DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

LOCAL NEWS: Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Star Tribune

Q&A: Vikings DE Ifeadi Odenigbo discusses racial inequality, protesting and more By Andrew Krammer https://www.startribune.com/qa-vikings-de-ifeadi-odenigbo-talks-marching-in-chicago/571300432/

The Athletic

10 big questions for the Vikings in 2020: What will be their biggest strength? By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan https://theathletic.com/1874640/2020/06/16/10-big-questions-for-the-vikings-in-2020-what-will-be-their-biggest- strength/

Purple Insider

What are reasonable expectations for the Vikings' defense? By Matthew Coller https://purpleinsider.substack.com/p/what-are-reasonable-expectations-888

NATIONAL NEWS: Wednesday, June 17, 2020

ESPN

NFL all-decade: Best player on each NFC North team, every position By NFL Nation https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29292462/nfl-all-decade-best-player-nfc-north-team-every-position

NFL.com

Vikings' : NFL can push movement forward By Grant Gordon https://www.nfl.com/news/vikings-ameer-abdullah-nfl-can-push-movement-forward

Maven Media

89 Days Until Vikings Football: Bralon Addison Player Preview By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/89-days-vikings-football-bralon-addison-player-preview

MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Rookie Mini Chat: College Rivals and Talk Michigan-Michigan State Rivalry and More By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/rookie-mini-chat-college-rivals-josh-metellus-and-kenny-willekes-talk-michigan-m

Total Access: Abdullah, Kendricks and Rudolph Talk Social Justice By NFL Network https://www.vikings.com/video/total-access-abdullah-kendricks-and-rudolph-talk-social-justice

Boomer and GIo Discuss Stadium Resumption and Possibility without Police at U.S. Bank Stadium By CBS Sports Network http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=29441ac0-fbce-459c-87ef-6d54e5072401

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK: Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Xs & Os: Has 'Enough of the Enoughs' to Compete at Backup QB By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/nate-stanley-vikings-film-breakdown-iowa-qb

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 6/17/20

Q&A: Vikings DE Ifeadi Odenigbo discusses racial inequality, protesting and more

By Andrew Krammer

Ifeadi Odenigbo hopped into a car and told the driver to find a protest.

Odenigbo didn’t wake up May 31 planning to march in Chicago, where the Vikings’ fourth-year defensive end attended Northwestern, but he wanted to take action just six days after George Floyd was killed while in Minneapolis police custody. Odenigbo quickly found himself in a crowd of strangers unaware that an NFL player was walking with them.

“I just quietly joined in and didn’t say a word,” he said. “Marched with them for a good two miles.”

Speaking up is what Odenigbo, the first member of his Nigerian family born in the United States, encourages most in the fight against police brutality and social injustice.

“It was cool to see people all skin colors,” Odenigbo said. “To the people who weren’t black, I said, ‘Hey, thank you. This wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for you marching or protesting or speaking up.’ I’m really grateful for that.”

Odenigbo shared his personal experiences, why he believes education is a root for change and more in an interview for the Access Vikings podcast. This excerpt has been edited for length and clarity. Listen to the full interview here.

Q: What led you to jump into that car on a Sunday morning?

A: You watch that footage and you see a man begging for his life. Asking for some pity. The fact that officer did not give him any type of pity. I’m pretty empathetic, but I think every black person watches that footage and says that could’ve been me. It’s almost like a moral responsibility I have to do something. Hopped in an Uber and said, “Hey driver, I want to go protest.” He was a cool Jamaican guy; he was like, “I’m with you, mon.” He ended up dropping me off in the middle of downtown Chicago. Ten minutes later, by the grace of God, I was able to see a bunch of people protesting perfectly peacefully. Then I just quietly joined in and didn’t say a word and marched with them for a good two miles.

Q: What was your emotion like seeing the video in Minneapolis?

A: It didn’t really hit me hard like that, because I was almost thinking like, “Man, another black person dying in America.” But I called my mom about it and when I was talking to my mom, I broke down and started crying. This man was calling for his mom. You take everything away from him. For a grown man to call for his mom and you still didn’t let up? That was devil’s work right there.

Q: How have you taken in the way protests have spread across race and nationalities?

A: The murder of George Floyd really opened everyone’s eyes, like yo, this has been going on for a while and we just live in an era where we have cameras now. So now we have proof this is happening. The ‘90s, ‘80s, you have musicians that rap about it and talk about it and say this is what the police do, but nobody really believes you. But you see footage of 8 minutes and 46 seconds of a man pleading for his life, it kind of just tells you, man, there’s probably other people you don’t know about and probably died in vain and you have no idea. My prayers out to the families.

Q: You’ve said education can create change and you want to talk with Northwestern about solutions. How can that help?

A: I have a platform and I want to do whatever I can to try to educate people – the people who say they don’t understand. Segregation wasn’t just 150 years ago. The way people talk about segregation and racism and different bathrooms stalls as if it was 150 years ago, but your parents may remember when there were colored bathrooms, and that doesn’t get talked about at all. How you can help is educating yourself, the history of why this has been happening. Once you have the education, you can be empathetic.

Q: How have your experiences shaped your perspective?

