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TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

LOCAL NEWS: Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Star Tribune

Star Tribune sports staff: Our favorite famous football games ever By Star Tribune staff writers https://www.startribune.com/awed-by-the-minneapolis-miracle-this-is-so-much-fun/570928021/

Purple Insider

How might fan-less games impact the Vikings' strength of schedule? By Matthew Coller https://purpleinsider.substack.com/p/how-might-fan-less-games-impact-the

NATIONAL NEWS: Tuesday, June 2, 2020

ESPN

How might fan-less games impact the Vikings' strength of schedule? By Heather Dinich https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/29253042/big-ten-commissioner-kevin-warren-forms-anti-racism- coalition

CBS Sports

Vikings depth chart 2020: Minnesota's projected Week 1 starters heading into OTAs, training camp By Cody Benjamin https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/vikings-depth-chart-2020-minnesotas-projected-week-1-starters-heading-into- otas-training-camp/

Maven Media

Building a Vikings Team With One Player From Each of the Past 22 Drafts By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/building-vikings-one-player-past-22-drafts

Vikings 11th in Peter King's NFL Power Rankings By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-11th-peter-king-nfl-power-rankings

Geography Played a Role in the Vikings Taking a Risk on By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/geography-red-flags-character-vikings-risk-jeff-gladney

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK: Tuesday, June 2, 2020

The Foundation Recognizes 3 Minnesota Scholarship Recipients By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/the-mike-zimmer-foundation-recognizes-3-minnesota-scholarship-recipients

Lunchbreak: Vikings Slotted 11th in Peter King's Power Rankings By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/lunchbreak-vikings-slotted-11th-in-peter-king-s-power-rankings

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 6/2/20

Star Tribune sports staff: Our favorite famous football games ever

By Star Tribune staff writers

Without games to write about, Star Tribune writers and editors have been thinking back on the best games they've covered. Ever. Maybe it was for the Star Tribune, maybe it was from high school or college. The only requirement was that it be something they attended as a journalist.

We'll be publishing our memories this week, and we hope you share some of the things you've seen in the comments.

Here, Vikings reporter Ben Goessling and our columnists write about their favorite famous football games.

Goessling on what it was like to cover the Minneapolis Miracle in January 2018.

The three contenders for the title of “Best Game I Ever Covered” -- the Vikings’ win over the Saints in the NFC divisional playoffs, Super Bowl LII and the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball championship game -- all happened within a 16-month time frame at U.S. Bank Stadium. Two of them took place three weeks apart.

If the Metrodome left a legacy as the site of some remarkable events during its 31-year history, its successor has capably carried on that tradition. But what separates the “Minneapolis Miracle” from the two championship thrillers, for me, was the feeling that pervaded the stadium, the locker rooms and the postgame news conferences after ’ 61-yard touchdown.

No one, not even those who’d made the moment happen, could fully comprehend that it was real.

During the extended review of the touchdown, Vikings players wandered around the field in a kind of dazed euphoria, hugging each other and professing speechlessness. Mike Zimmer -- who conducts his postgame news conferences on the other side of a wall from a field-level club -- ordered the curtains raised for the first (and, in my recollection, only) time at the stadium.

The coach is not usually one to linger at the podium, but that day, he paused repeatedly in the middle of his answers to pump his fist or start a “Skol” chant with the fans who cheered from behind the glass panes.

Diggs brought the game ball with him to the podium during his media session, strolled back to the locker room after taking his last question from reporters -- and sprinted back through the door to the interview room seconds later, once he’d realized he’d left one of the most prized pieces of memorabilia in Vikings history at a podium.

When I got back up to the U.S. Bank Stadium press box, I remember sitting down in front of my laptop and thinking to myself, “I’m the Vikings beat writer for the paper of record in Minnesota. I’m about to sit down and write for a section that will be reprinted in bars and basements all over the state. This is so much fun.”

I’ve never had a feeling quite like that in my 15 years as a sportswriter. The game story I wrote that day remains my favorite piece I’ve ever done. And what made that day so unique, I believe, is the thing that keeps us coming back to sports: The fact that you have a chance, on any day, in any stadium, of seeing something you’ll never forget.

Jim Souhan on the noise during the Vikings' overtime loss at New Orleans to end the 2009 season.

Beyond the 12th man in the huddle, ’s grotesquely swollen ankle and wrenching , the questionable call on Ben Leber and all of those , what remains stuck in your head is what the Superdome sounded like that day.

It was was loud in a uniquely New Orleans way:volume mixed with rhythm and not a little blues, with funk and soul and jazz.

The were trying to beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship game on Jan. 24, 2010, to go to the Super Bowl for the first time. In New Orleans’ way stood another franchise that had never won a Super Bowl, and a Mississippi boy named Favre who grew up cheering for the Saints.

Two days earlier, Favre’s mother, Bonita, had hosted a party in her son’s honor in a gas station parking lot in Kiln, Miss., in front of a mural depicting Favre in all of the football jerseys he had worn. A cooler of light beer and a boom box was all that Bonita required.

In New Orleans, the partying was wilder, and continued as the game began.

In the history of sports teams and theme songs, perhaps no combination worked as effectively as "Halftime (Stand up & Get Krunk!)" As it blared over the speakers, it seemed all 71,000 fans were swaying in unison, and so were all of the extra players on the Saints’ sideline.

Hurricane Katrina had devastated New Orleans four years earlier. This was the city’s symbolic resurgence. This game would either position Brett Favre to become the first Hall of Fame quarterback to win a Super Bowl while playing for his former arch-rival, or provide emotional salve to a long-suffering fan base that had experienced real suffering when the levees broke.

So I was sitting in the press box, watching Favre lead what promised to be the most consequential game-winning drive in Vikings history, when, during a timeout, I noticed a disruption on the Vikings’ sideline. The Vikings had sent 12 men onto the field.

The resulting penalty led to Favre trying to pass for a first down, and throwing the interception that led to the Saints’ overtime victory. At the end of the night’s long duel between Favre and Drew Brees, Favre limped through the locker room on an improbably round ankle as, outside, the city of New Orleans thumped like a stand-up bass.

Chip Scoggins knocked the Rose Bowl off his bucket list, and gets an epic game in the process.

My mind was racing at warp speed when the shuttle bus arrived sometime past midnight. Covering a big game has that effect. As I found a seat on the media bus and stared out the window, I remember thinking, That was the best game I’ve ever seen. I’ll never forget this one.

