Daily Clips Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020 LOCAL NEWS: Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Pioneer Press Riley Reiff won’t balk if Vikings ever ask him to play guard By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/08/11/riley-reiff-wont-balk-if-vikings-ever-ask-him-to-play-guard/ Star Tribune Vikings' 2020 training camp preview: Coaching staff By Ben Goessling https://www.startribune.com/vikings-2020-training-camp-preview-coaching-staff/572075972/ The Athletic ‘It’s kind of refreshing’: With new doubts on defense, Vikings brace for challenge By Chad Graff https://theathletic.com/1988103/2020/08/11/vikings-defense-2020-mike-zimmer-andre-patterson-harrison-smith-eric- kendricks/ Purple Insider Camp rundown: Kicking without fans might still be loud By Matthew Coller https://purpleinsider.substack.com/p/camp-rundown-kicking-without-fans NATIONAL NEWS: Wednesday, August 12, 2020 ESPN Vikings lean on continuity on offense to prepare for season of uncertainty By Courtney Cronin https://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/30097/vikings-lean-on-continuity-on-offense-to-prepare-for- season-of-uncertainty Maven Media Vikings Looking For Big Things From Armon Watts in 2020 By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-looking-for-big-things-armon-watts-2020 Former Vikings Updates: Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen, and More By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/former-vikings-updates-trae-waynes-xavier-rhodes-everson-griffen-more MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Highlights From Tuesday's Rookie Practice at Training Camp By VEN https://www.vikings.com/video/highlights-from-tuesday-s-rookie-practice-at-training-camp Brandt: Kirk Cousins Is My 'Dark Horse' MVP Candidate By NFL Network https://www.vikings.com/video/brandt-kirk-cousins-is-my-dark-horse-mvp-candidate Little Time to get Ready for Vikings O-Line By KMSP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=46a35d08-b19a-4c16-81af-a16c0367e744 Special Teams Gearing Up For Games By KMSP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=c406d8a7-b5f2-494e-b452-b4c789eed7eb VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK NEWS: Wednesday, August 12, 2020 10 Vikings Potential X-Factors in 2020: Holton Hill By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/holton-hill-2020-nfl-season-potential-factors Vikings Defense Shuts Down Notion of Lower Expectations By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/vikings-defense-shuts-down-notion-of-lower-expectations Greenway Helps Minnesota Family Honor Son's Memory By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/chad-greenway-helps-minnesota-family-honor-sons-memory PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/12/20 Riley Reiff won’t balk if Vikings ever ask him to play guard By Chris Tomasson It’s not on the table now, but if the Vikings ever want to move Riley Reiff to guard, he wouldn’t complain. During each of the past two offseasons, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has said he was open to the possibility of shifting Reiff from left tackle to guard. It didn’t happen last year, and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak said last week he doesn’t consider it a possibility for this season. Reiff said in June 2019 the possibility had been brought up. He said this week he didn’t hear anything about it this offseason but would be receptive if the Vikings ever wanted him to change positions. “Heck, I’ll play whatever as long as it helps the team,” he said. TOP ARTICLES 1/5 READ MORE Dear Abby: Poolside overexposure gets disapproval of grandparents Former Vikings head coach and longtime NFL offensive line coach Mike Tice said in April that Reiff would be better suited to play another position on the line other than the marquee left tackle spot. For now, though, the plan is to enter the season with Reiff there for a fourth straight year. Any position change would be made more difficult because the coronavirus pandemic wiped out on-field spring drills. There is now much less time to get an offensive line in order. “I think we’re one of the groups on a football field that really needs to get those live reps,’’ Reiff said. Kubiak said last week that four spots on the line appear to be set with incumbents Reiff, Pat Elflein at left guard, Garrett Bradbury at center and Brian O’Neill at right tackle. To replace right guard Josh Kline, released in March, Kubiak said the primary competitors are holdovers Dakota Dozier and Aviante Collins, and rookie Ezra Cleveland. Cleveland, a second-round pick, played left tackle at Boise State. He could be a candidate to take over at that spot in 2021. Reiff has the Vikings’ second-highest salary-cap number at $13.2 million, although he never has made a Pro Bowl. According to Pro Football Focus, Reiff ranked 29th among 89 NFL guards in 2019. “Some things I’d like to work on are, obviously, pass (protection),” Reiff said. “I think I can