A: I was arrested when I was 18 years old in Chicago for hopping the turnstile. At the time, I was wrong. Not saying I wasn’t wrong, but at the time they didn’t accept credit cards so I needed $2.25 and I simply didn’t have $2.25, and I hopped it. Usually a citation, but an undercover cop saw me, put me in handcuffs immediately, read me my rights and asked me if there was a warrant for my arrest. I had a Northwestern jacket and he’s asking me, “Where did you steal this jacket from?” I remember just being mindblown by that stuff. I’m just an 18-year-old college kid who didn’t have $2.25 on him.

Q: What do you think about the way the Vikings and your teammates have reacted?

A: The owners came in on our Zoom meetings and addressed us. They were very empathetic and shared our passion. That was moving. And the guys we have on our roster, the of the world, these are great football players but better people. Seeing the Vikings take a stance, seeing teammates speak up makes me proud.

Q: What about the NFL changing its rhetoric about protests during the national anthem?

A: It’s the right steps, but I think they were kind of late. Obviously, my teammates like Eric Kendricks had to speak up and let the NFL know like, “You guys were late.” We’ll find out in the years to come how authentic it is. I did economics, and the thing you got to realize is people have incentives. Obviously from the NFL standpoint, they were getting a lot of heat so they had to speak up. We gave them no choice but to speak up.

Q: What else would you like to add?

A: People in privileged positions should speak up and have their voices be heard. As a minority, I can only say so much. We need the majority of people to speak up and put those people in check that are doing these racist things or forms of racism.

PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 6/17/20

10 big questions for the Vikings in 2020: What will be their biggest strength?

By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan

Editor’s note: This is the eighth in a 10-part series examining the biggest questions facing the Vikings with the 2020 season looming. Most recently: How do the Vikings replace Everson Griffen? Up next: What is the Vikings’ biggest weakness?

Chad Graff: In recent years, it was obvious what the strength of the Vikings was. They were good at several spots, especially on the defensive side but none better than in the secondary.

Xavier Rhodes was a shutdown corner, the rare type who could legitimately take an elite receiver out of play. Opposite him, Trae Waynes was a quiet, steady stalwart, an excellent No. 2. (and before him Terence Newman) made life difficult for slot receivers. And, man, if you somehow beat them, good luck navigating past an in-his-prime Harrison Smith.

Mike Zimmer has long loved working with defensive backs and those recent teams showed it. But now the Vikings are in a transition. Only Smith remains from that group as the secondary converts to a younger, faster bunch.

So now, the Vikings will boast a new strength, even if it’s not immediately apparent what that is.

Linebacker is an option with Eric Kendricks coming off the best season of his career, Anthony Barr still a pass- rushing threat entering his seventh year, and loads of depth behind them, most notably Eric Wilson.

Or maybe running back is the team’s biggest strength. emerged as one of the NFL’s best backs last season and even if his holdout remains, he’s a force in the backfield. behind him made some impressive plays as a rookie, Mike Boone offered promise with a 148-yard game in Week 17, C.J. Ham is coming off a season and Ameer Abdullah is a quality backup.

Defensive line could be in the mix, too, even after losing Linval Joseph and almost certainly losing Everson Griffen. is a premier pass rusher capable of leading the NFL in sacks, Michael Pierce is a quality addition and Ifeadi Odenigbo is coming off a breakout campaign.

If we considered only true positions, then surely the Vikings’ strength would be safety, where they can make the argument that between Smith and , they boast two of the best five in the NFL.

But let’s make this a bit more challenging, Arif, and lump those two in with defensive backs. If that’s the case, how do you go about evaluating the roster to determine where the Vikings’ strength is?

Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris form one of the best safety duos in the NFL, but departures at leave questions for a usually rock-solid secondary. (Robert Hanashiro / USA Today) Arif Hasan: It really would have been fun to have made this a little easier with the receiver group set up the way it was. I think a good litmus test for whether a position group is considered a strength is comparing them to the . seems to be right on that dividing line between a true “strength” at the position and simply being above average. So if a position group makes you feel better about its prospects than Cousins does at QB, then you probably have a strength there.

With that in mind, I think the two position groups that emerge are the two you identify: linebacker and running back. And of course, those positions happen to be the least important positions, analytically speaking, on their respective sides of the ball.

While I think the defensive line has the potential to establish itself as a strength, there are too many unknowns there for me to say that I would comfortably put them ahead of Cousins in terms of reliability and playmaking power. One star can’t lift a unit of four up by himself unless it’s Aaron Donald and as impressive as Hunter is, he hasn’t yet proven he’s an unquestionable leader at his position.

Perhaps the easiest way to decide between the two groups is to match them one-for-one. Given Kendricks’ performance last year as a contender for the crown as the best linebacker in the NFL and his overall ability to stay on the field, I would take him over Dalvin Cook. With Barr — a linebacker seemingly perpetually underrated by Vikings fans because of his onerous contract — I’d say his capabilities exceed Mattison’s by a fair amount despite Mattison’s excellent year. With the addition of the depth the Vikings boast at the position, with either Eric Wilson or stepping up and a few mid-round picks behind them, it’s tough to say the Vikings feature anything but a top-tier linebacker group.