I still feel that way about 2006 Rose Bowl. In fact, many consider that Texas-USC thriller to be one of the greatest games ever. No argument here, though trying to encapsulate the back-and-forth momentum swings, questionable coaching decisions and Vince Young’s epic performance under tight deadline made whatever I wrote feel wholly inadequate.

Young played the role of Superman as Texas ended USC’s 34-game winning streak and two-year championship supremacy. His 8-yard touchdown run in the final 20 seconds gave Texas a 41-38 win.

I’ve been fortunate to cover some instant classics throughout my 20-plus years at the Star Tribune, a list that includes the Minneapolis Miracle, Team Shuster’s Olympic miracle, KG’s epic Game 7 performance against Sacramento with scorer’s table celebration, and Andrew Brunette’s jaw-dropper for the Wild at Colorado in Game 7.

That Rose Bowl still tops my list.

College football has been my favorite sport since childhood. Covering the Rose Bowl went to the top of my bucket list early in my career. Watching the game on TV doesn’t do justice to the splendor of being there in person to witness the San Gabriel Mountains changing colors at sunset in the background. It’s magical. If you’re lucky, the game matches that beauty.

My one and only Rose Bowl trip certainly did. The Trojans were kings of college football at that time. They had two Heisman Trophy winners in Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. A third consecutive national championship felt inevitable when the Trojans took a 12-point lead with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.

One problem: Texas had the best player on the field, and he could not be stopped. Young scored twice in the final five minutes and posted 467 total yards (267 passing and 200 rushing) and three touchdowns overall in one of the greatest individual performances I’ve ever witnessed.

Afterward, USC coach Pete Carroll described Young as “extraordinary.” Perfect adjective for my entire Rose Bowl experience.

Patrick Reusse covered the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2, 1984, a game that was expected to crown Nebraska as college football's national champion.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers arrived for final Orange Bowl preparations late in 1983 with a 27-game winning streak. They had been No. 1 in preseason polls, confirmed that by thrashing Penn State 44-6 in an August opener, and were 12-0 with 624 points scored.

Required note: 84-13 vs. Gophers on Sept. 17 in the Metrodome.

Howard Schnellenberger, with great pipes both for smoking and speaking, was in his fifth season as the coach of the Miami Hurricanes. They had opened 1983 with a disappointing 28-3 loss to Florida, then followed with 10 straight wins. Miami was No. 5 at regular season’s end, and invited to the hometown Orange Bowl for the first time since defeating Holy Cross 13-6 on Jan. 1, 1946.

Schnellenberger had decided to fight the dominance of Florida and Florida State in statewide interest by declaring that all lands from Orlando to the south were part of the “State of Miami.’’

The coach wasn't blowing smoke out of his pipe in praising Nebraska, not with Turner Gill, Mike Rozier and Irving Fryar to light the torch for that amazing offense. Schnellenberger also spent preview week with superlatives for his team, including Bernie Kosar, an unflappable freshman quarterback.

The Orange Bowl was true insanity that night, as 20,000 Nebraska hardcores in red at one end and 52,000 State of Miamians saw my best game ever. The rabid Hurricanes burst to a 17-0 lead. Nebraska got back in it, even with the great running back Rozier leaving early in the fourth.

On fourth-and-8 from Miami’s 24, quarterback Gill executed a perfect option, allowing backup running back Jeff Smith to cruise into the end zone.

Miami 31, Nebraska 30, 48 seconds left.

The Huskers could kick for a tie and get voted the national champs for the first time in 11 years.

“The idea of kicking the point never crossed my mind,’’ Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. “We came here to win.’’

The run-heavy Huskers went with a pass on the two-point conversion try, with Smith and Fryar crossing in the end zone. It looked as if Smith had popped free, before Miami’s Kenny Calhoun managed to tip the ball away with a couple of fingers. The ‘Canes ran out the clock and were voted as national champion a few hours later by the wire services.

It was 1:30 a.m. in Miami, with the celebration still going on around the Orange Bowl, when Schnellenberger was asked about Osborne’s call.

“Coach Osborne knew and I knew and his players knew and my players knew and everyone in the Orange Bowl knew and the whole state of Nebraska knew they were going to go for two and the win.’’

PUBLICATION: Purple Insider DATE: 6/2/20

How might fan-less games impact the Vikings' strength of schedule?

By Matthew Coller

No matter how you feel about sports coming back during the COVID-19 pandemic, one matter everyone seems to accept is that playing sports games with fans in the stands is a bad idea. Even if we go with the optimistic view that the NFL will start on time, odds of getting 65,000 people back in one place by September are pretty low.

We know it’s going to feel weird to watch games with nobody inside massive stadiums but one thing that will be difficult to pinpoint is the impact of empty venues on home field advantage.

There are conflicting ways of figuring the exact advantages of home field to begin with.

In 2018, FiveThirtyEight found that rushing the ball is more effective at home and hypothesized that the inability to hear the snap count for the road team would make a split-second difference in blocking. However, the gap in win probability added was not large enough to account for teams’ greater success at home.

NFL analyst Warren Sharp discovered that home field advantage has been on the decline over the last 20 years and dug into numerous explanations including an uptick in technology, better travel circumstances and more parity.

The book Scorecasting, written by L. Jon Wertheim and economist Tobias Moskowitz, dug into the home-field mystery and found it difficult to draw connections between many of the elements that we often attribute to winning on home turf. He used a basketball example to demonstrate players’ ability to perform in noisy conditions.

“With free throws it didn’t matter with time of game, it didn’t matter home, away, fourth quarter, first quarter, the idea that the guys waving the thunder sticks were distracting the free throw shooter — when a guy misses everybody thinks it’s them but if someone’s a 60% free throw shooter there’s only a 36% chance he makes both,” Wertheim said over the phone Saturday. “In football, how much do players really change the way they play?”

One area where there was clear impact across sports was refereeing.

“We found that the farther away fans were from the action, the less of an impact there was on officiating,” Wertheim said.

Wertheim points to a psychological effect of pressure from a packed stadium. Is it fear or need to please the mob? Hard to say exactly but since 2016, the average home team produced 207 penalties and away team 222. Put a different way: Over the last four seasons, road teams have lost 4,648 more yards to flags than home teams. And that’s even with a massive increase in pressure by the NFL and fans to get calls right.

