assistant coach at Marshall that I knew. He had mentioned what a phenomenal player Randy was. And he basically told us to look out for him. So you kind of take that into consideration, but at the time, I was just like, ‘Yeah, OK, whatever.’ You hear that a lot — a college coach talking about a college player going, ‘This guy is going to be unbelievable.’

Robert Smith, Vikings running back: I wasn’t a fan, but we would always have ESPN on in the player lounge and so in between meetings you would go in there and watch and so we saw so many highlights of Randy during the course of the 1997 season. It was like, ‘Wow, this guy is insane.’ And then I see that we drafted him 21st and I remember saying point blank, verbatim, ‘This isn’t going to be fair.’ Because we already had Jake, Cris, myself, we had so many pieces offensively that I just knew that adding Randy to the mix was going to make us an all-world offense.

Leroy Hoard, Vikings running back: We knew who he was because at the time they were putting Marshall on TV all the time because he was a Heisman candidate. So, I think everyone knew of him. Everybody knew why he was falling in the draft, too. But from the outside, we didn’t really know Randy.

Billick: At that point, I go back and look at him more and study more, and the more I did, the more excited I got. Then he went down to work out with Cris Carter in a workout camp Cris used to run in Fort Lauderdale. I remember Cris calling me after and saying, ‘Brian, you have no idea how good this kid is.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, you’re absolutely right — we can do this now and do that.’ And he goes, ‘No, Brian, listen to me. You don’t understand. You have no idea how good this is.’ And this is Cris Carter talking.

Training camp The Vikings began training camp in Mankato with two quarterbacks that could’ve started on most teams. Brad Johnson was the starter for most of 1997, but Randall Cunningham filled in and won the wild-card round playoff game. They had two good running backs in Smith, the speedster, and Hoard, the bruiser. And they had an offensive line led by Randall McDaniel.

Billick: Once we get into training camp, it manifests itself immediately and you get more and more excited about the potential for how you’re going to use Moss in conjunction with Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Andrew Glover at tight end and Robert Smith and Leroy Hoard and a good offensive line, and we had confidence in Brad and Randall. So, yeah, we knew right away. And it did nothing but snowball with each training camp session.

Pete Bercich, Vikings linebacker: As soon as we got to camp and started practicing, you could hear the defensive backs start talking about him and how fast he was and how good he was and his potential. So it didn’t take long for Randy to stand out with the defensive backs that we had.

Randle: Defensive backs are always talking, and when DBs start yelling, ‘He outran this guy or that guy’ — when you hear those guys cackling, you start asking who was it and they started telling us Randy. It became a thing where you didn’t mention his last name, you just said Randy and everybody knew who you were talking about.

And then usually in practice, guys want to get as many reps as possible to get prepared. But when the DBs started pushing each other out there to face Moss, that’s when I knew. They’d be like, ‘Nah, nah, nah, I went against him last time. You go.’ That’s when you know something is going on when the DBs don’t want extra reps.

Griffith: Phew, boy, there was nobody that wanted to go against him. That’s just real talk. We didn’t know how to cover him. You had to play way off and then he’d run a curl or come back on you. But a lot of times, guys didn’t want to get embarrassed deep so they were giving those routes up.

All these DBs that kind of came and went and had a couple years in the NFL, they got baptized by fire at practice. They were able to hold on, Jimmy Hitchcock and guys like that, we were able to play well against good receivers because we got at it in practice. We all played over our heads that season because of what we faced at practice.

The first day of training camp during one-on-ones, he ran a couple of ‘go’ routes and we were like, ‘OK, this team is totally different now.’ We were asking Cris and Jake to go deep before, and I love Cris, but he didn’t have that kind of speed. And Jake was deceptive, but he wasn’t like Randy. It stretched our offense and that’s why we did what we did in ’98.

Minnesota Vikings ✔ @Vikings .@RandyMoss signs autographs at his first #Vikings Training Camp in 1998. #tbt

8:30 AM - Jul 23, 2015

Hoard: What I don’t think we realized until we saw him was how fast Randy was. I think he was so tall that it caught everybody off guard — that, man, this guy can fly. Usually, if you’ve been around football long enough, you know that if a guy can run that fast, he probably can’t catch. But when you take a guy who could absolutely go and get the ball and catch it with that speed, you’ve got yourself a Hall of Famer.

When a young guy comes in, the older guys, the veterans who have been around know that all young wide receivers have a couple issues. One is they usually don’t get their head around fast enough and they don’t usually pay too much detail to routes, so it takes them a while. So when you’re a veteran, you can jump routes and it usually results in a bad play.

But with Randy, he was so fast that it didn’t matter if you knew the exact route that was coming, you can’t cover it. It happened in practice and you saw that, oh my goodness, this guy is unbelievable. There were very few equals the second he stepped on the field that could either keep up with him or play to a level that he was playing on.

Patterson: The funny thing to me is the quarterbacks had a bet that was $100 per throw to see who could overthrow him. So every day they would try to air it out as far as they could. And nobody ever won the bet. They couldn’t overthrow him.

Randle: What I was thinking was how big of a player in the preseason Moss was and I was just thinking about how badass Moss was going to be. And then I started thinking, how is Cris going to feel playing with Randy Moss? That question definitely popped in my head. But after training camp, we knew how explosive we were going to be on offense. And we didn’t know who was going to be able to keep up or how would they cover Cris, Randy and Jake. We had not one, not two, but three great receivers.

Smith: I saw Randy, and I had been in the league for five or six years at that point, and I had been a track athlete at Ohio State and had been in races with Carl Lewis and had seen all types of things. But I had never seen an athlete in person like Randy. And it stood out immediately at the first practice. There was just something different. When you see an athlete perform at a level that’s just so much different from anyone else around him. It was like watching LeBron James or Michael Jordan. When you see somebody like that in person around so many world-class athletes and yet they look that different, you know that it’s something special.

I remember talking to my agent during training camp over lunch and he asked me how Randy looked. And I said, ‘If he stays healthy, he’s going to be a Hall of Famer.’ And it’s not like it was a genius observation or anything like that. You could just tell that he was so much better than anyone else playing that it was obvious that he was the kind of guy that people may only see once in a generation.

Smith had been the fastest player on the Vikings throughout his first five years with the team. But with the addition of Moss, players began to question that status, and talk of a race between the two began to dominate training camp and extended into the season, though the race never happened.

