DAILY CLIPS
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2018
LOCAL NEWS: Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Pioneer Press
Terence at 40: Vikings’ Newman on verge of becoming half of elite NFL pair By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/28/vikings-terence-newman-on-verge-of-being-second-40-year-old-db-in-nfl-history/
Vikings safety George Iloka still adjusting to new role: ‘I feel like a rookie again’ By Dane Mizutani https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/28/vikings-safety-george-iloka-still-adjusting-to-new-role-i-feel-like-a-rookie-again/
Vikings QB Trevor Siemian hopes to start preseason finale to get ‘bad taste out’ By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/28/vikings-qb-trevor-siemian-hopes-to-start-preseason-finale-to-get-bad-taste-out/
Star Tribune
Smartest Vikings? Mike Zimmer gives high grades to team's most intellectual players By Mark Craig http://www.startribune.com/smartest-vikings-mike-zimmer-gives-high-grades-to-team-s-most-intellectual-players/491917271/
Kendall Wright's roster status more secure considering he leads all Vikings in career receptions By Andrew Krammer http://www.startribune.com/kendall-wright-s-roster-status-more-secure-considering-he-leads-all-vikings-in-career- receptions/491921671/
Quarterbacks - including Kirk Cousins - not red hot in the red zone By Chris Hine http://www.startribune.com/quarterbacks-including-kirk-cousins-not-red-hot-in-the-red-zone/491942541/
Vikings.com
C.J. Ham’s Versatility, Diligence in Playbook Keys Benefiting Vikings Offense By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/c-j-ham-s-versatility-diligence-in-playbook-keys-benefiting-vikings-offense
Lunchbreak: Vikings Land 7 Players on ESPN’s Top 100 List By Vikings.com https://www.vikings.com/news/lunchbreak-vikings-land-7-players-on-espn-s-top-100-list
10 Vikings-Titans Numbers of Note: Beebe, Boone Lead Vikings Offense in Preseason Stats By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/10-vikings-titans-numbers-of-note-beebe-boone-lead-vikings-offense-in-preseason-
Game Preview: Vikings at Titans By Vikings PR https://www.vikings.com/news/game-preview-vikings-at-titans
DeFilippo: Kendall Wright's Flight in Vikings Offense Recently Able to 'Take Off' By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/defilippo-kendall-wright-s-flight-in-vikings-offense-recently-able-to-take-off
VIKING Update
Sloter vs. Siemian: Under pressure and overall By Tim Yotter https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Kyle-Sloter-vs-Trevor-Siemian-121125305/
1500 ESPN
What can Pro Football Focus numbers tell us about the Vikings’ preseason? By Matthew Coller http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/08/can-pro-football-focus-numbers-tell-us-vikings-preseason/
10 players who need a strong preseason finale By Matthew Coller http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/08/10-players-need-strong-preseason-finale/
The Athletic
Rosenfels: Kirk Cousins isn’t the biggest question mark for this Vikings offense By Sage Rosenfels https://theathletic.com/493374/2018/08/28/vikings-offense-concerns-john-defilippo-offensive-line-kirk-cousins-sage-rosenfels/
Vikings position-group breakdowns: A new offense for a thin tight end group By Arif Hasan https://theathletic.com/492764/2018/08/28/vikings-position-group-breakdown-tight-ends-kyle-rudolph-david-morgan-blake-bell- tyler-conklin/
NATIONAL NEWS: Wednesday, August 29, 2018
NFL.com
Kirk Cousins explains why he picked Vikings over Jets By Austin Knoblauch http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000952002/article/kirk-cousins-explains-why-he-picked-vikings-over-jets
PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/29/18
Terence at 40: Vikings’ Newman on verge of becoming half of elite NFL pair
By Chris Tomasson
Three years ago, then-Vikings wide receiver Mike Wallace predicted that cornerback Terence Newman would play until he’s 40.
Looks like Wallace will be right.
Newman, expected to be on Minnesota’s 53-man roster when it’s officially announced Saturday, turns 40 next Tuesday and is expected, again, to be a big part of the defense when the Vikings open the season Sept. 9 against San Francisco at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed Tuesday that Newman would be just the second 40-year-old defensive back in NFL history, joining hall of famer Darrell Green, who played with Washington from 1983-2002 and retired at age 42.
“God bless (Newman),” ESPN analyst and hall of fame NFL executive Bill Polian said. “It’s absolutely amazing. He’s a medical and genetic marvel.”
Newman signed with Minnesota in the spring of 2015, when he was 36. After going against him in practice during offseason drills, Wallace marveled at the job Newman was doing.
“I think he has at least another three or four years in him if he wants to,” Wallace, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, told the Pioneer Press in June 2015. “I think he can be a 40-year-old cornerback.”
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Newman has signed four consecutive one-year contracts with the Vikings. After he signed the last one, he said this would be his final season.
For now, Newman has more history to make. He’s the oldest defensive player in the NFL, and is Minnesota’s oldest on defense since defensive end Jim Marshall played in December 1979, two weeks shy of his 42nd birthday.