“If you look at the 15 most impactful, controversial calls in games over the past few years I think you’d find that maybe 14 of the calls went for the home team,” director of data and analytics for the NFL Michael Lopez said in the FiveThirtyEight piece. “Using the ball-tracking data we have available, there are probably incremental ways we can help make official’s lives easier while increasing fairness in the game.”

Coaching decisions might be altered too.

“Challenges is another thing that comes to mind,” Wertheim said.

You can add clock management, play calling and in-game calls like deciding whether to go for it on fourth down or kick that are all plausibly hindered by a raucous crowd. Again, it is difficult to quantify.

Vikings center said that football players do most of their work without noise so he doesn’t expect there to be a difference in performance.

“We only play in front of fans 16 times a year, every other time we play football there's no one in front of us, so from a crowd noise standpoint that wouldn't be a factor for away games, but I don't know how much it would change our job,” Bradbury said. “Every day we practice without noise so we're just going to go out and if that's the case then that's the way we're going to handle our business. It'll be different but obviously we'd love to play in front of Vikings fans on Sundays. That's definitely an advantage for us for home games, but for the safety of everyone if that's what needs to be done then that's what needs to be done. That's not my call. I'm just going to go out there and do my job regardless.”

One of the first leagues to open up since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis was Bundesliga soccer. In a recent column, Roger Gonzalez of CBS showed that the early results lean heavily toward home-field advantage disappearing. He wrote:

There is nothing like playing at home, especially when the stadium is filled with fans that provide that extra jolt of energy when you really need it. Fans add belief, passion and comfort for the home team and make it more challenging for the visitors -- at least they did.

Without fans in the Bundesliga during the coronavirus pandemic, the home-field advantage is gone, and the numbers show it. Out of 27 matches since the league came back May 17, only five teams have won at home. Officially, it's five wins, 10 draws and 12 losses.

Minnesota will be one of the most interesting teams to study because the Vikings have been extremely successful at US Bank Stadium since its opening in 2016. They also have a tough road schedule that takes them to several famously difficult stadiums and matches them against all-time great quarterbacks.

So would empty stadiums make life more difficult on the Vikings? Could it have benefits? How can we figure out what to expect? One way to give us some indication is by looking at how differently they play at US Bank Stadium and away. Let’s have a look…

*All stats via Pro-Football Reference*

The U.S. Bank Stadium advantage Home record: 24-9, +215 point differential

Away record: 17-17-1, +57 point differential

We should keep in mind that even four seasons’ worth of data is a small sample size but something unique about the Vikings is the consistency of their roster during this time. In the US Bank Stadium era, they saw very little turnover on the roster, especially on defense. Every player that started the Vikings’ playoff games on defense in 2019 was on the roster in 2016. And the two key stars on offense, and Stefon Diggs, were standouts from the building’s opening night.

The quarterbacks have changed but the performance from that position has been fairly stable. From Sam Bradford to Case Keenum to , they all flourished at home while opposing quarterbacks found US Bank Stadium to be a house of horrors. In fact, opposing QBs threw more (33) than touchdowns (30) in the Vikings’ home palace.

QB performance (including playoffs):

It’s possible that the quality of QBs faced could be slightly different home vs. away — after all, they saw Matt Stafford in Detroit last year and David Blough at home. But even good QBs have been less than their usual dominant selves there. Aaron Rodgers has a 75.6 rating in four games, Matt Stafford isn’t far ahead at 84.1 and Drew Brees’s 94.0 rating in three games seems OK but not when you compare it to his overall 108.2 rating since 2016.

From an X’s and O’s standpoint, head coach Mike Zimmer might simply know the right buttons to push to use the crowd noise to his advantage. For example, when his team disguises a pass rush, the opposing offensive line needs to communicate and adapt. They can’t do so without hearing each other.

Here’s some notable defensive numbers home vs. away:

29.8% third down percentage at home (1st) vs. 37.5% away (4th)

104 sacks at home (1st) vs. 72 sacks (20th)

286.1 yards against per game at home (1st) vs. 335.3 away (6th)

If there are no fans in the stands offensive lines can hear calls from their teammates up front and QBs, it’s possible the Vikings’ opponents could have an edge, especially on third down where Zimmer loves to dial up blitzes.

Kirk Cousins’s splits At US Bank Stadium: 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 7.7 YPA, 105.2 rating, 83.6 PFF grade

Away from US Bank Stadium: 32 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 7.4 YPA, 101.1 rating, 78.7 PFF grade

Even if you stretch the sample size out to Kirk Cousins’s entire career as a starter, the gap in his home vs. road splits is not large.

Neither the gap in PFF grade nor four points in QB rating or 0.3 yards per attempt is enough to draw the conclusion that he is decidedly better at home or that he will improve on the road with no fans jeering him.

With closer investigation we can find ancillary ways that Cousins could be affected like the time of game. He’s 35-20- 1 when kickoff is at noon CT but 11-25-1 when his team starts at any other time. He has an 86.7 rating in 14 games starting at 3:25 CT and is 2-14 on Monday or Thursday. The problem with all of these splits is: If you’re playing the afternoon or night game, that usually means matching up with a good opponent and he didn’t always play for the most competitive teams in D.C.

If stadium availability is altered and teams need to play at unusual times, it’s worth wondering how he will respond but we can’t say with any degree of certainty that it will have a negative effect.

Visitors’ road performance If home field advantage is indeed caused by the presence of fans, teams that are poor on the road might get a boost in a quiet US Bank Stadium. The Vikings are set to face a schedule of squads whose road performances since 2016 are less than inspiring. Only two teams they are set to face have positive point differentials on the road* over the last four seasons and division foe Chicago has been abysmal away from Soldier Field.

*Only 12 teams have positive point differentials on the road since 2016

Dallas: +56 (9th)

Atlanta: +53 (10th)

Tennessee: -31 (13th)

Detroit: -46 (14th)

Green Bay: -92 (16th)

Jacksonville: -125 (20th)

Carolina: -131 (21st)

Chicago: -133 (22nd)

Since the Vikings’ defense has been incredible at home, the biggest beneficiaries would be teams with explosive offenses. Last year Dallas had the second most passing yards in the NFL and Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill led the NFL in rating. Plus, if you recall, Rodgers and Stafford sputtered inside US Bank Stadium. Chicago’s Nick Foles won at US Bank Stadium in the neutral atmosphere of the Super Bowl.

