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MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

LOCAL NEWS: Monday, June 15, 2020

The Athletic

10 big questions for the Vikings in 2020: How do they replace ? By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan https://theathletic.com/1871244/2020/06/14/10-big-questions-for-the-vikings-in-2020-how-do-they-replace-everson- griffen/

NATIONAL NEWS: Monday, June 15, 2020

Maven Media

91 Days Until Vikings Football: Will Step Up in 2020? By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/91-days-vikings-football-countdown-jalyn-holmes-2020

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK: Monday, June 15, 2020

Monday Morning Mailbag: Projecting Early Camp Battles Between WRs & CBs By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/projecting-early-camp-battles-between-wrs-cbs PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 6/15/20

10 big questions for the Vikings in 2020: How do they replace Everson Griffen?

By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan

Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a 10-part series examining the biggest questions facing the Vikings with the 2020 season looming. Most recently: How does the offense change with another new offensive coordinator? Up next: What is the Vikings’ biggest strength?

Chad Graff: On March 20, Everson Griffen, the longest-tenured Vikings player, posted a farewell message on Instagram to the only team he’s known since being drafted by Minnesota in 2010.

He wrote about how much he’d grown up since first arriving here and admitted he stumbled a few times. Then, he bid farewell and prepped for his next team.

“Wherever my next stop is, I will always be grateful to and cheering for the Vikings,” Griffen wrote. “Thank you all for the love, support and memories.”

Griffen doesn’t have a new team yet, in part because he wants to visit whichever franchise he ends up signing with. He’s hoping that as team facilities open back up, he’ll soon have an 11th season to prep for. The Vikings, who are trying with limited success so far to sign , seem unlikely to pull off a surprise and re-sign Griffen barring a major hometown discount from the defensive end.

Instead, the Vikings have penciled in Ifeadi Odenigbo, the breakout player who performed admirably in place of Griffen and next to him last season, as the new pass rusher opposite .

So, in short, we know the answer to the latest question in this series — Odenigbo likely replaces Griffen. Instead, let’s look deeper. Mike Zimmer’s teams have had such successful defenses in part because of the way they can rush the passer.

They’ve been aided by two great pass rushers in recent years — Griffen and Hunter. Now that they have one true, proven stud there, how does the Vikings’ pass rush look? Was Odenigbo’s seven-sack season a fluke from a player who barely made the roster and got to rush against guards on third down? Can the Vikings improve their interior pass rush? Can Anthony Barr finally become the pass rusher we all thought he was in 2014? What do you think, Arif?

Arif Hasan: Odenigbo’s statistical profile sure is odd — he had about 120 snaps as a defensive tackle and 281 snaps as an edge rusher, but earned four of his seven sacks on the inside, primarily on third down, like you said. His sack rate exceeds what you’d expect from a player with his pressure rate (one pressure every 10.4 pass-rushing snaps) and that would theoretically indicate he’s more likely to regress than improve.

I’m not sure I buy that, however. I’m a big stats guy, but Odenigbo’s capabilities seem pretty clear to me, and Pro Football Focus, which generated the pressure rate stat, also graded Odenigbo pretty high, 28th among all edge rushers with at least 200 snaps. His power-heavy rushing style looks a lot different than Griffen’s, Hunter’s or ’s, but it has been effective and he can do a good job collapsing the pocket in the run game or against the pass. That his focus has been split between defensive tackle and defensive end over the past several years also means he has more opportunity to improve than most now that he can focus exclusively on the edge. I still expect him to play on the inside on third downs in the same way the Vikings have kicked Griffen and Brian Robison to the inside in the past, but I think with more than 300 snaps on the edge, he has a lot of capacity to improve and demonstrate he’s a starting-quality edge rusher.

Griffen and Odenigbo dropped off in their quality of play after the bye week (and through the playoffs), but Griffen’s level of play fell off dramatically while Odenigbo played much more like a high-level backup than a starter. While I think part of that has to do with the quality of their opponents — Terron Armstead, David Bakhtiari, Joe Staley, Duane Brown and all had better years than their left tackle counterparts in the other half of the season — some of it likely has to do with the fact Griffen’s age might have caught up with him. If Odenigbo is going to replace Griffen, he’ll have to do more against those high-level opponents instead of simply earning better grades against the likes of Cam Erving, Kolton Miller and past-their-primes Nate Solder and Donald Penn. I think we’ll see better play on the aggregate from Odenigbo than Griffen, but I’m not sure Odenigbo will ever match Griffen’s high points from last year.