Chad: I don’t think you’ll get much pushback for lauding the linebackers the Vikings have, specifically Kendricks and Barr. But let’s dig in for a moment on what you wrote about linebackers generally — that they’re the least important position on the defense.

For years, linebackers were thought of as the tone-setters, the physical, punishing players with more responsibility than about any other on the defense. Even as recently as the last decade, the Baltimore Ravens stuck out as a team that was always good at the position.

So when and why did it start to change for linebackers? Is it because of the shift to more of a passing game? And how valuable (or not) is a great middle linebacker like Kendricks? Who would provide more value in a single season — Kendricks or a good No. 2 corner like Trae Waynes?

Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr Linebacker may be statistically undervalued as a position, but it also might be the Vikings’ biggest strength with Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr leading the way. (Harrison Barden / USA Today) Arif: I’m not sure how long it’s been since linebackers led defensive corps in terms of true importance, but given that historical research indicates the passing game has always been more important than the running game — so long as we’re talking post-merger, anyway — I’m not sure linebackers ever contributed as much as their status as faces of the franchise would dictate. Ray Lewis was still probably the most important member of that 2000 Ravens defense, but he probably wasn’t as important as we remember.

That said, I’d argue a significant change likely occurred in the mid-to-late 2000s as teams became more comfortable with three-receiver sets and more dynamic tight ends to attack downfield. If we look at some of the best defenses in that span — the 2008-2011 Steelers, the 2008-2011 Ravens, 2009-2010 Jets, the 2011-2013 49ers, the 2012-2015 Seahawks, 2015 Broncos, 2017 Vikings, 2017 Jaguars and 2019 Patriots — you find many more talented than you do off-ball linebackers. When you do find legitimately great linebackers, you often find even better corners or safeties.

For every Bobby Wagner, there are multiple Richard Shermans. In the few circumstances you see a linebacker outpace his secondary — like the combination of Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman, they still had a secondary that produced 18 for the 2011 49ers. And you find many more circumstances where you see situations like Darrelle Revis and boosting players like Bart Scott and Calvin Pace for the 2009-10 Jets.

In those defenses, there were 20 All-Pros among defensive backs and eight among off-ball linebackers. There were 34 Pro Bowls for defensive backs and 16 for off-ball linebackers. If you expand the list to include other good defenses, like the 2008 Titans, 2009 Cowboys, 2010 Packers, 2010-2012 Bears, 2013 Panthers, 2013 Patriots and 2017 Chargers, the difference continues to expand — with defensive backs winning in All-Pros 22 to nine and Pro Bowls 47 to 22.

While there are more defensive backs than linebackers on the field, defensive backs still outpace linebackers when accounting for that. Four teams had All-Pro linebackers without All-Pro defensive backs, but 14 teams had All-Pro defensive backs without All-Pro linebackers. The pattern holds at Pro Bowl selections with two teams featuring lone Pro Bowlers at linebacker but 12 featuring lone Pro Bowlers at defensive back.

I think the shift isn’t just a result of the emphasis on the passing game, but rather a personnel approach that enabled better passing, with more three-receiver sets and tight ends better capable of exploiting mismatches.

As for how valuable Kendricks is — well, he’s certainly much more valuable now than he was two years ago given how he is one of the few accomplished players left on the defense. If I were forced to choose between Kendricks and Waynes in a vacuum, I’d have to fight every bare instinct I have on this but I would have to argue that Waynes does more for a defense if the replacement player is an average second-stringer at their position.

And maybe that establishes what it means to be “more important” — if a linebacker at the top of the position is potentially less important than an above-average corner (and, interestingly, their salaries reflect that — Waynes is being paid $4 million more per year), then that might help define priorities for fans and analysts.

PUBLICATION: Purple Insider DATE: 6/17/20

What are reasonable expectations for the Vikings' defense?

By Matthew Coller

Welcome to Reasonable Expectations Week here on Purple Insider where we will analyze four subjects and what we expect from the 2020 season. For Part 2, we dive into whether we should expect regression from the Vikings’ defense. Who will be the hardest player to replace on defense? Can Mike Zimmer raise the level of his new players? How have past rookies performed? What outside factors could impact the defense?

Zimmer’s history differs from NFL trends When Mike Zimmer arrived in Minnesota, he inherited a defense that was abysmal. The 2013 Vikings ranked 32nd in points allowed and graded 24th by Pro Football Focus. In his first year, they jumped from dead last to 11th in points allowed and saw massive progress from players that were already on the roster.

With the help of high draft picks like Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes coming into their primes and some strong free agent additions in Terence Newman, Linval Joseph and Captain Munnerlyn, they were an elite defense by Zimmer’s second year. Since the Vikings’ defense hit its stride in 2015, they have consistently been among the best statistically across the board. The Vikings are:

No. 1 in the NFC in QB rating against since 2015

No. 1 in the NFC in passing yards allowed since 2015

Second fewest TD passes allowed

No. 1 in the NFL in third down conversion percentage

Defensive performance is often volatile from year to year in the NFL with few teams even putting together two straight seasons of top-notch play. As you can see below, of the 10 teams in the top five in 2017 and 2018 in points allowed, only three maintained their status the following seasons. Just as many teams fell out of the top 10.