Road opponents with the biggest difference If the Vikings lose some juice behind their defense at US Bank Stadium, they might be able to close the gap with their road schedule, which features four teams that have been far better at home than away.

Houston: +242

Chicago: +210

Green Bay: +203

Indianapolis: +157

Every Viking fan could have plucked out Soldier Field and Lambeau Field as the biggest opportunities for their squad to benefit from empty seats but Houston and Indianapolis come as a surprise.

Road opponents with the smallest difference On the opposite side of the spectrum, the advantage of playing at the Superdome and CenturyLink Field — at least over the last four years — have been overstated.

Detroit: -4

New Orleans: -35

Tampa Bay: +45

Seattle: +70

These results speak to the challenge of pinpointing which stadiums cause the most problems for opponents but if you thought the Vikings could catch a break by playing on the road at Seattle without their faithful folks in the stands, that might not actually be the case.

Other considerations — The Vikings will have a much younger defense this year with starting under the age of 24. Veterans would logically be more adept to adjusting to unique circumstances than inexperienced players.

— With Gary Kubiak taking over as offensive coordinator, the Vikings will have the same system as last year, helping them be more familiar with their jobs despite strange surroundings.

— We do not yet know what road travel might entail.

The bottom line: There are more questions than answers here but it makes sense to expect more challenges for the Vikings’ defense and a performance from Cousins that is either as good or better than his first 32 games as a Viking. We can also say for sure that if the league plays without fans all year, we’ll always wonder how things might have been different.

PUBLICATION: ESPN DATE: 6/2/20

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren forms anti-racism coalition

By Heather Dinich

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, the only African American Power 5 conference commissioner and the former COO of the , has created the Big Ten Conference Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Floyd, a black man who was in handcuffs at the time, died after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. His death has sparked outrage and protests across the country.

In an open letter released by the Big Ten conference on Monday, Warren invited student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, chancellors, presidents and others to join him.

"I have already received powerful notes of support and interest in joining this coalition and look forward to partnering with the existing diversity councils on our various campuses," wrote Warren, who lived full time with his family in the Minneapolis area for over 15 years when he was with the Vikings. "It is critical that our student-athletes possess their rights to free speech, their rights to peaceful protest and we will work to empower them in creating meaningful change."

"We must listen to our young people," he wrote. "Our children and future generations deserve better. We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. The Big Ten Conference will be part of the solution as we actively and constructively combat racism and hate in our country."

Warren and his wife, Greta, also announced a personal, initial gift of $100,000 from the Warren Family Foundation to the National Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, based in Washington, D.C., which focuses on addressing issues regarding racism, hate and voter registration.

Warren wrote that his children were raised in Minnesota and attended school there before leaving for college, "and the people of the great state of Minnesota are part of the fabric of our entire family."

"As a Black man, I pray every day for the health and safety of my wife and children, especially during interactions with law enforcement," he wrote. "We continue to see inequality and deep divide regarding how members of the Black community are treated compared to the rest of society and too often, the results have been horrific and senseless. Such racism and inequality are pervasive not just endemic in law enforcement.

"I will continue to pray, lead and take action to eliminate racism and hate in our country," he wrote.

Warren, one of the most powerful people in college athletics, said he always drives with his briefcase and his wallet in his trunk, so that when he is pulled over, he can keep his hands on the steering wheel and doesn't have to reach into his glove compartment or in his backseat.

"I'm not doing it," he told ESPN. "I'm not putting myself in that position."

Warren said he remembered a time when he was with the Vikings, and the organization was in the midst of building its stadium project -- the largest in Minnesota. Warren and a white Vikings executive parked at the stadium for a meeting at exactly the same time, right next to each other. When they came out of the meeting, they shook hands and went to their respective cars, but Warren couldn't go anywhere. His car had a boot on it.

"Someone was watching," Warren said. "They booted my car. I saved the form they stuck on my windshield. That's why diversity and inclusion is so important in the workplace. [The Vikings executive] never would have had a chance to experience that. He was hurt more than I was hurt because it happens all the time. Those are the systemic examples of racism that exist all the time. All the time. You just get accustomed to dealing with it. You have to keep a stiff upper lip and move on."

Warren waited an hour for somebody to take the boot off, paid the fine and drove to the office.

"That's why, when I do get an opportunity like I have at the Big Ten, to really effectuate change and make the world a better place, it's important," he said. "That's why forming this coalition for anti-racism and anti-hate, I hope this is the most powerful thing that I do in my entire career."

Warren said racism can no longer be ignored, and that while it has been heartbreaking to watch what has unfolded in Minnesota and across the country, he is confident there is enough compassion and heart to change it.

"We have to deal with this now," he said. "There's no talking our way out of this. We have to deal with this now. If there is a silver lining in this, it's that we've been forced now to have to deal with these issues and hopefully we recognize the importance of these issues and do what's right and make sure we do everything we possibly can to save our country and save our people and eliminate hate and racism in our world."

PUBLICATION: CBS Sports DATE: 6/2/20

Vikings depth chart 2020: Minnesota's projected Week 1 starters heading into OTAs, training camp

By Cody Benjamin

The 2020 NFL offseason has been thoroughly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with team facilities staying closed through free agency and the draft, and all 32 offseason programs going virtual thanks to in-person workouts being largely prohibited. Now, however, as states begin to reopen and teams return select staff to their headquarters, it appears football will, at least in some form, carry on as scheduled -- perhaps with minicamps, likely with summer training camp and almost "definitely" with games in the fall.

One team that could use all the offseason work it can get is the Minnesota Vikings, who are coming off a trip to the Divisional Round of the playoffs but are also welcoming a lot of youth to a shuffled lineup. Without physical minicamps from which to draw depth-chart battles, Vikings roster projections are truly just that right now -- projections. But they at least give us a template for how the club might look when September rolls around and the games begin, or at least if things go according to plan.

For the purpose of this projection, we'll list up to the top four players at any given position. The Vikings, like all 32 teams, have a bloated roster nearing the triple-digit mark at the moment. Come September, that number will drop significantly when teams are required to finalize 53-man lineups.

Rookies are denoted with a (*).