Randle: Dude, that would’ve been a race. We used to just watch Randy run in practice. But when you watch Robert run, you could see it was like that track guy. But Randy had it where he looked like he was coming off slow, but then if you put a DB beside him, you could then see just how fast he was going. I called it, ‘country fast.’ Here’s this guy with 4.4 speed and you’re like he can’t be that fast because his chin strap is unbuckled, his jersey is untucked and his belt is unbuckled.

And then all the sudden, he comes by you and you feel a gust and it’s like, that dude is cruising. I called it country speed because with Robert, everything was all tucked properly and nice looking. And then you look at Randy and it’s like this skinny guy can’t be that fast. But all the sudden, whew, he was gone. But you know what, God, I don’t know who (would’ve won). But I tell you what, I would’ve definitely been at the finish line with a camera. I would’ve wanted to see that.

Hoard: I do remember those debates. I would say that they had different types of speed. Randy could probably get to his top speed quicker and Robert once he got in the open, then he picked up speed. So, I wonder if Randy would’ve been faster in the 40 (yard dash) and Robert might’ve been in 100 (yards).

They never raced, but I’ve got to tell you, they both got in the open and nobody was catching them. It’s hard to compare the two. Robert was trained to run and Randy was just fast. If you told Randy he had to run this fast, he would run this fast. That conversation would always go back and forth because you would see Randy go get balls that you thought he could never get.

Griffith: It would’ve been Moss. I love Rob, but Moss was that guy. Moss was that dude.

Patterson: My money was on Randy. The amazing thing when you watched Randy run was because he’s so long and his legs are so long that it really didn’t look like he was going that fast. But then you watch Robert and you go, ‘Phew, that guy’s fast.’ When you watched Randy, you didn’t have that reaction and yet he pulled away from everyone just eating up grass.

Hoard: Randy was also slick. I tell you what: The last night of camp, all the veterans — mostly the fat linemen — they would get a tray of athletic tape and they would go tape up all the rookies. So they go around and they knock on the door, the rookie opens up and they ask him: ‘Hey, you can have this the easy way or you can have this the hard way. Which is it?’

The year Daunte (Culpepper) was a rookie, they opened the door and Daunte was sitting at the edge of the bed, and mind you Daunte ain’t no small dude. And they said, ‘Daunte, you can have it the easy way or you can have it the hard way.’ Daunte said, ‘I’ll have it the hard way.’ So three linemen went in there, all you could hear was a ruckus and then the door opened and Daunte was taped up lying on the ground.

Now in ‘98, we got all the rookies and we were looking for Randy and we couldn’t find him. Now we know he can’t leave the dorm because there’s a cop right outside. So we’re looking all over for Randy. But slick Randy, here’s what he did. There were lounges on every dorm room floor that had a TV and ping pong table or whatever. Randy took a blanket and laid it over the back of a couch, and slept behind the couch. And we never found him.

The next day, we were like, ‘Randy, where were you last night?’ He was like, ‘Man, I got some good sleep.’ And he never got taped up.

Big-game Randy As the season began, it became instantly clear that Moss was going to completely change the dynamic of the Vikings offense — and how defenses approached it.

Billick: One of the things that came to my mind entering that season was, well, how do I keep everybody happy? But the one thing about that group is they were very selfless in that they knew how good they could be and that by spreading the wealth, teams were going to have a real problem as what to try to stop. And so it never was an issue about trying to feed one guy or the egos. They really did kind of buy into the team collectively, which was very exciting.

What we began to find, and what I found as a coordinator, was we had an answer for whatever anybody did. Some seasons you’d go into it like, ‘Well, if they can stop our run, we’re screwed.’ Or, ‘If they roll to this particular guy, we’re screwed.’ But we didn’t just have an answer — we had a force for anything. Because no defense stops everything. And the guys really began to get a sense. We found as we got into the season that looking at film and preparing for a team was semi-useless. Because we found whoever we played, they didn’t do what they normally did. Teams were going, ‘We’re a cover-2 team, but we can’t play cover-2 against them.’ So you went in and had to figure out how they were going to attack us because what we saw on film was different than what they were going to do against us.

Moss caught four passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns in his debut as the Vikings opened with a 31-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Billick: With Tony Dungy and the great defense they had, we knew this was going to be our No. 1 nemesis in the division. We had had trouble with them before because Tony always does a great job. But even against Tony, we found in that first game, that we had an answer for whatever they threw at us. That being the first win was huge for us.

Randle: I think by the third game, we were all kind of giddy. We were like, ‘These poor guys don’t know what’s going to happen to them.’ That was one of the biggest things we felt was we had a surprise. They didn’t know how good Randy was going to be.

Patterson: Our offense was so good that year, we knew if we could just play good defense for the first three drives of the game, we’d be up three scores. And then from that point on, we could go rush the passer. That’s what we talked about as a D-line group all the time.

Moss finished the season with 69 catches for 1,313 yards and a rookie NFL record 17 touchdown receptions. But he earned a reputation within the team for his performances in two key games. The first: Week 5 at Green Bay. The Packers hadn’t lost at Lambeau Field in 25 straight games heading into the Monday Night Football matchup — Moss’ first on national TV — between the NFC’s only remaining unbeaten teams.

Griffith: Oct. 5, 1998. Hands down my favorite game.

Smith: That’s my favorite memory of a game as a player. Just because of everything you mentioned — the lead-up to the game, the fact that it’s your big rival who hasn’t lost in 25 games at home. It’s Monday Night Football. It was almost like out of a movie. There was a light rain and a sheen to everything that night. It was just an incredible environment to be a part of.

Hoard: Green Bay brought in the boxing guy who used to say, ‘Lets get ready to rumble’ (Michael Buffer) for that game. He introduced the offense and defense for the Packers.

With the score tied 10-10 in the second quarter, Moss leaped over one defender for a long reception, then cut inside to beat a safety for his first touchdown of the game. “This is like a circus out here with these guys,” Boomer Esiason said on the television broadcast. “Randy Moss is the best young receiver that I have seen — maybe ever,” added Dan Dierdorf. (Note: Video player will ask you to click through to YouTube to watch.)

Billick: It was really the coming-out party for Randy. It was on the big stage. Denny was so great — God rest his soul — to coach for because he didn’t really step on your toes. He knew exactly what you were doing and he’d have an occasional observation, but it was never, ‘Brian, do this,’ which is always tough on a coordinator. But Denny never did that.