But Zimmer has sustained excellent defensive play, last ranking outside of the top 11 in points against with Cincinnati in 2010 (a number that was skewed by the Bengals’ offense, which had the fifth most turnovers).

Figuring out how much of the defensive success is Zimmer and how much is player talent is a difficult task. We can attempt to separate the two by looking at how PFF graded the players’ performance versus their production in points allowed. Most years are very close and in 2016 the Vikings far outperformed the grade of the players.

If we know that Zimmer has an impressive ability to scheme and can gameplan his way to either as good or better than the sum of the parts, we can bump reasonable expectations higher than what the roster talent suggests.

So what does the roster talent suggest?

Replacing those who left What makes the Vikings’ defense difficult to project is that they will have new starters at defensive end, nose tackle and cornerback, other cornerback and nickel cornerback.

How replacements for Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander will fair is pretty fuzzy.

Ifeadi Odenigbo has one year of NFL experience and played in purely pass rush situations. We can safely say based on his recent history that Michael Pierce can be an effective run stuffer but he’s also never cleared 600 snaps in a single season and only played more than 500 snaps once in 2017. And the Vikings do not have a single corner on the roster older than 25 or with more than 1,000 NFL snaps to his name.

What we can say is that the Vikings maintained a high quality defense despite the fact that two of their stars in Joseph and Rhodes faded over the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

We can also say that between Alexander and Waynes, opposing went 106-for-149 (71.1%) with 1,067 yards (7.2 YPA), seven and two interceptions, good for a 101.3 rating.

There’s certainly a chance that the performance of some combination of Mike Hughes, , Holton Hill, Kris Boyd etc. is worse than Alexander/Waynes/Rhodes but it seems unlikely.

The player that will be the hardest to replace is Griffen, who has consistently produced pressures at a top-20 rate among all edge rushers in the NFL.

Less pressure from right defensive end means more attention on Danielle Hunter and more emphasis on creating pressure with blitzes, which is something Zimmer hasn’t often needed to do outside of third down.

While the Vikings will have the benefit of replacing the exited stars with players who have been in the system for at least one or two years like Hughes or Odenigbo, any injuries could force more than just Jeff Gladney into action. It’s remarkable how rarely Zimmer has been asked to play rookies. Here are the only players during his era that played more than 250 snaps in their first year:

As we relate all of this information to reasonable expectations, we should keep in mind that some of the best laid personnel plans will work and others will not. Vikings fans don’t have to be convinced to expect the unexpected, of course.

The schedule matters Last season the Vikings had a solid pass defense but they also faced Chase Daniel, Daniel Jones in his third career start, Matt Moore, Brandon Allen and David Blough.

If the quarterback schedule remains healthy, 2020 offers much tougher sledding. The QBs they are set to face ranked by PFF in 2019: No. 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 21 and 28. Compare that to last season when they saw just three top-10 graded QBs in Russell Wilson, Matt Stafford and .

There are a million other factors at play, including whether home field advantage will even remotely resemble what it has been in the past with the COVID-19 pandemic or whether all the QBs will be active against the Vikings because of the illness.

So what’s reasonable? The following things appear within reason to expect:

The defense will regress some but should not fall out of the top half of the league because of stars like Hunter, Harrison Smith and Eric Kendricks combined with Zimmer’s savvy.

They will still be good enough on defense to give the Vikings a chance at the postseason with a strong offensive performance.

Young players show progress and questions at positions like corner and defensive end will be answered for years to come.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comment section what your reasonable expectations are for the Vikings 2020 defense….

PUBLICATION: ESPN DATE: 6/17/20

NFL all-decade: Best player on each NFC North team, every position

By NFL Nation

The start of a new decade is upon us with the 2020 NFL season. But before we get rolling with the '20s, ESPN is taking a look back at the best -- and worst -- of the 2010s and naming the top players of the decade for all 32 teams.

From the social media star of the decade to the worst call by a referee, ESPN's NFL team remembers the people and moments of impact -- good and bad -- from the past 10 years. And NFL Nation reporters select the two best players of the decade from their teams, the top coach and assemble all-division teams of the 2010s.

It all kicked off Monday with the best and worst of the NFL from the past decade.

Division all-decade player, teams Tuesday: AFC East and NFC East Today: AFC North and NFC North Thursday: AFC West and NFC West Friday: AFC South and NFC South

NFC North players of the decade

Chicago Bears

Matt Forte's versatility as a runner and pass catcher made him one of the NFC North's best offensive threats of the last decade. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack Matt Forte, RB Years with team: 2008-15

Forte entered the league in 2008 (second-round pick out of Tulane) but became arguably the NFL's best all-purpose back during the first half of the next decade. Forte spent eight seasons with the Bears, rushing for 8,602 yards and scoring 64 touchdowns. Forte ranks second, behind only Hall of Famer Walter Payton, on Chicago's all-time lists for rushing yards, yards from scrimmage (12,718), receptions (487) and 100-yard games (24). He's third in total touchdowns and sixth in receiving yards (4,116). Forte joined the New York Jets after the Bears decided against re- signing him following the 2015 season, but without question, Forte's most productive years were in Chicago.