Offense STARTER BACKUP DEPTH DEPTH QB Kirk Cousins Sean Mannion * RB Michael Boone FB C.J. Ham * LWR Adam Thielen Tajae Sharpe Alexander Hollins Davion Davis RWR K.J. Osborn* Dillon Mitchell * SWR * TE Kyle Rudolph Irv Smith Jr. Brandon Dillon LT Riley Reiff * Chad Slade LG Aviante Collins Tyler Higby* C Garrett Bradbury Brett Jones Jake Lacina* RG * Brady Aiello* RT Brian O'Neill Olisaemeka Udoh

No one's debating Cousins' spot atop the most important position, but they should be debating whether Minnesota should be content with the No. 2 spot. Stanley is an intriguing late-round flyer with some zip to his passes, but calling him anything more than a third-string project would be a reach. And yes, Cousins has been durable as a starter, but what if the injury bug finally bites? It might not hurt the Vikings to call old friend Trevor Siemian. For now, Mannion and his two subpar career starts are the emergency plan.

Cook and Mattison form a dynamic one-two punch at RB, and Rudolph and Smith are a solid, if unspectacular, duo at TE. But it's WR that deserves most of the attention on this side of the ball. Thielen is primed for a major bounce- back after a banged-up 2019, especially now that Stefon Diggs won't be stealing as many big-play targets, and Jefferson's play style should blend in perfectly as Cousins makes him a target machine over the middle. But the real questions lie opposite Thielen out wide, where Bisi Johnson is penciled in as a starter but Beebe, Sharpe and Osborn could challenge for reps. All four of the WR2 possibilities have their perks, but all four are also probably better suited for a No. 3 or No. 4 role, at best.

Thankfully, the Vikings' offensive strategy may assuage that concern, with Cousins and Co. set to lean even more on the ground. Blocking will thus again be paramount, however, and there are also questions up front. Cleveland is a huge addition as a potential future LT behind Reiff, but both OG spots will be under scrutiny in the lead-up to -- and during -- the season, with Dozier and Samia, in particular, likely to square off for Opening Day RG duties.

Defense STARTER BACKUP DEPTH DE Eddie Yarbrough D.J. Wonnum* DT Michael Pierce DT Shamar Stephen Hercules Mata'afa DE Anthony Zettel * OLB Anthony Barr DeMarquis Gates* * MLB Cameron Smith Jordan Fehr* OLB Eric Wilson * LCB Mike Hughes * Kris Boyd RCB Jeff Gladney* * FS Anthony Harris * Myles Dorn* SS Harrison Smith Brian Cole II*

Coach Mike Zimmer's bread and butter might be lacking the butter this year. Because while the big chips on defense (Hunter, Barr, Kendricks, Harris, Smith) are definitely cornerstone starters, the rest of the unit is overflowing with uncertainty. Let's start up front: Odenigbo had a fine 2019 as part of the pass-rushing rotation, but the Vikings had better hope that someone like Wonnum, who's admittedly a raw prospect coming out of South Carolina, can step up to ensure Hunter isn't the only consistent disruptor off the edge. Everson Griffen can't necessarily be ruled out as a re-signing possibility, but assuming he's actually gone, one of the most underrated holes on this "D" is at DE.

The other questions reside in the secondary, where Harris and Smith still make a solid safety tandem but the CB group is completely in flux. Hughes has flashed on the outside, and Gladney projects as an immediate contributor in the slot, but with , and all gone, it'll be up to either Hill, Dantzler or Hand to defy the odds and bring Minnesota's group of cover men up to par. That trio figures to be competing all summer and perhaps into the season as Zimmer's new co-defensive coordinators look to shore up a unit that was victimized far too often in 2019.

Special teams STARTER BACKUP K Dan Bailey P LS Austin Cutting KR Ameer Abdullah K.J. Osborn PR Ameer Abdullah K.J. Osborn

Osborn could challenge for return duties as a rookie, but another name to watch is Chad Beebe, who finished 2019 camp as the lead punt returner and opened the year in that role before a season-ending ankle injury.

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 6/2/20

Building a Vikings Team With One Player From Each of the Past 22 Drafts

By Will Ragatz

Creating an all-time Vikings team – or a team of the decade, or whatever specific time span you want to focus on – is a fairly straightforward task. That's not to say picking the best players at each position is easy, but at least the process is simple.

What I'm about to do is a bit more difficult. Here's the idea, which I got from my colleague David Boclair of SI's AllTitans: build a starting lineup of Vikings (11 players on offense, 11 on defense) using one player from each of the team's last 22 NFL draft classes. No free agents, trade acquisitions, or undrafted players. Just Vikings draft picks.

With the restrictions of only being able to use one player from each draft and needing to fill out a full offense and defense, some tough decisions must be made. As you'll see, I can't just pick the best player at each position or the best player from each draft. Sacrifices need to be made to give me the most overall talent while staying within the rules.

For the record, I'm giving myself the peak version of each player during their Vikings career. Also, for the title of this article to be accurate, I'm using the 2020 draft and going back until 1999. That unfortunately means no .

We're going with a three-receiver set and a base 4-3 defense, even if neither of those are the most common personnel packages for the current Vikings. I'll mix in some explanations on my thought process, but I'll save some of that for afterwards.

Without further ado, let's get to my selections.

Offense QB: (1999 first round) – One of the best quarterbacks the Vikings have ever had, Culpepper is the only player with two single-season performances that made my top five in franchise history. He's an easy choice here.

RB: Michael Bennett (2001 first round) – I'd rather have or Dalvin Cook as my running back, but I had to take Bennett because there's no one else from the 2001 draft that I wanted on this team. The Wisconsin product was outstanding in his second season, recording 1,647 yards from scrimmage and averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

WR: Stefon Diggs (2015 fifth round) – The Vikings' 2015 draft class is loaded with star talent, but it ended up making sense for me to take Diggs over Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter. Diggs is an elite route-runner who was consistently productive during his five years in Minnesota.

WR: Sidney Rice (2007 second round) – With Peterson off the table, I'm grabbing Rice as my 2007 representative. Like Bennett, he only had one great season with the Vikings, but that's all we need for these purposes. Rice posted an 83-catch, 1,312-yard, eight-touchdown season with Brett Favre as his quarterback in 2009.

WR: (2009 first round) – Harvin was an incredibly dynamic playmaker for the Vikings before his career was derailed by migraines. In his first three seasons, he averaged 1,071 yards from scrimmage and 6.7 touchdowns per year. He's also returning kickoffs for this team I'm assembling. Diggs and Rice on the outside with Harvin in the slot is a heck of a receiving corps.