But once we started getting the ball to Randy that game, he said, ‘Brian, you do whatever you want, but I’d go to him every single play.’ Because Green Bay started like a lot of teams and said, ‘Well, he’s a rookie goddammit, so we’ll go one-on-one. Well, then we scored a touchdown and they’d go, ‘OK, we’ll double him.’ Then he scored against that too. Well, ‘OK, now we’re going to put three guys on him.’

With the Vikings leading 30-10 in the fourth quarter, Cunningham again connected with Moss, this time for a 44-yard touchdown pass hauled in by Moss between defenders.

Billick: I remember very specifically the last touchdown where Randy literally went up in front of two or three guys and came down with the ball. And I remember the DBs looking over to their sideline — Fritz Shurmur was the coordinator, if I’m not mistaken — looking at them like, ‘Well, now what do we do? Tell us what to do because we can’t stop this guy.’

Hoard: You only really need to get a DB to look the wrong way against Randy and it’s over. It’s just a matter of getting the ball up there. What Randy did was make a lot of quarterbacks look good because they could just launch it. They could just chuck it up, into coverage, into a bunch of guys, and guess what? He went and got it. There haven’t been many guys in history where you could say, ‘I don’t care if he’s covered, throw it up.’ It ain’t going to be a pick. It’s either going to be Randy or nobody.

Randle: The biggest thing I remember is the crowd got so quiet. For that to happen, it really was something you rarely see happen in Wisconsin. That’s the thing I took from it. Randy at one point looked up in the stands and was laughing at them. For our team, what he brought was that youth, but at the same time that confidence. For that team, that’s what we needed. He wasn’t just a gifted player, but he also brought us that confidence and a new era to the Vikings and that’s what we needed — a guy like that.

Smith: It looked so different. The way that he moved, the way that he snatched the ball out of the air, it was just something I had never seen before. And I was in games with Michael Irvin and had Cris Carter on my team. I played with Warren Moon and all these great athletes and yet I had never seen anything like him. It was a stark difference.

Patterson: He had great timing to go get the ball when it was in the air. Randall would throw the ball over his head and Randy would wait until right before the ball got there to stick his hands up because DBs are taught to look for the ball when the receivers hands go up. So he would wait for the last second and then go catch it.

The Vikings next played on national TV on Thanksgiving, taking a 10-1 record into Dallas for a matchup against the 8-3 Cowboys, a game Moss had waited for since draft day.

Randle: During that whole week, Randy kept telling us about how he was going to show Dallas. He couldn’t wait for that game and kept talking about how big that game was to him and what he was going to do to Dallas. So it didn’t start that Thursday for him, it started at the beginning of that week. He kept saying, ‘You just wait.’ He said a bunch of things like that. That was really his coming out to the world, that game.

Patterson: I remember he kept saying, I’m going to show out this week.’ He had an edge toward the Cowboys and Jerry because they had promised they were going to take him. He wanted to show the Cowboys and Jerry Jones what they missed out on. And he definitely did.

Griffith: It wasn’t even quiet. It was him barking at coach all week, saying you’ve got to get me the ball. And thank God Denny was just brilliant. He was like, ‘Alright, I’m getting this kid the ball, I’m not going to hold this guy back.’ And man did it work.

Moss had a big chip on his shoulder. I’m talking about a big chip. It was almost like we had to calm him down on most game days.

Randle: But before that game, he was different. He was quiet. It was almost like a kid going back home and showing that he succeeded. It was like, look, you see what I did.

Less than two minutes in, Billick called a flea flicker and Cunningham hit Moss for a 51-yard touchdown. Two drives later, Moss hauled in a 56-yard touchdown pass on a go-route from Cunningham to put the Vikings up 21-6 before the first quarter had even ended. (Note: Highlight tweet below will open in new window after pressing play.)

NFL ✔ @NFL We’re 56 days away from #Kickoff2018...#tbt to when @RandyMoss scored TWO 56-yard TDs on Thanksgiving (and a 51-yard TD too)!

8:02 PM - Jul 12, 2018

Billick: The Green Bay game was the only other national game to that point. So this was now the next time for people to see, ‘Wow, these guys are interesting.’ It was Thanksgiving Day and it was just another amazing show.

By halftime, Moss already had two touchdowns and another 100-yard game. But it was his third and final catch (all three went for touchdowns) that’s most remembered. In the third quarter, he ran a simple four- yard hitch route, but then escaped one tackle and outran two other defenders to score and put the Vikings up 39-22 on their way to a 46-36 win.

Billick: That’s the one play I remember most. We had some kind of route combination where Randy was on the backside and Randall just looks over and grins at Randy. And literally throws a one step — a smoke route. Now, everyone runs it. But at that time, we were doing some different things.

So he throws a one-step smoke route and there were three Dallas defenders who all had the angle. You look at the film and these guys all should have been able to tackle him. But they couldn’t believe the explosion and all the sudden Randy takes an angle and it’s like, ‘Are you kidding me, this guy is still pulling away.’ And when he scored on that one, that was a very special moment.

Griffith: When Randy caught that hitch and outran everybody, that’s when I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. It’s on.’

Hoard: That play was the perfect example of Randy’s speed. He caught that hitch and, now, mind you, the first drill that every defense runs in training camp is pursuit drills where you pursue the ball and it means that nobody will ever take one deep.

And yet Randy ran a short hitch and then outran everybody. You have to kind of understand football to understand how unbelievable that was. And it didn’t even look like he was trying! It was like the most unbelievable thing that I saw!

Randy caught the ball basically at the line of scrimmage and of the 11 guys, nobody could get a hand on him — I’m not talking about taking him down, they couldn’t even get a hand on him! You can watch that play over and over and you still can’t understand how is anybody that fast.

Mike Zimmer, Cowboys defensive backs coach: It was a bad Thanksgiving. He caught I think it was three balls but I think it was for 150 yards or something, right?

Actually, 163 yards.

Zimmer: Thanks. He caught a big pass against Kevin Smith, he caught not a real long pass but then outran us, and I don’t remember the other one. But yeah, I remember it pretty good.

Randle: For me, especially being from Texas, to see that happen in that stadium was wild. People used to say that God was looking down on the Cowboys. But we were going, man, I wonder what God is saying now with what Randy Moss is doing to them.