Ifeadi Odenigbo Ifeadi Odenigbo will likely get the starting nod in Everson Griffen’s place, but will he turn a promising 2019 into sustained success? (Brace Hemmelgarn / USA Today) As for the defensive tackle battle, your guess is as good as mine. I appreciate the Vikings’ approach of throwing as many bodies as roster limits will allow at the problem, but without minicamps and OTAs, the winnowing process is going to be much more difficult to figure out. That said, I’d find it difficult to believe the Vikings would get worse in terms of interior pass rush. Their three most-played defensive tackles — Linval Joseph, Jaleel Johnson and Shamar Stephen — combined for 20 total pressures in 873 combined pass-rushing snaps. There were 48 defensive tackles who produced more than those three players combined, most with fewer than 500 pass-rushing snaps. Aaron Donald alone had four times as many pressures. While Michael Pierce isn’t a pass-rushing machine, he should help in that department when compared to Joseph, but the key is that somebody — whether it’s Anthony Zettel, James Lynch, Jalyn Holmes, Hercules Mata’afa or — takes the job from Stephen. In fact, the one season Zettel had significant playing time, 2017, he earned 43 total pressures. They should probably start there.

With regards to Barr, I just don’t think he’ll be the pass rusher people want him to be. Not because the Vikings don’t value that skill set from him but because they’d just rather see what he can do off the ball instead of at the line of scrimmage. It seems as if we’ve had a discussion every year about the tremendous depth the Vikings have at linebacker — a truth this year as well — and how that might allow them to rotate Barr up front with a backup playing his position in the back seven and get some true pass-rushing snaps. And every year the Vikings choose to see him as more of a threat than a promise as a blitzer, and rarely as a true edge rusher. Maybe with some spots available on the edge we can see it this year, but I doubt it. He’s a fine blitzer and they should use him more in that role, but I think they just really like what he does as a pure linebacker.

Chad: That’s all well put, but I want to zoom in on one position that you mentioned could have a big impact on whether the Vikings’ interior pass rush improves — and that’s whether anybody can take Stephen’s job. Specifically, let’s look at Lynch and Watts.

Outside of Zettel, who you mentioned may be the favorite to unseat Stephen, I think Lynch and Watts have fans most excited about how the three-technique position could change this season.

Lynch offers promise as a third-round pick who was one of the best interior pass rushers in . The Vikings liked other three-techniques in the draft and tried to trade up for at least one before selecting Lynch, but were still plenty excited when Lynch fell to them.

Watts was a surprise addition to the roster, but he played his way onto the team with an excellent preseason. He didn’t get a ton of chances after being a sixth-round pick but always seemed to make plays when he did get an opportunity. Watts played 121 snaps last season and still notched 1.5 sacks and 13 tackles.

So, Arif, between those two, which do you think is more likely to be able to take Stephen’s role this season?

Arif: Watts was uniquely impressive in his limited time on the field, if only because he played a good chunk of his snaps at the more difficult nose tackle position; his 7.5 percent pressure rate is comparable to Ed Oliver’s or ’s despite that limitation. Given how much the Vikings want to emphasize run-stopping capability at that position — the only explanation for having Stephen play as many snaps as he did — having someone who was capable of holding double teams as a nose tackle but still sound enough to generate pressure is a great start.

That said, we’re talking about an extremely limited sample. Of those 121 snaps, only 53 were to rush the passer. Making someone a starter because of four pressures is a little hasty and he’ll have just as tough a hill to climb as anyone else to earn that role, but it’s a good beginning.

Lynch, an enormously productive college prospect, has a stronger history to draw on than Watts, but at another position and playing at another level. He comes in with more draft capital than Watts did and more athleticism off the bat as well. Given the Vikings’ emphasis on athletic traits, that could give him a bit of a boost. Zimmer’s three- technique tackles tend to play at around 290 pounds, which is close to Lynch’s tested weight and he fits the prototype just a bit more. We’ll have to see how he holds up in the run game in the NFL, in a possibly limited preseason, but his prowess there in college was impressive.

Given how different this offseason is and the limited showings that candidates for the starting job can put together, I’d argue Watts has a better shot. With Lynch moving up to another level of competition and switching positions, Watt’s NFL experience and time in the system should give him a boost over Lynch, who might have better odds in the long run.

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 6/15/20

91 Days Until Vikings Football: Will Jalyn Holmes Step Up in 2020?

By Will Ragatz

As we count down the days until the Vikings' opener against the Packers on September 13th, InsideTheVikings will be previewing every single player on the roster. The amount of days remaining corresponds with the jersey number of the player being examined on that day. Today is June 14th, and there are 91 days until kickoff for the 2020 regular season. That means today's player preview looks at an athletic defensive lineman who hasn't quite put it all together through two seasons.