TE: Irv Smith Jr. (2019 second round) – Kyle Rudolph would be the pick without any restrictions, but Smith gets the call here. He was part of a tough six-player decision that I'll explain at the end. The Alabama product will likely see an expanded role in 2020.

LT: Bryant McKinnie (2002 first round) – This was a no-brainer; give me the gigantic McKinnie protecting Culpepper's blind side. The Vikings' history at left tackle since he left in 2011 isn't great.

LG: Marcus Johnson (2005 second round) – There are two reasons why I had to get a little creative here: the Vikings haven't drafted many successful guards since 1999 and their 2005 class (with and as first-round picks) was weak from top to bottom. Johnson at least started 18 games in his first two seasons. He's definitely a weak link on our team, but that's what makes this difficult.

C: John Sullivan (2008 sixth round) – Another easy decision given the context of our options at center and the rest of his draft class. Sullivan never made a , but he was pretty reliable as a six-year starter for the Vikings.

RG: Brandon Fusco (2011 sixth round) – Again, the pickings at guard are slim. Fusco, who had four solid seasons during his time in Minnesota, was an obvious choice, especially with fellow 2011 draftee Rudolph not on the squad.

RT: Brian O'Neill (2018 second round) – The right tackle spot was between O'Neill and Phil Loadholt, but taking Loadholt would've meant losing Harvin. Easy call. O'Neill is already quite good and his arrow is pointing firmly upwards.

Defense DE: Everson Griffen (2010 fourth round) – One of the first players I penciled into this lineup was Griffen, who was the only real contributor from the Vikings' 2010 class. His 74.5 sacks and emotional leadership make him an all-time franchise great.

DT: Kevin Williams (2003 first round) – The Vikings somehow didn't get their pick in on time in 2003, falling from No. 7 to No. 9 as a result. It worked out pretty well, as they landed a dominant three-technique pass-rusher in Williams. He had 60 sacks as a Viking, including 22 in his first two seasons.

DT: (2000 first round) – Minnesota went with back-to-back defensive tackles in the 2000 draft, taking Hovan in the first and Fred Robbins in the second. Robbins actually might fit our team better as a nose tackle, but Hovan was more productive during his time as a Viking, so he gets the nod.

DE: (2004 first round) – A knee injury and a leukemia diagnosis limited Udeze to three NFL seasons, but he showed flashes during those years and put up five sacks in both 2004 and 2007. We've basically just replaced Kenny Mixon with Griffen on the starting defensive line of the '04 Vikings. Not too shabby.

LB: Anthony Barr (2014 first round) – Barr has been a consistently important player for Mike Zimmer during the last six years. We'll take the 2015 version of him, who had 3.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, and an elite PFF grade.

LB: Ben Gedeon (2017 fourth round) – Gedeon isn't an inspiring selection, but Kendricks is off the table and we need a 2017 representative. He's very limited in coverage but can make plays downhill against the run.

LB: (2006 first round) – Greenway spent his entire career with the Vikings, including starting 111 of a possible 112 regular season games between 2007 and 2013. He was a tackle machine who also had 11 interceptions and 18 sacks as a Viking. Greenway's versatility ties everything together in our linebacker group.

CB: Xavier Rhodes (2013 first round) – The 2017 version of Rhodes was absolutely special, which is why it's a shame he declined so rapidly and was gone from Minnesota two years later. He's the shutdown corner for this defense.

S: Harrison Smith (2012 first round) – No doubt about this one. Smith was the best Viking of the 2010s and is already one of the most productive defensive backs in franchise history with 23 interceptions, 13 sacks, and over 650 tackles in eight seasons. And yet, he's somehow still underrated and underappreciated.

S: Jayron Kearse (2016 seventh round) – Anthony Harris isn't an option because he was a UDFA, but he would've had a tough time beating out Diggs anyways. So Kearse is our representative from the 2016 draft that is clearly 's worst since becoming GM. Because of Smith, Harris, and Andrew Sendejo, Kearse never got a chance to truly show what he can do.

CB: Jeff Gladney (2020 first round) – Justin Jefferson couldn't crack our stacked receiving corps, so Gladney is the pick from the Vikings' most recent class. He plays with the length, physicality, and competitiveness of someone taller than 5'10".

Notes

I'm taking Mike Zimmer as my head coach with Scott Linehan at OC and Leslie Frazier at DC.

12 of our 22 players were first-round picks. We've also got four second-rounders, two fourths, two fifths, two sixths, and a seventh. No third-rounders, somehow (Hunter would've been nice).

Speaking of Hunter, I wanted to get him into this team but would've had to sacrifice elsewhere. I could've gone with Hunter ('15 DE), Jeff Dugan ('04 TE), and Bisi Johnson ('19 WR) over Udeze ('04 DE), Smith ('19 TE), and Diggs ('15 WR), but I didn't think that was worth it.

Another decision I debated briefly: Williams ('03 DT) and Gedeon ('17 LB) over E.J. Henderson ('03 LB) and Jaleel Johnson ('17 DT). I decided that I really didn't want to leave Williams off of the team.

One last one: Smith ('19 TE) and Fusco ('11 RG) over Rudolph ('11 TE) and Dru Samia ('19 RG). This was tight, but Fusco made 64 starts for the Vikings and Samia has made one.

The most loaded classes are 2003, 2006, 2007, 2014, and 2015.

The drafts where I had to stretch to get someone in were 2001 (Bennett), 2004 (Udeze), 2005 (Johnson), and 2016 (Kearse).

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 6/2/20

Vikings 11th in Peter King's NFL Power Rankings

By Will Ragatz

Opinions are all over the place when it comes to the 2020 Vikings. There are those who believe they have the talent to once again make the playoffs and perhaps win a game or two, like they did last season. There are also those who think that Mike Zimmer's squad has lost too much talent and will regress as it rebuilds the secondary and offensive line.

Peter King of NBC Sports is among the more optimistic prognosticators. The longtime NFL writer recently released his 2020 power rankings, and he has the Vikings at No. 11. That's tops in the NFC North, one spot ahead of the Packers, despite Green Bay's strong season a year ago.

Here's what King had to say about the Vikings.