Griffith: In the locker room after, he wasn’t too loud. It was more like, ‘I told you this was going to happen. Why would you think any differently?’

Hoard: And he only had three catches that day. In the overall scheme of things, he did that without being the man. The offense did not run through Randy at that time. And that’s the thing people need to understand. Randy did the things he did even with Cris Carter still as the go-to guy and the guy everyone was comfortable with, knew where he would be, knew he would make the catch.

Moss’ combined stats in those two nationally-televised games: eight catches, 353 yards, five touchdowns.

Griffith: That was one of his things — he always performed when the lights were brightest. I’m talking about always. To me, that’s his claim to fame. When the lights come on, guys like him step up. That in a nutshell is how I remember Randy. The moment was never too big for him. He always used to say, ‘Boy, we’re going on the road and I’m going to keep these 80,000 quiet. Every time I get the ball, they’re going to be worried.’ That was his thing. It was a mentality that nobody could ever imagine that I’m this good. It was almost like if I get the ball 10 times, I’m scoring at least four times.

I’ve only seen a couple guys like that — Adrian Peterson was, Marshall Faulk and Barry Sanders were other guys where if they have it in the open field, they really believe they’re going to score every single time. PUBLICATION: ESPN DATE: 8/3/18

Anthony Barr would be flagged today for Aaron Rodgers hit

By Courtney Cronin

EAGAN, Minn. -- If the hit Anthony Barr laid on Aaron Rodgers last season -- which broke the Green Bay quarterback's collarbone -- took place this season, it would be deemed a penalty.

According to NFL official Pete Morelli, who explained the league's rule changes to a group of Twin Cities media on Thursday, Barr's hit would fall under a point of emphasis the NFL has instituted for 2018. It would be a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.

Rule 12 in the NFL's 2018 rulebook details player conduct. Under Article 9, which explains the rules around roughing the passer, the manner in which a quarterback in a defenseless position (which is just after he has completed throwing a pass) is tackled is the point of emphasis.

The rule states the following:

"A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as 'stuffing' a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation provided for in (a) above. When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender's weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player's arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight."

According to Morelli, everything boils down to whether a defender uses his full body weight to bring down a quarterback any time he is in a defenseless position.

"Players will have to kind of roll to the side when they make that tackle instead of plopping down on him [the quarterback]," Morelli said. "The Aaron Rodgers [tackle] would be a foul this year. As long as he's out of the pocket, established and all that. But if he's running, that's not the same."

On the play in question, Rodgers rolled out of the pocket to his right and launched a pass. Barr took the two steps required before wrapping the quarterback up by the waist and tackling him.

Upon being tackled, Rodgers braced himself with his right (throwing) arm as he hit the turf. Barr brought Rodgers to the ground and rolled off the quarterback's left shoulder within seconds of completing the tackle. Barr was not penalized.

The rule, according to Morelli, applies to a quarterback whenever he's in a defenseless position, which could be in the pocket or whether he runs and sets up again outside of the pocket.

"If you roll out and get set up, you're still a passer," Morelli said. "But if you're rolling out and throwing and a guy's chasing you and tackles you, you're not defenseless. They get two steps and they can tackle you. Becoming defenseless is setting up again outside the pocket."

Barr said later Thursday that it will be "very difficult" for defenders to adjust and make a split decision while in motion to prevent drawing a penalty.

"You're playing fast, trying to make a play on the ball. It's going to be tough. It'll be interesting to see how that's officiated and how it's called this year. This year there's going to be some debate from the players, from the coaches, from the officials as to who's right, who's wrong, but we've got to try our best as players to play within the rules," he said.

Barr, however, said it's not worth complaining about rule changes.

"It is what it is. You can complain about it all you want, but it's not going to change unless they change it, right? It's your duty as a player to continue to play by the rules and not penalize and hurt the team. That's what we're going to try and do," he said. PUBLICATION: USA Today DATE: 8/3/18

Vikings practice 'changeup' look, with Barr at defensive end

By AP

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Already owning one of the strongest defensive lines in the league, the Minnesota Vikings have made another addition to their front four this summer.

He even was a former first-round draft pick.

Anthony Barr has established his place as the strong side linebacker, an integral part of coach Mike Zimmer's pressure-driven scheme. This switch is not by any means complete or permanent, considering the value Barr has given the Vikings while rarely missing a snap in the middle of the defense with former college teammate Eric Kendricks. With Brian Robison capably spelling Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter at the defensive end spots, there's not a glaring need for one.

Sliding Barr and his athleticism and speed to the front, though, provides yet another way Zimmer and the Vikings can attack an offense.

"Definitely, it could be a change-up for us," Barr said. "Hopefully I can get a couple more opportunities to do that, and we'll see where it goes. It's something I'm going to continue to work on and get better at. I'm excited for it."

The Vikings have used passing-situation packages this offseason that include cornerback Terence Newman at safety while making Harrison Smith a hybrid linebacker. Put Barr at defensive end, and Everson Griffen can move inside. Or Barr could simply line up as a fifth down lineman. Either way, that's the potential for quite the fierce pass rush.

"We are just trying to utilize our guys the best way we can," Zimmer said. "If a guy has a skill set of being possibly a pass rusher, then we're going to look at him and see if he can be a pass rusher. If a guy's a great inside cover guy, then we're going to try and look at him there."

Barr has taken plenty of turns with the defensive linemen during individual drills in training camp so far, evidence that this is more than just a token experiment.

"It's a conscious effort in getting him into rush situations where he knows what to do," Zimmer said. "I really don't have any concerns when he's rushing on a back, but sometimes when he gets on a bigger stronger guy and gets in certain positions, he has to know what to do."

Barr was the first player the Vikings drafted after hiring Zimmer in 2014, the ninth overall selection out of UCLA who spent only two years with the Bruins on defense after beginning his college career as a running back. With 10½ sacks, six forced , four recoveries and one over four seasons, Barr has left himself plenty of room to improve on such modest statistics. There are many more ways to contribute than those basic measurements, of course, but Zimmer's matter-of-fact assessment in 2016 that Barr "has a tendency to coast a little bit" still hovers over his trajectory.

Across the NFL, Barr is known mostly for his hit on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the sixth game of the year that led to a broken collarbone and set the NFC North rivals on opposite courses in 2017. Interestingly, referee Pete Morelli told reporters at Minnesota's practice facility on Thursday that the league's stricter rules about targeting defenseless players would now make that play a 15-yard penalty.