Countdown to Vikings-Packers on September 13th: 91 Days

Player Preview: Jalyn Holmes (No. 91, Defensive Tackle) Note: Holmes wore jersey No. 92 for the past two seasons. But with Stephen Weatherly gone, Holmes has moved to 91 and Anthony Zettel has taken his old 92.

College: Ohio State Drafted: 2018 fourth round (102nd overall) NFL experience: Two years (2020 will be his third season) Age: 24 (Turns 25 next January) Size: 6'5", 283 2019 PFF Grade: 49.0 Notable 2019 stats: 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR in the postseason Notable career stats: 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 non-sack TFL

Will the third year be the charm for Jalyn Holmes in 2020? Through his first two seasons, the former 102nd overall pick has yet to make much of an impact for the Vikings on the field. He simply hasn't earned any significant playing time on a loaded defensive line, appearing in just 11 regular season games and playing fewer than 150 snaps thus far in his career.

In 2020, the opportunity is there for Holmes to step up and earn a role. Everson Griffen and Stephen Weatherly are gone, and Shamar Stephen was mostly unimpressive in 2019. That's almost 2,000 snaps on the D-line that could potentially be replaced during the upcoming season.

Holmes' clearest path to playing time is emerging from a crowded group at DT. He has prototypical size (6'5", 283), arm length (34"), and athleticism (4.82 40) for the three-technique position, which figures to be wide open after Stephen's struggles. The competition at that spot will likely feature Holmes, Stephen, Armon Watts, Jaleel Johnson, Hercules Mata'afa and rookie James Lynch. Anthony Zettel could potentially be a factor as well, though he's more likely to remain a defensive end. New nose tackle Michael Pierce isn't known for being much of a pass-rusher, so Holmes could also compete for snaps at that spot on obvious passing downs.

Holmes was originally drafted as a defensive end out of Ohio State in 2014. He had four sacks, 12 non-sack tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and two forced across his junior and senior seasons in Columbus. That's not a crazy amount of production, but Holmes' athleticism and potential were enough to nearly make him a top-100 pick.

The Vikings moved Holmes inside to DT during his rookie year, but he rarely saw the field; he was active for just five games in 2018. Late in a blowout win over the Jets in Week 7, Holmes recorded his first career sack while lining up at defensive end.

Holmes showed off his burst at times in the 2019 preseason, recording a sack and six tackles (giving him 2.5 sacks, 10 tackles, and two pass breakups in his preseason career). On this play against the Saints, he exploded through a free gap on a stunt and took down former Vikings QB .

Arif Hasan, after curfew ⏰ ✔ @ArifHasanNFL Jalyn Holmes gets another sack, though this time it counts, on a stunt. Generated pressure on the prior play, too

Still, Holmes' role didn't change much during the regular season. He only appeared in six games, and five of those featured 15 or fewer defensive snaps. Holmes played a career-high 38 snaps in the meaningless Week 17 games against the Bears, and again flashed his potential by making a couple nice plays in the backfield from the three- technique position.

It's possible that the Vikings could look to move Holmes back to the edge in 2020, given that DE is a position that has less depth than their defensive tackle group. With Griffen and Weatherly gone, Ifeadi Odenigbo is expected to step into a starting role across from superstar Danielle Hunter. But Odenigbo hasn't played a three-down role since high school, so it's possible that there will be a rotation there. Behind Hunter and Odenigbo, the Vikings have a journeyman veteran (Zettel), a pair of Day 3 rookies (DJ Wonnum and ), and a couple practice squad types (Eddie Yarbrough and Stacy Keely). Moving Holmes back to DE might actually give him the best shot at making the 53-man roster in 2020.

The athletic upside is still there for Holmes, but this will be a pivotal training camp for him. If he makes the team and carves out a role somewhere on the defensive line, he could remain in the Vikings' plans going forward. However, given the disappointing start to his career and the Vikings' depth, he's far from a lock to make the roster.

Other player previews:

No. 99: What does Danielle Hunter have in store for 2020? No. 98: Previewing Michael Pierce's impact in 2020 No. 96: Armon Watts could have a big role No. 95: 2020 is Ifeadi Odenigbo's time to shine No. 94: Previewing Jaleel Johnson's 2020 season No. 93: Will Shamar Stephen remain a starter? No. 92: Anthony Zettel is an interesting FA addition PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 6/15/20

Monday Morning Mailbag: Projecting Early Camp Battles Between WRs & CBs

By Eric Smith

Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we'll post several comments and/or questions as part of the vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag. Although we can't post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

Click here to submit a comment or question to the mailbag. Remember to include your name and town on the email. The questions below have been edited for clarity.