get better in run blocking, too.” Entering his eighth NFL season, Reiff has been a team captain since he arrived in Minnesota in 2017. He wants to be available to help young players however he can. “These young guys, I hope they reach out to me and ask me, ‘Hey,’ about this or that,’ ” he said. SPECIAL STABILITY The Vikings are in line to return the same three specialists for the first time since 2016. Kicker Dan Bailey is entering a third Vikings season, and punter/holder Britton Colquitt and long snapper Austin Cutting will be back for a second one. “It feels pretty good, to be honest,’’ said special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf. “As much as I like to have a bunch of different guys doing that … it also will be nice to focus in on those three.” The Vikings started camp last summer with two long snappers on the roster in Cutting and incumbent Kevin McDermott, later released. They brought in kicker-punter Kaare Vedvick to compete with Bailey and incumbent punter Matt Wile. Vedvick and Wile were waived, and Colquitt was signed after being released by Cleveland. RELATED ARTICLES Vikings’ Dan Bailey: kicking without crowd noise would be ‘weird’ Vikings waive Cameron Smith but plan to put him on reserve list due to heart issue Vikings waive undrafted free-agent signee Tyler Higby Vikings hope dissing of their defense will motivate them Vikings LB Cameron Smith to miss 2020 season due to open-heart surgery BRIEFLY Linebacker Cameron Smith, waived Monday, cleared waivers on Tuesday and has been added to the reserve/non- football illness list. Smith soon will undergo open-heart surgery and will miss the season. … Maalouf said it will be a challenge getting special teams in order with the pandemic having wiped out preseason games. “I’m not exactly sure how (Zimmer) is going to do it, but I’m sure he’s going to sprinkle in some full speed and contact practices once we start getting this thing going,” he said. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/12/20 Vikings' 2020 training camp preview: Coaching staff By Ben Goessling The Vikings are getting closer to playing football. Training camp ramps up this week with the start of full practices, which can begin Wednesday. Until then, we’ll preview the key points at each position every day. Practices in full pads start Aug. 17. Coaching staff Head coach: Mike Zimmer Coordinators: Gary Kubiak (offense), Andre Patterson/Adam Zimmer (defense), Marwaan Malouf (special teams) Offensive position coaches: Klint Kubiak (quarterbacks), Kennedy Polamalu (running backs), Andrew Janocko (wide receivers), Rick Dennison (offensive line/run game coordinator), Phil Rauchser (assistant offensive line), Brian Pariani (tight ends), Christian Jones (offensive quality control), AC Patterson (offensive quality control) Defensive position coaches: Dom Capers (senior defensive assistant), Patterson (defensive line), Adam Zimmer (linebackers), Daronte Jones (defensive backs), Imarjaye Albury (assistant defensive line), Nick Rallis (defensive quality control/assistant linebackers), Roy Anderson (assistant defensive backs) Special teams assistants: Ryan Ficken, Nate Kaeding (kicking consultant) Strength and conditioning: Mark Uyeyama (director of competition development), Derik Keyes (assistant strength and conditioning), Chaz Mahle (assistant strength and conditioning) Offseason moves In: Kubiak (named offensive coordinator), Janocko (shifted from assistant OL to wide receivers), Rauscher, Capers, Jones, Albury, Anderson Out: Kevin Stefanski (became Browns’ head coach), Drew Petzing (became Browns’ tight ends coach), George Edwards (became Cowboys’ senior defensive assistant), Jerry Gray (became Packers’ DB coach), Robert Rodriguez (became Arizona State DL coach) Jeff Howard (became Browns’ passing game coordinator/DB coach) Outlook After co-owner Mark Wilf released a statement supporting Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman before the team’s playoff game against the Saints in January, the Vikings didn’t finalize three-year extensions for their head coach and general manager until the eve of training camp. But the team’s commitment to its current direction never seemed in doubt, not with Zimmer quickly giving Gary Kubiak play-calling duties in January after the Browns hired Stefanski and choosing his son Adam and Patterson (his longtime assistant and confidant) to split coordinator duties after the Vikings parted ways with George Edwards. Zimmer (who turned 64 in June) is the fourth-oldest head coach in the NFL, but just the second-oldest on his staff after the team added Capers in an advisory role similar to the one Kubiak played last season. The Vikings quickly turned play-calling duties over to Kubiak, out of a desire to maintain their current offensive structure after Stefanski’s departure. As they try to make back-to-back playoff trips for the first time in Zimmer’s tenure, their offense has more stability than a defense trying to indoctrinate young players during a truncated training camp.