Barr is the only core player left on an expiring contract, with extensions recently signed by wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive end Danielle Hunter and Kendricks. Barr's salary for 2018 is a little more than $12.3 million, and he hinted at disappointment when spring practices began without a new deal. He didn't address the subject in his first remarks to reporters at training camp.

"My focus is here at camp, getting better with the team, and we'll let that figure itself out," he said.

If this defensive end thing works well, Barr's price will only go higher.

"I'll never talk business out in the open or in public," general manager Rick Spielman said. "I'll just tell you he fits everything that we want as a Minnesota Viking."

PUBLICATION: NFL.com DATE: 8/3/18

Ref: Barr's hit on Aaron Rodgers would be illegal

By Nick Shook

"It's a bang-bang play. It can happen in any game."

Anthony Barr stopped by NFL Network in mid-June and, in the course of a sit-down with NFL.com, explained what happened on the Sunday that essentially sunk Green Bay's season.

As any linebacker would, Barr rushed the quarterback -- All-Pro Aaron Rodgers, in this instance -- and hit him just as he released the ball. It was a textbook play that ended in injury because of the way Barr drove Rodgers into the ground, shoulder-first, breaking Rodgers' collarbone.

"I hit Jameis Winston the same way a couple weeks prior and nobody made a sound about it," Barr told NFL.com in June. "If he doesn't get injured, I don't think anybody complains about it."

They'll complain about it this season after the league said Barr's hit would have resulted in a penalty under a new measure implemented to focus on player safety, per a report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Ben Goessling. NFL official Pete Morelli reportedly explained in a video that will be shown to teams that there is a new determination of a defenseless quarterback based on whether he sets up to throw or continues rolling outside of the pocket with a chance to scramble.

"Players will have to kind of roll to the side, when they make that tackle, instead of plopping down on them," Morelli said, per Goessling. "So yeah, Aaron Rodgers would be a foul this year. As long as he's out of the pocket, established and all that. If he's running, that's not going to be the same."

The official wording, per Goessling, is to keep passers "in a defenseless posture" from suffering injuries (such as broken collarbones) caused by defenders landing on top of them with all of or most of his body weight.

In looking at the tape from the Rodgers play, it's clear he is set up to throw (while also running laterally to his right) before releasing under pressure. Barr hits him on a play that has happened countless times in football, but lands on top of Rodgers due to the angle of contact and his own momentum. The last detail is enough for one to consider how challenging it will be for players moving at incredible speeds to control how their weight lands on anyone or anything.

"It's difficult. You know, it's very difficult," Barr said Thursday, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "You're playing fast, trying to make a play on the ball. It's going to be tough. It will be interesting to see how that's officiated and how it's called."

Rodgers wasn't becoming a defined runner in this new wrinkle to defining football moves and who is/isn't a runner, still keeping his eyes downfield before throwing. This makes sense when we're trying to marry pictures with words.

But there seems to be a looming gray area in defining who is and isn't set up to throw. Rodgers makes a living fading to his left and right at an angle very similar to this while under pressure. He takes his share of hits for it. But establishing a standard on this rule related to body language at a high rate of speed will be incredibly difficult. And that doesn't include the more mobile-friendly quarterbacks, such as Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson or Carson Wentz.

"I'm sure there will be some debate from the players, from the coaches, from the officials as to who's right and who's wrong," Barr said. "But we got to try our best as players to play within the rules."

It's been quite clear for some time player safety -- especially quarterback safety -- is paramount to the league, and for good reason: They're the face (and often, lynchpins) of offenses across the league. The Packers' struggle without Rodgers serves as enough of an example.

This new rule, or point of emphasis, will add another layer to what is becoming a rather thick cake. PUBLICATION: NFL.com DATE: 8/3/18

Predicting the most productive new QB-pass catcher duos

By Gil Brandt

One of the more tantalizing aspects of all the player movement this offseason is the plethora of promising new connections between passers and pass catchers.

Will any newly acquainted pair of aerial partners join the ranks of prolific duos like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones in Atlanta or Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh? After considering the quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends who have changed teams, I've come up with a prediction for the eight most productive new QB-pass catcher connections in 2018:

1) Sam Bradford and Larry Fitzgerald,

OK, I know: Bradford's extensive injury history looms over everything he does, especially given how close we still are to his lost 2017 season. But don't let that fool you into dismissing Bradford out of hand as a viable quarterback in 2018. It was only two years ago that Bradford made 15 starts while playing well for the Vikings. Arizona checked him out and is confident in its assessment of his health. He'll have a much better offensive line blocking for him in Arizona -- featuring four former first-round picks -- than he has in the past, and that should help him stay off the ground. When I visited Cardinals camp, Bradford looked great. He's talented and accurate, with a strong arm. Rookie QB Josh Rosen is going to be good, but to me, Bradford will be the starter in Arizona without question, provided he keeps away from the trainer's table.

Fitzgerald, meanwhile, catches everything thrown to him; only Antonio Brown has more grabs (343) than Fitzgerald (325) over the past three seasons. The veteran needs 92 catches to pass Tony Gonzalez for the second-most all-time. He's just so dedicated to his craft -- even after all he's accomplished, the 11-time Pro Bowler still spends 10 or 15 minutes after practice catching bad balls. There isn't really another proven pass catcher in Arizona, so Bradford will lean on Fitzgerald plenty. If the QB stays upright all year, I think this team could really surprise people, and the Bradford-Fitzgerald connection will take center stage.

2) Jared Goff and Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams Goff improved a ton from his first to his second season, making huge jumps in completion percentage (62.1 in 2017, up from 54.6 in 2016), yards per attempt (8.0, up from 5.3), touchdown-to-interception ratio (28:7, up from 5:7) and passer rating (100.5, up from 63.6). He should get even better in Year 3. Not only will Goff continue to benefit from the presence of outstanding head coach Sean McVay and dominant running back Todd Gurley, but he'll hit the 30-start mark, which is when quarterbacks really start to understand the game.

And, of course, he'll be throwing to Cooks, another ascendant player, who was acquired from the Patriots this offseason. Cooks, 24, is one of just five receivers to have topped 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons, joining the likes of Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, Julio Jones and Larry Fitzgerald. He's a serious playmaking threat, thanks to his blazing speed and excellent route-running ability. He'll take the place of the departed Sammy Watkins and outpace Watkins' 2017 output, giving the Rams a great return on the extension that was lavished on him this summer.

3) Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers If the Packers are going to be any good -- and I think they will be -- the Rodgers-to-Graham connection will be a driving force. Rodgers, of course, only played in seven games last year, thanks to a broken collarbone. Graham, meanwhile, is coming off a fitfully productive tenure in Seattle, though it did end on a high note; in 2017, Graham was one of just three players -- along with DeAndre Hopkins and new Green Bay teammate Davante Adams -- to post double-digit touchdown catches.

Rodgers should be as effective as ever, and we can expect him and recently rehired offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to fully exploit Graham's ability to play in line or out wide. The last time Rodgers and Philbin worked together, in 2011, Jermichael Finley posted the best campaign by a Packers tight end in the last 10 seasons, racking up 767 yards and eight scores. I think the Rodgers-Graham-Philbin collaboration will be at least as productive, if not more so.

4) Kirk Cousins and Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

2018 has been a great year so far for Diggs. After posting a career-high eight touchdown catches in 2017, he put a decisive stamp on the playoffs in January, thanks to his starring role in the Minnesota Miracle. Then, last month, he landed a five-year, $72 million extension. And, of course, his team seriously upgraded the quarterback position.

Things should only get better for Diggs once he and Cousins take the field together this fall. Diggs is quick and tough to cover, and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo will line him up all over the field, in addition to getting him more downfield opportunities. Cousins, meanwhile, is a very accurate and experienced quarterback who is no doubt eager to prove he's worth the monster contract he signed this offseason.

5) Alex Smith and Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins We're still waiting for Doctson to break out as he heads into Year 3. But Smith, who was acquired via trade, is a veteran with total command of the game, an accurate thrower who will know how to take advantage of Doctson's ability to make big plays. (Thankfully, Doctson appears to have escaped serious injury when he banged up his shoulder on Wednesday.)

Jamison Crowder should also excel with Smith in town; I figure Crowder will catch upwards of 100 balls this season. But I like Doctson's big-play ability a bit more, and I think he and Smith will light it up together, especially with Smith's ability to throw it deep when he needs to.

6) Tyrod Taylor and Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns

Taylor is an undervalued quarterback who helped push the Bills to the playoffs last season, despite the fact that Buffalo was outscored by 57 points in the regular season. He's a good foot athlete and, crucially, simply does not turn the ball over. In the three years that he's been a starter, Taylor has thrown just 16 , the lowest mark in that span among quarterbacks with 40-plus starts. (Tom Brady is next with 17.) I know first overall pick Baker Mayfield is the future, but I think Taylor will be the man in Cleveland this year.

New Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley knows how to make a passing attack go. And Taylor will be throwing to a fellow trade acquisition who clearly knows how to catch passes. Whatever happens with Josh Gordon, who is currently on the NFI list, Landry is a proven chain-mover who has great hands and the ability to get open. He's also racked up 400 catches, which is the NFL record for a player's first four pro seasons. Taylor and Landry will no doubt connect with great frequency in 2018.

7) Patrick Mahomes and Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs Mahomes is still untested as a pro, having started just one game as a rookie, but he's got a big arm and loves to throw the ball downfield -- which is a good thing, because coach Andy Reid also loves to air it out. Mahomes is really Reid's type of quarterback. He's also athletic, which will press opponents into playing more conservatively on pass defense.

Watkins has the pedigree of a former first-round pick, but he's only posted one 1,000-yard season thus far. That said, he's a talented guy who still caught eight touchdown passes in Los Angeles last year despite battling injuries. And don't forget that the Rams didn't want to lose him to free agency. It's an encouraging sign that at least two teams wanted to be in the Sammy Watkins business this season. His production might be naturally limited to some degree by the bounty of weapons in Kansas City, but I still expect Watkins to thrive with Mahomes.

8) Mitch Trubisky and Allen Robinson, Trubisky will get better, but he's still a young, inexperienced quarterback. Robinson will no doubt have an impact in Chicago, but I do think the Bears are going to run the ball more than they'll pass it, so I don't expect Robinson to approach his output from 2015 in Jacksonville, when he caught 14 touchdown passes.

Robinson's signing generated justifiable buzz, but the bottom line is, this partnership is comprised of a relatively green passer throwing to a receiver coming off a serious knee injury. I think it's wise to have realistic expectations for this season. PUBLICATION: NFL.com DATE: 8/3/18

Hall of Fame: Each NFC team's most deserving candidate

By AP

Why isn't Zach Thomas in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? John Lynch? Joe Klecko?

Well, because they all played on defense. Is that some $&%&? Oh. Wait. That's an article for another day. I will voice that grievance on Monday, when the Class of 2019 will be predicted in this space.

All those guys will be mentioned, in one way or another, as we plow through every franchise's most deserving candidate for Canton. This beast of a piece, all 5,000 words of it (when you combine the NFC and the AFC), gets to a lotttt more names, too, beyond each team's player. Then again, if you have the patience to read that many words, perhaps you should jump headfirst into "The Iliad."

However, if you are a history junky, or if you were pissed Terrell Owens didn't get inducted into the Hall the minute he walked off the field with the Bengals (his fifth team), then you will really geek out over this. Because all of the players listed own a legitimate gripe as to why they haven't been discussed seriously by the voters, much less inducted.

We start with the NFC. The list for the AFC dropped on Thursday. So take a gander and let me know your take on these Hall of Fame matters ... @HarrisonNFL is the place.

ARIZONA CARDINALS: Ottis Anderson, RB, 1979-1986. Running back might have been de-emphasized of late, but it's time to get an unheralded ball-carrier from an era that did value the position into the Hall of Fame. Anderson didn't get enough love when he was at his height as a player, yet he achieved lofty numbers on the field while reaching the pinnacle of the sport, twice winning the Lombardi Trophy as a member of the New York Giants. Anderson rumbled for over 1,600 yards as a rookie with the St. Louis Cardinals, then proceeded to rush for 1,000 yards in five of his first six seasons. (The only year he missed that plateau was the strike-shortened 1982 campaign.) Traded to Bill Parcells' Giants in 1986 after putting up just 51 yards for St. Louis that season and 479 the year before, he contributed a rushing touchdown to the Giants' win in Super Bowl XXI. Anderson orchestrated a productive second act in New York, rushing for over 1,000 yards in 1989, then helping the team win Super Bowl XXV. Oh, and Anderson was the MVP of that historic game, to boot ... when Scott Norwood missed his.