Honorable mention: Take your pick: , Charles Tillman, Lance Briggs, Brandon Marshall or Julius Peppers. Heck, even deserves some recognition for being the starting quarterback for so long (2009-16). Forte earned the nod over Urlacher, Briggs and Tillman because the trio did the majority of their damage the previous decade. Marshall and Peppers didn't play in Chicago long enough to unseat Forte. And Cutler is Cutler. You know what I mean. -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson was a dominating receiver during the last decade, often outsizing and outrunning the best cornerbacks in the league. AP Photo/Rick Osentoski Calvin Johnson, WR Years with team: 2007-15

Johnson is the easy selection for the Lions. He's the only surefire Hall of Famer to play a significant portion of the 2010s with Detroit and he was for a time the best receiver in the NFL. He set the all-time single-season receiving yards mark with 1,964 yards in 2012, was a Pro Bowler every year he played in the 2010s -- from 2010 to '15. He was also a three-time first-team All-Pro selection in the 2010s and went over 1,000 yards receiving every season of the decade in which he played. Johnson was simply dominant and often faced double and triple coverage. "It should be illegal for a guy to be that tall and that big and that fast. They should have banned him from the NFL," Hall of Fame cornerback told ESPN in 2014. "But he's one of those guys, man -- he's a freak of nature."

Honorable mention: There are three players worthy of mention here -- quarterback , defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and cornerback . And it's a tough call, but Suh gets the slight nod over Stafford and Slay. Suh made four Pro Bowls in his five seasons in Detroit and was first-team All-Pro three times. The AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2010, Suh was a dominant force on one of the best run-stopping defenses in NFL history in 2014 and set the tone for the Lions' defense for the first half of the decade. Stafford is the best quarterback in franchise history and Slay was a perennial Pro Bowler at corner. But Suh was the best at his position for a large portion of his time in Detroit. -- Mike Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

Other than Aaron Rodgers, no other NFC North quarterback led their team to a win, or has been with their team throughout the last decade. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports Aaron Rodgers, QB Years with team: 2005-15

Only Rodgers and Tom Brady were two-time MVP winners during the 2010s. Rodgers won it for the 2011 and 2014 seasons and also was the Super Bowl XLV MVP. The start of the decade marked Rodgers' third season as the Packers' starter, and he helped the Packers to seven straight playoff appearances to start the decade and eight overall in the 10 years. Rodgers had the third-most passes in the decade (305) in 11 fewer games than leader (345) and 14 fewer games than second-place Tom Brady (316).

Honorable mention: , WR, 2008-17 and Davante Adams, WR, 2014-present. Both were dominant receivers in the decade. Clay Matthews was dominant on his side of the ball, too. And how about the combination of tackles and ? Had the Packers not dumped Charles Woodson after the 2012 season he'd be worthy of consideration, too. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

Few runners over the last decade were as punishing and productive as Adrian Peterson. Tom Dahlin/Getty Images Adrian Peterson, RB Years with team: 2007-16

This was about as unanimous a decision as there is. Peterson was the only non-quarterback to win the NFL MVP award during the past decade and holds countless titles and awards from his time with the Vikings. He was the league's offensive player of the year (2012), a two-time first-team selection (2012, 2015), went to the Pro Bowl four times and led the NFL in rushing in 2012 with 2,097 yards and again in 2015. Peterson ended his time in Minnesota as the franchise's all-time rushing leader and will go down as one of the best running backs in NFL history.

Honorable mention: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/KR, 2013-16 and Harrison Smith, S, 2012-present. Drafted by the Vikings in 2013, Patterson reached a career-high 1,393 yards and two touchdowns on 43 kickoff returns on his way to the Pro Bowl as a rookie and was one of the most dangerous returners of the past decade. Smith was another easy choice. His 13 career sacks are the most by any defensive back since 2013. The five-time Pro Bowler and 2017 All-Pro notched 23 interceptions and set a franchise record with four of those being returned for touchdowns. -- Courtney Cronin

NFC North coach of the decade

Mike McCarthy led his Packers to an NFL championship in Super Bowl XLV, the NFC North's only title in the last decade. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin Coach of the year: Mike McCarthy Years with team: 2010-18

Two words: Super Bowl. McCarthy is the only Super Bowl-winning coach from the NFC North in the decade. And he wasn't just a one-hit wonder. McCarthy led the Packers to the playoffs every year from 2010 to 2016 and had a run of eight straight playoff seasons starting in 2009. Yes, McCarthy was fired in the decade, but after a year off in 2019, he landed another of the NFL's prime coaching gigs with the Dallas Cowboys. -- Rob Demovsky

Remembering Past Decade in NFL

• NFL's best and worst of the 2010s • All-decade honors: AFC East | NFC East • Inside decade's trends for all 32 teams • Best teams and players of the decade

Honorable mention: Mike Zimmer, Vikings, 2014-present. Zimmer led the Vikings to the playoffs in three out of his six seasons and got Minnesota as far as the NFC Championship Game after the 2017 season. The Vikings have been consistently good under Zimmer, who has battled just about every abnormal circumstance you could imagine, from losing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a freak knee injury days before the start of the 2016 season to having eight eye surgeries and working with four different offensive coordinators in five years. -- Courtney Cronin

ESPN's NFC North All-Decade Team Voted on by ESPN's NFC North reporters.