I love the deal GM Rick Spielman made prior to the draft, sending 26-year-old Stefon Diggs and a seventh-rounder to Buffalo for first, fourth, fifth and sixth-round draft picks, then choosing LSU slot receiver Justin Jefferson (who turns 21 in two weeks) with the 22nd pick. Jefferson caught 111 balls from last year and though there’s no guarantee he’ll be, say, a 65-catch guy in an offense that wants to be fairly even in the run-pass ratio, there’s the added benefit of the Vikings saving about $8.5-million a year on the cap over the next three years in Jefferson’s deal versus Diggs’ contract. Not to mention the subtraction of a player in Diggs, who didn’t seem totally all-in with the Viking ethos.

Dalvin Cook could win a rushing title with his ability and the Minnesota love of the run. I’d be more worried about the run defense than the run offense. Minnesota allowed 4.3 yards per attempt last year, leading to a swap of free-agent run-stoppers: Linval Joseph out, Michael Pierce in. The secondary is a bigger concern, actually. The Vikings let corners Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander walk, and replaced them with first-rounder Jeff Gladney and third-rounder Cameron Dantzler; they’ll be counted on early, as will former first-rounder Mike Hughes, who’s played only 20 of 34 Viking games since being drafted due to injury.

It’ll be interesting to see how four men—coach Mike Zimmer, advisor Dom Capers and co-coordinators Adam Zimmer and Andre Patterson—meld running Mike Zimmer’s beloved D. By December, when the Vikings go on the road to play Tom Brady and Drew Brees in a 12-day span, they’d better have it all figured out. I like the Vikings, but this is a team with some defensive questions.

I'd say that's a fair assessment. The Vikings have plenty of top-line talent in Kirk Cousins, Cook, Adam Thielen, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Harris. But there are questions on the O-line and in the secondary, and Diggs and Everson Griffen will also be tough to replace.

In SI's post-draft power rankings from a month ago, the Vikings ranked 13th. However, the six voters had them as high as 7th and as low as 19th. It's hard to know exactly what the Vikings will look like this season, given that they're set to rely on plenty of rookies and other unproven young players.

In King's rankings, the 49ers, Saints, Buccaneers, Seahawks, and Cowboys rank ahead of the Vikings among NFC teams.

As for the rest of the division, the Bears are down at 17th and the Lions are 26th.

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 6/2/20

Geography Played a Role in the Vikings Taking a Risk on Jeff Gladney

By Will Ragatz

The Vikings are hoping that Jeff Gladney can follow in the footsteps of Dalvin Cook. The two don't share a position or even play on the same side of the ball, but what they have in common is that "character concerns" were a part of their narrative throughout the draft process.

Back in 2017, Cook had several off-the-field red flags that caused him to fall to the second round despite undeniable talent. Three years later, he hasn't caused a single problem; Cook has been a model teammate and member of the community, and has flourished with the Vikings.

One reason for Cook's success may have been the fact that he left his home state – Cook grew up in Miami and played college football at Florida State – and moved almost 2,000 miles north to the Twin Cities to start fresh.

The Vikings think Gladney can do the same, SI's Albert Breer said in his weekly MMQB column. The former TCU 's red flags weren't as pronounced or well-known as Cook's, but they were a part of his evaluation. A move from Texas up to Minnesota might be good for getting Gladney away from trouble and into a new environment.

I always think it’s interesting to look into why teams take risks. Which brings me to the second of the Vikings’ first- round picks, Jeff Gladney. The Vikings were able to pick up an extra fourth-rounder to move down from 25 to 31, which better positioned them to roll the dice on Gladney, who’d had some issues (failed drug tests were part of it) at TCU.

One reason they felt OK? Geography. The hope is that getting Gladney (who they believe is a good kid) out of Texas and bringing him to Minneapolis will force him to grow up a little bit, the same way such a move from Florida led Dalvin Cook getting past some of the trouble around him at Florida State. Will it work? We’ll see. But it’s clear the Vikings believe they can create the right kind of environment for guys like Gladney.

The Vikings don't have a flawless track record with players staying out of trouble in recent years; Florida native Jayron Kearse was arrested for DWI and carrying a gun without a permit last October. Still, the Mike Zimmer regime has drastically changed the perception of the Vikings in that regard. In the 2000s and early 2010s, they led the NFL in arrests and constantly had players getting in all sorts of trouble off of the field. That's no longer the case, which is a testament to the culture Zimmer and Rick Spielman have established.

Check out the rest of Breer's information-packed column right here. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertinament Network DATE: 6/2/20

The Mike Zimmer Foundation Recognizes 3 Minnesota Scholarship Recipients

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – In the midst of unique and challenging times, three Minnesota high school seniors received surprise phone calls from Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer.

Isabelle Olson, Gavin Peterson and Alison Rutz were selected as the 2020 Mike Zimmer Foundation MVP scholarship recipients. Each will receive a $10,000 (one-time, non-renewable) scholarship toward postsecondary education.

The trio of student athletes were chosen in recognition of their dedication to academics, athletics and community. Recipients and their families are typically invited to attend the Mike Zimmer Golf Class pre-party for the check presentation. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however, the foundation honored the students virtually with the hope of welcoming them to a future Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Mike Zimmer Foundation was established in 2016 to honor the memory and philanthropic spirit of Vikki Zimmer, who passed away unexpectedly in 2008.

The foundation has now awarded $100,000 to 10 Minnesota students since the first in 2016.

This year marks the first time that three scholarship recipients have been chosen after two were selected in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

"It's been a really difficult time for the foundation having to cancel most of our events this year due to coronavirus. We know that the seniors have also missed out on a lot of events such as prom and graduation," Executive Director Corri Zimmer White said. "Giving out an additional scholarship was something we could do to bring some positivity – not only to the foundation but also to help an additional student during these challenging times.

"It's always difficult to pick just two winners out of the big stack of impressive applications we get, so being able to pick three was really exciting," Zimmer White added.

Learn more about the 2020 MVP scholarship winners below:

Isabelle Olson | Grand Meadow High School

College: University of Minnesota

Field of study: Mass Communications

Isabelle is an impressive three-sport athlete, having earned a combined 14 letters in basketball, volleyball and track. She is the captain of her basketball and volleyball teams and a three-time state track participant, where she won third place in the 4x100 meter run in 2019. Isabelle also served as class vice president, class secretary and executive treasurer in student council, as well as a member of the Grand Meadow National Honor Society.