ATLANTA FALCONS: Mike Kenn, OT, 1978-1994. In the early to mid-1980s, the Bengals' Anthony Muñoz was the premier tackle in pro football. But the top tackle over in the NFC was Kenn. Besides making the Pro Bowl five straight times beginning in 1980, Kenn was known around the league as more of a technician than a mauler. Kenn's primary gig was to protect the blind side of the gimpy-but-talented Steve Bartkowski in the old NFC West. That included stonewalling edge rushers such as the Rams' Jack Youngblood, the 49ers' Fred Dean and the Saints' Rickey Jackson, all of whom are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. More than that, Kenn performed at a high level for 17 years ... all in Atlanta.

CAROLINA PANTHERS: Sam Mills, LB, 1995-97. With Steve Smith Sr. and Julius Peppers not yet eligible (heck, Peppers is still playing), Mills is the correct answer here. When Mills came to the Panthers in 1995, not much was expected of team or player. Mills had already toiled in the USFL for three years, then in New Orleans for nine, making him 36 years old by the time he was roaming the field for Dom Capers' expansion team in 1995. Didn't matter. Mills made first-team All-Pro at the tender age of 37 in 1996, helping the upstart Panthers claw their way to the NFC Championship Game in their second season in existence. Mills' leadership was largely credited for Carolina's sudden surge into the elite, even if he was nearing the end of his career. Unfortunately, the five-time Pro Bowler passed away in 2005. That shouldn't stop voters from carefully considering his case for football immortality.

CHICAGO BEARS: Ed Sprinkle, DE, 1944-1955. The first disruptive pass rusher, at least in terms that we understand, Sprinkle was a terror off the edge at a time when players weren't known for getting after the quarterback. In Sprinkle's first year in the league, teams only averaged about 20 pass attempts per game. Thus, the microscope wasn't always on players with Sprinkle's talents. His peers were aware of No. 7, however, as Sprinkle was considered the meanest player of his era. From 1944 to 1955, he set the tone for Chicago's defense, prompting George Halas to call him "the greatest pass rusher I ever saw." Sprinkle hit them all, from Otto Graham to Bob Waterfield to Norm Van Brocklin. Sprinkle's fierce play started receiving notice when the Pro Bowl became a thing in the 1950s, as he made the All-Star game in four of the first five years of the decade.

DALLAS COWBOYS: Chuck Howley, LB, 1961-1973. The only Super Bowl MVP from a losing team has a resume that should win him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I'm not holding my breath. While the Seniors Committee has kicked the tires on Howley, too few of the old-time greats make it to Canton. The maximum allowed is three players every two years (every other year, a second Seniors nominee can be presented as a finalist), and with over 100 quality names on voters' lists to consider, Howley's journey won't be easy. Playing against him wasn't, either. A sure tackler, Howley was equally known for being able to get out in coverage. He retained his speed late into his career, when he was the oldest starting linebacker in the NFL at 37. The five-time first-team All-Pro was great in big games, accounting for five takeaways during the 1970 and 1971 postseason.

DETROIT LIONS: Buddy Parker, coach, 1951-56. Going back in time for this pick. Parker, who also coached the Chicago Cardinals and Steelers, made a name for himself in Detroit, where he led the Lions to back-to-back titles in 1952 and 1953. (That's right: The Lions once won championships. Amazing.) Parker had Detroit back in the NFL Championship in 1954, falling to the other dominant team of the era, the Cleveland Browns. (Yes, that's also right.) Parker departed Detroit abruptly in the '57 preseason, but the group he amassed went on to win it all that year, as well. The should-be-Hall-of-Fame head coach never led Pittsburgh to the promised land, yet his Steelers teams produced four winning records in eight seasons. To put that in perspective, consider that Pittsburgh managed three winning campaigns from 1933 to 1956, the year before Parker arrived.

GREEN BAY PACKERS: LeRoy Butler, S, 1990-2001. Butler's chances of getting one of those cool busts is slimmer than most, but that doesn't mean he didn't earn it. If Reggie White was the backbone of those Packers teams of the 1990s and Brett Favre was the leader, consider Butler the pulse. Butler could get the entire stadium going when he was playing at his highest level. Yes, he is credited with creating the Lambeau Leap. But Butler was far more than the answer to a trivia question. He was one of the top safeties of the '90s, a guy who could do everything the position required: cover, tackle and occasionally get after the quarterback (20.5 career sacks). The issue for Butler is the abundance of talented and similarly locked-out peers at his position. Safety simply isn't a fast track for getting into Canton. Just ask Darren Woodson, Steve Atwater and John Lynch. Oh, and Tim McDonald. And Merton Hanks. And Eric Turner. And Carnell Lake. See what I mean?

LOS ANGELES RAMS: Isaac Bruce, WR, 1994-2007. Longtime Rams fans might want to see former safety Ed Meador, a ballhawk in the 1960s and another of the NFL's forgotten safeties. Henry Ellard certainly deserves mention, as he ranked third in career receiving yards when he hung 'em up in 1998. The former Rams speedster was also a quality punt returner. But this honor belongs to Bruce, who, despite being known for his time in St. Louis, started his career with the last Rams team in Los Angeles ... well, they played in Anaheim, but you get the point. You'll find Bruce's name sitting at fifth in career receiving yards, 10 spots ahead of Ellard's. Bruce also authored one of the more clutch touchdown catches in Super Bowl history in Super Bowl XXXIV, a play often overshadowed by "The Tackle." Most impressive, though, is Bruce's 1995 campaign. Call it ridiculous. The sophomore wideout dominated, catching 119 balls for 1,781 yards and 13 touchdowns with some crappy quarterback play holding him back. All things considered, it might be the greatest single season by a wideout in league history.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: , LB, 1974-1985. I could go in many directions here, but I feel Blair is the right choice. He played 12 seasons in Minnesota, competing in two Super Bowls and six Pro Bowls along the way. Blair developed into one of the game's most versatile linebackers in the 1970s. Where No. 59 in purple and white really shined, however, was on special teams. Stat of the day: Blair has been credited with an unofficial 20 blocked kicks, third-most in NFL history. Goodnight. And to think, people got all lathered up about Kam Chancellor leaping over the line to block one kick. Other Vikings worth mentioning: Ahmad Rashad, Jim Marshall, Ed White.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Sam Mills, LB, 1986-1994. In the past, I would've listed Pat Swilling in this space, but I feel so strongly that Mills deserves more discussion that I'm double-dipping (see the Panthers' section above). While Mills' sack numbers don't jump off the page like Swilling's, racking up sacks was not Mills' job. His goal was to call the signals for Jim Mora's defense and make all plays, be it against the run, in coverage or, on occasion, blitzing up the middle. Also worth noting is the entirety of Mills' career in pro football. On that note: I had coffee the other day with writer Jeff Pearlman, whose book, "Football for a Buck," comes out next month. In it, he details the saga of the USFL, a league chock full of talented players that made it to the NFL, including some into Canton. Pearlman thinks, as does yours truly, that Mills was a top-three player in the USFL, among a group of guys like Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker and Reggie White. Mills was the top defensive player on a Baltimore/Philadelphia Stars team that made it to three straight championship games. All this before he became one of the NFL's top inside 'backers for a decade.