OFFENSE

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Packers, 2005-present RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings, 2007-16 WR: Jordy Nelson, Packers, 2008-17 WR: Calvin Johnson, Lions, 2007-15 WR: Davante Adams, Packers, 2015-present TE: Kyle Rudolph, Vikings, 2011-present LT: David Bakhtiari, Packers, 2013-present LG: Kyle Long, Bears, 2013-19 C: John Sullivan, Vikings, 2008-14 RG: Josh Sitton, Packers, 2008-15; Bears, 2016-17 RT: Bryan Bulaga, Packers, 2010-19

DEFENSE

DE: Julius Peppers, Bears, 2010-13; Packers, 2014-16 DT: Linval Joseph, Vikings, 2014-19 DT: Ndamukong Suh, Lions, 2010-14 DE: Jared Allen, Vikings, 2008-13; Bears, 2014-15 LB: Clay Matthews, Packers, 2009-18 LB: Lance Briggs, Bears, 2003-14 LB: Chad Greenway, Vikings, 2007-16 CB: Charles Tillman, Bears, 2003-14 CB: Darius Slay, Lions, 2013-19 S: Harrison Smith, Vikings, 2012-present S: Glover Quin, Lions, 2013-18

SPECIAL TEAMS

KR/PR: Cordarrelle Patterson, Vikings 2013-16; Bears 2019-present K: , Packers, 2007-present P: Sam Martin, Lions, 2013-19

PUBLICATION: NFL.com DATE: 6/17/20

Vikings' Ameer Abdullah: NFL can push movement forward

By Grant Gordon

Though the activism, protests and discussion that have swept the United States -- and beyond -- are very much due centuries of racial inequality and injustice, the current movement truly was ignited on May 25 in Minneapolis.

It was then and there in which George Floyd was killed while in police custody.

It's also home to the Minnesota Vikings. But for players such Ameer Abdullah, Eric Kendricks and Kyle Rudolph, being Vikings on the field has very much taken a backseat to using their voices and platforms to bring about change to racial inequality, systemic racism and police brutality.

In the latest round table discussion hosted by NFL Network's Steve Wyche Tuesday night on NFL Total Access, Rudolph, Kendricks and Abdullah voiced their thoughts and a common thread was that things are indeed moving in the right direction, but the discussion and action must continue and the NFL can be a guiding force in bringing about said change.

"The NFL holds great power," Abdullah said. "Every kid wants to be Kyle Rudolph. Every kid wants to be Eric Kendricks. Can't say they all want to be Ameer Abdullah. I hope so, I hope so for sure. Just understanding that influence that we have on the youth and how malleable the youth are with picking up on things and understanding empathy as opposed to sympathy, like what Kyle spoke about, I feel like the league can really carry that torch. We can really spark a real psychological change in this nation.

"A great influencer or a great organization like the NFL, has a great opportunity to seize this and to push the movement forward through action. And obviously, listening to what Roger Goodell said about before he wasn't listening to athletes' voices enough, that's great. Acknowledging that is the first step. But the next step I think is organizing with each individual team.

"I think we have a great responsibility that can really move this movement a lot further, a lot faster, if we seize that."

Abdullah was a member of the in 2017 and took a knee during the national anthem to call to attention police brutality. He expects a similar reaction for any upcoming in-season protests in terms of fans being disgruntled. However, he has seen a large change in the current protests with more diverse gatherings. That, in addition to other factors, has him believing the movement is upon the right path.

"I participated in a few protests, I live in Atlanta, Georgia, I participated in a few protests down there. What I did see was, it was, there was a lot more diversity in those protests than in the past. Where before this was completely seen as a black issue, right, and people are starting to understand this is a human issue. When I protested back in 2017 during the national anthem, when Kaepernick first started taking a knee, I got a lot of push back, got a lot of push back. A lot of people who I thought were in my corner, kinda flipped on me. Of course, some fans were very harsh towards me because of that. I would say to the people who are intending to protest this year, expect a lot of the same. But what we have to do is understand that awareness is the goal. It's not to upset people. It's not to be an individual or stand away from your team, it's about bringing awareness to a real issue that's been persisting in this country for hundreds and hundreds of year," Abdullah said. "To make a physical demonstration, to bring awareness towards that, I think is a respectful act, as long as it's peaceful, of course. But, expect a lot of resistance. But like I alluded to earlier, before you can have peace, there must be war. And war doesn't always mean fighting and bullets flying. Sometimes it's just a war between words. A war between social groups. I think ultimately we're moving in the right direction, though."

Kendricks concurred.

"I agree with Ameer. These issues are important. We must start talking about them. We must continue them. It's about awareness. It's about knowing what our history truly is. It's crazy how we didn't learn about any of this stuff growing up in school. Hopefully now we start to see more dialogue in elementary schools regarding this. We've got to keep it going. We've got to keep the dialogue going. We've got to keep the awareness high."