She also earned the nickname "QB 1" from her basketball coach when she started as a varsity point guard as a ninth-grader.

When Isabelle isn't at school, playing sports or volunteering, she enjoys spending her time at the lake, fishing, golfing, boating and attending Minnesota sporting events.

Isabelle is excited to continue her education at the University of Minnesota and aspires to start a career that allows her to use her creativity in business advertising. She plans to study abroad, join a sorority and continue playing sports.

ZF-Gavin_Peterson Gavin Peterson | Maple Grove Senior High School

College: University of Nebraska or University of Kansas

Field of Study: Pre-Med/Biology

Gavin is a three-sport standout athlete in soccer, track and wrestling (serving as a captain for all three) despite being legally blind in his left eye. A five-time letter winner in wrestling, he racked up 155 career varsity wins. Gavin also earned four academic letters and scored in the 95th percentile in the United States on his ACT.

Gavin enjoys giving back in his community by volunteering at Feed My Starving Children, the Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation, Maple Grove youth wrestling and Saint Joseph Catholic Church.

Last November, Gavin was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, which has motivated him to work towards becoming a doctor. After medical school, he would also like to serve in the Army Reserves as a combat physician, fulfilling his other career goal of serving as a U.S. Army Officer and following in the footsteps of his father.

ZF-Ali_Rutz Alison Rutz | Mankato West Senior High School

College: Minnesota State University, Mankato

Field of Study: Bio-Medical Sciences

A four-year varsity soccer starter and two-year captain, Alison earned All-Conference and All-State First-Team honors in 2019. She also is heavily involved in extracurricular activities, including Key Club, Link Crew, Project For Teens and Knowledge Bowl.

She was awarded the Big 9 scholar Athlete for being an outstanding scholar athlete and received the Spotlight on Scholarship Award by Mankato West.

Alison's hobbies outside of school and athletics include baking, hiking, wakeboarding, paddle boarding and yoga. She is excited to major in Bio-Medical Sciences, followed by furthering her education in medical school, where her dream is working in pediatrics and caring for children.

PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertinament Network DATE: 6/2/20

Lunchbreak: Vikings Slotted 11th in Peter King's Power Rankings

By Eric Smith

The 2020 NFL season is scheduled to begin in just over three months, with the Vikings slated to open with a Week 1 home game against the Packers.

Peter King of NBC Sports believes Minnesota is set up for a strong season, as he recently had the Vikings slotted 11*th* in the summer edition of his power rankings.

King took a look back at the Vikings offseason, and lauded Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman and his staff for their work, beginning with the mid-March trade of Stefon Diggs that netted three total draft picks to Minnesota.

King wrote:

I love the deal GM Rick Spielman made prior to the draft, sending 26-year-old Stefon Diggs and a seventh-rounder to Buffalo for first, fourth, fifth and sixth-round draft picks, then choosing LSU slot receiver Justin Jefferson (who turns 21 in two weeks) with the 22nd pick. Jefferson caught 111 balls from Joe Burrow last year and though there's no guarantee he'll be, say, a 65-catch guy in an offense that wants to be fairly even in the run-pass ratio, there's the added benefit of the Vikings saving about $8.5-million a year on the cap over the next three years in Jefferson's deal versus Diggs' contract.

King then delved into the Vikings roster and noted he expects running back Dalvin Cook — a 2019 Pro Bowl selection — to have another productive season in 2020.

But King also opined that a defense that endured quite a bit of turnover could go through some growing pains with a host of fresh faces on the unit.

Dalvin Cook could win a rushing title with his ability and the Minnesota love of the run. I'd be more worried about the run defense than the run offense. Minnesota allowed 4.3 yards per attempt last year, leading to a swap of free-agent run-stoppers: Linval Joseph out, Michael Pierce in. The secondary is a bigger concern, actually. The Vikings let corners Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackenzie Alexander walk, and replaced them with first-rounder Jeff Gladney and third-rounder Cameron Dantzler; they'll be counted on early, as will former first-rounder Mike Hughes, who's played only 20 of 34 Vikings games since being drafted due to injury.

King said he'll be watching how a quartet of Vikings veteran defensive coaches help mold a host of young players on the defense.

It'll be interesting to see how four men — coach Mike Zimmer, advisor Dom Capers and co-coordinators Adam Zimmer and Andre Patterson — meld running Mike Zimmer's beloved D. By December, when the Vikings go on the road to play Tom Brady and Drew Brees in a 12-day span, they'd better have it all figured out. I like the Vikings, but this is a team with some defensive questions.

The Vikings were the sixth-ranked team in the NFC behind New Orleans, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Seattle and Dallas.

Minnesota was the top-ranked NFC North team, ahead of Green Bay (12th), Chicago (17th) and Detroit (26th).

Zimmer chats with Eisen about Vikings virtual offseason so far

Zimmer went on The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday to discuss a variety of topics around the team, including an inside peek at Minnesota's virtual offseason program has gone.

"Typically, we meet together as an offense first. Then the offensive line goes to another room, virtually I guess," Zimmer said. "Then we'll sit in with the skill players and talk about pass plays and things like that. Then we have a team meeting where the whole entire team comes in and we'll talk to them about situational football. [Thursday], I did a presentation on the red zone.

"Then special teams meets for 30 minutes, and then we'll have a defensive meeting. Sometimes we have virtual walk-throughs … Today we did a protection tape on how offenses block different protections," Zimmer added. "We're able to get a lot of that stuff done, which is good. Again, we'll hit it a few more times before we get ready to play a real game, but I think that part has been good."

Zimmer also chatted with Eisen about what the 2020 season could look like, Minnesota's draft class, the Diggs trade, scheming against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his relationship with Hall of Famers Bill Parcells and Deion Sanders.

Zimmer, who is entering is seventh season in Minnesota, also noted that he was against the 4th-and-15 scenario that was suggested as an alternative to the onside kick. The proposal was tabled by NFL owners last week, but it could return in the future.

"I'm against it, Rich, and I think part of the reason is that if you get a [defensive] pass interference, it's an automatic first down," Zimmer said. "There's a lot of things that could happen there. I'm a traditionalist anyway, I like football the way it is for the most part.

"But if they pass it and that's how we have to defend it, then we'll go about our business and work like crazy to get it stopped," Zimmer added.

Zimmer's full conversation with Eisen can be found here.