NEW YORK GIANTS: George Young, GM, 1979-1997. The only executive on this list of potential inductees is Young, who served as GM and personnel czar of the Giants for 20 years. Young took over football operations for Wellington Mara in 1979 and made quick work of revitalizing a former laughingstock. The rookie GM molded New York into a competitive team early, hiring Ray Perkins, then drafting Phil Simms with his first pick. Perkins would take the team to the postseason in 1981 (their first such visit since 1963) on the strength of Young's top pick that year: Lawrence Taylor. After Perkins departed for Alabama, Young took a chance on one of the former head coach's assistants: Bill Parcells. Two Super Bowls victories later, Young had remolded the franchise's legacy. Winning NFL Executive of the Year five times doesn't hurt, either.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Maxie Baughan, LB, 1960-65. Wait. Guessing you've never heard of Baughan. Neither had I, for many years. But once I began researching his career (with a not-so-gentle nudge from Dallas Morning News scribe Rick Gosselin), it was easy to see why Baughan merits serious consideration for the Hall. Start with nine Pro Bowl nods in the 1960s, in addition to being a two-time first-team All-Pro. What always stands out as a deciding factor, even amongst legendary players, is being good out of the gate. Baughan fits that bill, as he started for the world-champion Eagles as a rookie in 1960 and made the Pro Bowl. George Allen coached Baughan while with the Rams in the late 1960s. Crazily enough, Allen thought so highly of Baughan that when he needed a linebacker during the 1974 season, he called his former player out of retirement -- four years after Baughan had last suited up.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Billy Wilson, WR, 1951-1960. I realize most Niners fans want to see Roger Craig's name here, given that he rewrote the NFL history books with the first 1,000/1,000 rushing and receiving season back in 1985. The history books go back farther than that, as does the wonderful legacy of the team in San Francisco. Back in the days when the 49ers played at Kezar Stadium, Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle was often seen handing off to fellow Hall of Famers Joe Perry and Hugh McElhenny. Even Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson was part of that backfield for one year. And that was the 1950s in a nutshell for you. While quarterbacks and running backs got all the glory, the top wide receivers (called split ends then) did not. Wilson was one of the era's elite, leading the league in catches three separate times during the decade. Wilson finished in the top 10 in that category seven times. He came in second place in receiving yards in 1955 and 1957 and led the league in receiving touchdowns in 1953. Talk about an anonymous star.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Ricky Watters, RB, 1998-2001. We could have placed Watters in the 49ers' or Eagles' sections. But he played the longest in Seattle. And had it not been for the combination of a shoulder injury early in the 2001 season and an ankle injury late in the year -- plus a more-than-ready Shaun Alexander to take his place -- Watters would probably already be in the Hall of Fame. By that point, he had played nine full seasons in the league. His best years were arguably in Seattle, where he rushed for 1,200 yards or more in each of his first three seasons. Watters was an equally adept receiver, catching 467 passes over the course of his career, averaging over 9 yards per catch (an impressive total for a running back). While Watters is 25th in career yards from scrimmage, remember that his career was bookended by injuries. He missed his entire rookie season and played in only five games during that final year. And yet, Watters was still going strong, tallying six 1,000-yard seasons in a row before missing time during his swan-song 2001 campaign. Plenty of folks in the football business feel Watters deserves more acclaim.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Hardy Nickerson, LB, 1993-99. John Lynch fits in this space. His name continues to surface as a finalist for the Hall of Fame, making it a matter of time before he sees his bronze bust next to the likenesses of and . Even Lynch would probably tell you that when he joined the Bucs, the best player the team had was neither of those guys. Nope, it was Nickerson. Had it not been for Reggie White's momentous signing in Green Bay, and had Tampa Bay not sucked, Nickerson's first season would have garnered far more attention. It was 1993, the first year of the open market as we know it, and the Bucs made the most of it. Nickerson not only was a quality addition, but he made 214 tackles and was first-team All-Pro on a team with no Pro Bowlers anywhere else. In his seven seasons in Tampa Bay, Nickerson made five Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro twice and was an absolute tackling machine. He was the first building block, the first premier player, of Tony Dungy's Tampa 2 defense, which eventually helped Jon Gruden win a Super Bowl and a gazillion dollars. Like Howley and Blair, he's an all-timer at LB.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Joe Jacoby, OT, 1981-1993. You could easily write in Jerry Smith or Pat Fischer, two Redskins stalwarts from the George Allen glory days of the 1970s. It was in 1981 that the most deserving Redskins candidate for the Hall came into the league, during the first year of Joe Gibbs' stewardship. Jacoby was a mammoth tackle, long on physical stature but short on accolades from scouting departments. He went undrafted out of Louisville, despite being 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds. In those days, teams weren't looking for mountains at tackle, and Washington was higher on its third-round draft choice, guard Russ Grimm. Gibbs even ended up playing four rookies on the line that year. Yet, it would be Grimm (a Hall of Famer) and Jacoby who would become the best guard-tackle tandem in the league. Their dominance went on full display in the 1982 NFC Championship Game, when the Cowboys could not stop John Riggins running behind those guys. Because of their ability, the Redskins' offensive line would earn the nickname "the Hogs" and help Gibbs win three Super Bowls. Jacoby is still waiting on that ultimate honor, though -- having missed out in his 20th year of eligibility, he enters the pool of Seniors candidates, making his path to Canton that much tougher.