Kendricks, who said he met with Commissioner Goodell on Monday, believes understanding what protesting was in regards to is a good first step, but more is needed.

"Just that dialogue alone is showing you that we are on the right path and we are trying to find solutions," Kendricks said. "But it goes deeper than just acknowledging what the protesting was for; it goes deeper than that. We've got to now start to put black people in leadership positions throughout the NFL.

"It's a issue that we're dealing with across the nation and I'm glad it's addressed."

For Rudolph, he thinks progress can likewise be seen in an understanding and a sharing of feelings, rather than simply feeling sorry for the plight of those who are being victimized by racism.

"When this issue translates from people being sympathetic to people being empathetic, that's where we're going to see change," Rudolph said. "Our owners, as Ameer said, are sitting in these meetings. They're listening to the stories these guys are telling. And they're becoming empathetic. Thus, giving us immense support: both financially and through their actions. And I think, as Eric just said, through dialogue, I believe our entire league can be empathetic through these tough times."

Within the thoughts and words of Rudolph, Abdullah and Kendrick, there's optimism to be found that these tough times are leading to better times. And the NFL can be an accelerator of positive change. PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 6/17/20

89 Days Until Vikings Football: Bralon Addison Player Preview

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 16th, and there are 89 days until kickoff for the 2020 regular season. That means it's time to turn our attention to a former CFL receiver who might have a shot at sticking around as a returner.

Countdown to Vikings-Packers on September 13th: 89 Days

Player Preview: Bralon Addison (No. 89, ) USATSI_13681410_168388404_lowres College: Oregon Drafted: UDFA pickup by Broncos in 2016 NFL experience: Two games with Bears (2016) Age: 26 (Turns 27 in October) Size: 5'10", 190 2019 PFF Grade: N/A Notable 2019 stats (CFL): 95 catches, 1,236 yards (13.0 yards per catch), 218 rushing yards, 8 total TDs

The countdown to Vikings regular season football is officially under 90 days, meaning our player previews are shifting from defensive linemen to wide receivers and tight ends. First up is a former star facing an uphill battle to make the roster.

The Vikings signed Bralon Addison to a reserve/future contract in January, making him one of two CFL players they brought in this offseason (the other is cornerback Marcus Sayles). Addison turned heads last season by putting up nearly 1,500 yards from scrimmage and making the CFL All-Star team. The 26-year-old is a long shot to make the 53-man roster, but his experience as a returner on special teams might just give him a chance. With practice squads expanded to 12 this year, he could also potentially stick around that way.

Primarily a quarterback in high school in the suburbs of Houston, Addison converted to wide receiver when he showed up at Oregon in 2012. As a sophomore, he broke out with 61 catches for 890 yards and seven touchdowns. Addison missed the 2014 season with an injury, but came back strong in 2015. He was named second team All-Pac 12 after recording 804 receiving yards and ten TDs. Addison also ran for two touchdowns, threw for one, and returned a for a score during his redshirt junior season.

Fun fact: Addison is one of five former Ducks on the Vikings' 90-man roster, the others being , Dillon Mitchell, Tony Brooks-James, and Brady Aiello. No other college has more than three representatives on the roster.

Addison went undrafted in 2016 and was scooped up by the Broncos, who had a number of current Vikings coaches – including and Rick Dennison – on their staff at the time. He was waived prior to the season, but signed with the Bears in December of that year and suited up for the final two games of the season. Addison recorded his only NFL catch and carry against the Vikings in Week 17.

He was out of football in 2017 before joining the CFL in 2018. Addison was cut by the , but then signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. After not playing much all year, he broke out with three straight 100-yard games in the regular season finale and Hamilton's two playoff games. That strong finish to the season propelled Addison to his huge performance in 2019.

At 5'10" (which might be generous, considering the CFL listed him as 5'9"), Addison projects as a slot receiver type in the NFL. Quickness and reliable hands are his two best attributes as a receiver. He ran just a 4.66 40 at the 2016 combine, though he appears faster than that on his highlights. Behind the Vikings' top four receivers – , , Tajae Sharpe, and – Addison will compete with players like , K.J. Osborn, Quartney Davis, Dillon Mitchell, Alexander Hollins, and Davion Davis.

Addison's best chance to make the team is probably as a returner. He averaged 12.2 yards on 37 punt returns during his time at Oregon, taking three of them to the house for touchdowns. The Vikings drafting Osborn in the fifth round because of his punt returning ability wasn't great news for Addison.

Still, don't count out the former CFL star. He'll get a chance to impress in training camp and the preseason.

PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 6/17/20

Xs & Os: Nate Stanley Has 'Enough of the Enoughs' to Compete at Backup QB

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings are set at starting quarterback for the 2020 season with Kirk Cousins, who is entering his third campaign in Minnesota since joining the team as a free agent in 2018.

Sean Mannion, who backed up Cousins last season and played one full game when the Vikings rested their starters against the Bears in Week 17, also is returning. The Vikings additionally have , who signed as an undrafted free agent last spring and spent 2019 on the practice squad.

Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman added to the quarterbacks room in the 2020 NFL Draft, during which he used one of his record-setting 15 draft picks to grab Hawkeyes passer Nate Stanley 244th overall.