You can also send Eric a Mailbag question via Twitter.

I think at corner and wide receiver we have more questions depth-wise than others. We all know we lost our top three corners from last year, and we've traded away [Stefon] Diggs … [and Laquon] Treadwell is in Atlanta now. So, in terms of who Kirk [Cousins] is still familiar with WR wise, it's and . Bisi looked awesome last year to me, especially for a guy that I felt didn't get a lot of buzz following his draft, but definitely showed potential last year, but how do you feel these positions are going to look when the beginning of the season finally arrives?

I think Bisi is initially going to be our WR2, although I am excited about to shine early. I think that the experience with the NFL and the offense is going to definitely be a factor at first when deciding who's going to start opposite of Adam. And if I'm to say who our three starting corners are going to be, its Holton Hill and on the outside, with Mike Hughes taking the more difficult role of playing the slot. Your thoughts? But on two-cornerback formations, it'll be Hill and Hughes.

— Reno Carmona in Minot, North Dakota

Thanks for the in-depth email to start us off, Reno. Let's get into the WR group, where Adam Thielen will certainly is the leader of the group both on and off the field. Remember that the Vikings offense likes to run the ball, so we likely won't see a bunch of formations with three-plus WRs on the field. Expect Thielen to see a heavy workload as the top target for .

Behind him, you are correct that Johnson and Jefferson are likely strong candidates for the No. 2 role, as is free- agent addition Tajaé Sharpe. Johnson knows the offense and played well as a rookie, and he could take a big leap in Year 2. Jefferson is a rookie, yes, but he's also a first-round pick, has drawn rave reviews from coaches and teammates so far and was also viewed as "pro-ready" coming out of the draft. Add in and that could be the five WRs who see the most playing time in 2020.

However, don't forget about names such as K.J. Osborn, Alexander Hollins, and Davion Davis. Osborn was a 2020 draft pick, while the latter three players have a year in the system under their belt. The battle for roster spots among WR could be the most intense at camp.

Jumping to the corners, there is a lot of focus on this group because of the turnover at that position. You can pencil in Mike Hughes as a starter. I actually agree with you that he could see lots of reps in the slot since that position has skyrocketed in importance in recent years. And I think you could be spot-on that Hill and Gladney will get the first cracks to start on the outside if all three are on the field.

Don't forget about Kris Boyd though. He could be ready to make the jump from special teams standout to a contributor on defense. Draft picks and could also play their way into the mix, too. And I'm really intrigued to see how Marcus Sayles figures into this ... he was a standout in the Canadian Football League in recent years.

There will be plenty to focus on once we get to training camp since the virtual offseason didn't allow us to sort out roster questions that often get answered in OTAs and minicamp.

Pelissero With The Latest On Talks Between The Vikings and Dalvin Cook I'll bet the team can get Cook for $11.5 million for 3 years. Might be wishful thinking but maybe...? Skol.

— Pete Westmoreland

The Vikings have typically gotten contracts sorted out in recent years at the start of, and during, training camp. Perhaps that will also be the case with the team and Dalvin Cook. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is looking for a new contract. These things usually take time, so we'll see what happens going forward.

Vikings 2020 Roster in Photos View photos of the Vikings 2020 roster as of June 10, 2020.

Is there a chance that the Vikings could sign Logan Ryan, Josh Kline and Everson Griffen for cheap deals? If not, who is most likely to sign with us out of those three?

— Mason Torgeson in Kenyon, Minnesota

Is there a chance of that? Sure. I wouldn't say it's a high chance since the Vikings do have limited salary cap space at the moment, and those three players would likely combine to exceed the current cap space.

Would the previous experience that Kline and Griffen have with the Vikings make either or both more likely to return in an offseason without a full offseason program? Maybe or maybe not. A deal has to be fair for both sides. But if we look at it from a strictly football standpoint, both of those players know the system, teammates, coaches and the building.

Ryan had perhaps his best season as a pro with the Titans in 2019, but the Vikings might be inclined to roll with their current cornerbacks group. It may be an inexperienced crew, but there is also a great deal of potential with that unit.

We'll keep you updated if anything happens with the roster, whether it's those players or any other. Minnesota currently has 87 players on the roster, meaning they can fill three more spots to reach the preseason maximum of 90.