Bleacher Report analyst Matt Miller called Stanley the "biggest sleeper" among passers heading into the 2020 NFL Draft and listed him as the eighth-best quarterback in the class.

ESPN's Todd McShay also had positive things to say about the former Hawkeye on the First Draft Show podcast.

"If I had to bet on any of these guys, including Jalen Hurts, I would bet on [Stanley]," McShay said. "He's big. He's strong. He's been around a pro system, and [Iowa Offensive Coordinator Brian] Ferentz comes from the NFL and played under and worked with [Patriots Head Coach Bill] Belichick in New England. That's pretty good to have as an offensive coordinator the past few years."

Here's a deeper dive on how Stanley could work within Minnesota's quarterbacks group:

Player Profile: QB Nate Stanley, Iowa, Senior

Stanley, a native of Menomonie, Wisconsin, was a permanent team captain for Iowa in 2019. He finished his senior campaign 237-of-399 passing for 2,951 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

He's one of just two quarterbacks in Hawkeyes history to go 3-0 in bowl games, joining , and ranks second in school history with 68 career touchdown passes.

Spielman was impressed not only by what he saw on tape but also by a couple in-person scouting sessions of Stanley.

"He's a big kid that has a strong arm. He's won a lot of games in the Big Ten," Spielman told Twin Cities media members. "The one thing that I think he doesn't get enough credit for is his size. He's a very good athlete."

Stanley, who measured 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, impressed in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. His time of 4.81 seconds ranked eighth-fastest among quarterbacks. In the 20-yard shuttle, Stanley ranked fifth in the position group with a time of 4.48 seconds.

"When you watch him live, or even on tape, you may underestimate what type of athlete he is," Spielman said. "But when he opens stride and had a couple scrambles in some of the games – he can really move – getting the ball out quick, time and rhythm throws, ability to move in the pocket. We are excited to have him come in here and compete."

Nate Stanley College Highlights RELATED LINKS Xs and Os: How Drafted Receivers Could Make Biggest 1st Splash for Vikings Xs and Os: How Drafted Cornerbacks Could Impact Vikings Potential Impact:

As stated earlier, Stanley is one of four quarterbacks currently on Minnesota's roster and will compete for a backup position behind Cousins.

Vikings Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak spoke highly of the young QB and of his alma mater.

"It seems like every player I've had come play for me out of that school, I don't know, there's something special about them," Kubiak said in an interview with Vikings Entertainment Network. "They catch up to speed very quickly. You're going to get everything they have."

Kubiak called the 22-year-old a "winner" and pointed out that he "finds a way" to come out on top in big games.

But for now, Stanley is focused on soaking up everything he can to put himself in the best position to compete – even though that means distance-learning for the time being.

Moments after his draft, Stanley explained to media members via video conference how excited he was to learning from Cousins.

He's approached learning the playbook and system to "make sure I can be as efficient and consistent as possible."

Gary Kubiak Discusses The Team's 2020 Offensive Draft Picks | Minnesota Vikings Podcast Coachspeak:

"As a coach, for [quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak] and I to go to work, he comes in our room with Kirk, Sean and Jake, he fits right in from a personality standpoint, from a winner in college standpoint, which all of those guys were. He'll be a very quick study, is very bright, in what they're doing. [Hawkeyes Head Coach ], I know his program very well, I know how he teaches, I know what he expects of his players. The way they call things offensively is much like the way I run my offense, so I think we can make up a lot of ground with him. Very fortunate, you're sitting there in the seventh round, a lot of people chasing him if he wasn't going to get drafted. The fact that Rick had all of these extra picks late in the draft is the reason we end up with this young man."

— Vikings Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak

Film Breakdown: Former Vikings linebacker and coach Pete Bercich, now a Vikings Radio Network analyst, looked at some of Stanley's tape from Iowa.

"Stanley brings some nice attributes to the table, and I think it's going to be an interesting preseason to see whether or not he can beat out Jake Browning for the [QB3] position or maybe even move further up that depth chart," Bercich said.

Bercich pointed out that Stanley has "the requisite size" to be an NFL quarterback and has a strong arm.

"I think he can press and do and sit in that pocket and have a good pocket presence," Bercich said.

He highlighted a play against Rutgers that illustrates Stanley's ability to identify coverages and "get the ball exactly where it's supposed to be," as well as a red-zone situation against Iowa State in which Stanley showed his toughness by running the ball in for a touchdown himself.

Bercich showed another deep throw against Wisconsin that was completed thanks to Stanley's smarts.

"I love the way he can diagnose down the field," Bercich said. "That's what he's going to have to do at the next level, but he's going to have to do it a little more quickly. And again – these bang routes, these [Cover] 8-beaters, these post routes, his ability to throw the football on-time and hit these receivers in-stride, I think, is going to bode well for him in the preseason this year.

"How athletic is the big fella?" Bercich asked next. "He's athletic enough. He has enough of the enoughs. He's tall enough, he's big enough and … he's fast enough."

Bercich said Stanley will not be an option-style quarterback but is "athletic enough to move in the pocket and, at times when he has to scramble to get a first down, he has the speed to do so."