“It speaks to his toughness, his preparation, his attention to detail, his level of professionalism, the way he takes care of himself, not just during the season but year round,” said CBS analyst Rich Gannon, a Vikings quarterback from 1987-92. “His competitiveness and all those things. He’s had an amazing career.”
Newman, though, wasn’t interested in discussing his upcoming birthday on Monday. Asked if turning 40 is a milestone, he said, “I ain’t talking about that.”
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, however, did. He has coached Newman during 10 of his 16 NFL seasons.
When Newman played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-11, Zimmer was the defensive coordinator for his first four seasons. When Newman was with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2012-14, Zimmer was the defensive coordinator the first two years.
“He’s getting a little bit more gray,” said Zimmer, who brought Newman to the Vikings in 2015. “Terence is a great kid. He works hard. He probably will have a good birthday on his 40th. I love him. He’s always been my guy, anyway.”
Newman’s defensive coordinator in Minnesota has been George Edwards. When he was Washington’s assistant defensive coordinator in 2002, Edwards coached Green during his final season.
“Any time you’ve got a player that has been that productive for that long, they’re really special,” Edwards said. “They’re really special as far as being able to take care of their bodies. Both of them have done a great job of that throughout their careers. Their knowledge of the game, they’ve just seen so many different things that offenses try and do. It’s hard to surprise them on anything.”
Making Newman’s longevity even more impressive is that, like Green, he has remained at cornerback. Charles Woodson played until he was 39 before retiring after the 2015 season, but he had moved from cornerback to the less-demanding safety spot his final four years.
Newman is no longer a regular starter, but he did start seven games last season at nickel corner. With Mackensie Alexander out the past two weeks with an ankle injury, it’s not out of the question Newman could be in the nickel role when the regular season begins. “He’s been out there taking reps and looking good, so I don’t think age has anything to do with it,” Edwards said. “He’s a little different that way. He’s a true professional who takes care of his body and prepares as well as anybody, so it’s a blessing for us to have him.”
PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/29/18
Vikings safety George Iloka still adjusting to new role: ‘I feel like a rookie again’
By Dane Mizutani
While most NFL veterans usually get the preseason finale off, safety George Iloka expects to be in full pads when the Vikings take on the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night at Nissan Stadium.
Iloka signed with the Vikings last week and knows the game offers a chance for him to climb the depth chart before the Sept. 9 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
“I feel like a rookie again to some extent, in terms of proving myself,” said Iloka, who last week was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals to reduce salary cap space. “That said, I still feel like a veteran because at the end of the day, it’s football and I’ve been doing it for a while. It’s my job to do what I have to do off the field as far as picking up on the playbook.”
Iloka already has a good base knowledge of the defensive scheme. Two of his seasons in Cincinnati were spent playing defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, now the Vikings’ head coach. So, in some regard, it’s been a matter of returning to old habits.
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“I’m just trying to pick up on the details; that’s the biggest thing right now,” he said. “I know Coach Zimmer is really detail-oriented, so the quicker I can learn the details and the ins and outs of how they want to do things, the quicker I’ll be able to play in the games.”
Iloka, 28, had to watch from the sidelines last week while the first team took the field against the Seattle Seahawks.
It was an unusual position for Iloka, a starter the past five seasons — though he made the most of his opportunity when he finally got on the field. He checked in late in the third quarter and immediately deflected a pass that fell into the waiting arms of fellow safety Anthony Harris for an interception.
“He’s a true professional,” defensive coordinator George Edwards said of Iloka. “He’s very familiar with what we’re doing systematically, and I think matchup-wise, with the things that we ask our safeties to do, and the different packages we’re using him in, he’s picked up on those things pretty quickly. We are excited to have him.”
Edwards also noted he plans to use Iloka as more of a hybrid linebacker this season, meaning he would share the field with fellow safeties Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo.
“We are giving him some reps in that role, trying to do some of those things,” Edwards said. “We will continue to work and keep using his skill set back at safety and underneath.”
It’s uncharted territory for Iloka, though he isn’t necessarily opposed to the shift. He knows it makes him more valuable moving forward if he can prove himself as someone that can do both.
“It’s a little different,” Iloka said. “I think the thing that helps me out is I’ve always prided myself on trying to learn what everybody around me does. As a safety, I deal with the nickel back or linebackers a lot anyways, so it isn’t a foreign language. It’s more like English 102 instead of English 101. You know what I mean?”
Because of that, Iloka is actually excited to be playing in the preseason finale.
“Anytime I get a chance to go out there, it’s an opportunity to get better,” he said. “This is my second game here, so it’s going to be very important for me to use this game and get better with the things they want me to get better at.”
PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 8/29/18
Vikings QB Trevor Siemian hopes to start preseason finale to get ‘bad taste out’
By Chris Tomasson
Trevor Siemian doesn’t want last week’s lackluster performance to be his last of the preseason.
After two strong games, the Vikings backup quarterback completed just 4 of 8 passes for three yards and was sacked three times in a 21-20 win over Seattle last Friday.
Starter Kirk Cousins is not expected to play in Thursday night’s finale at Tennessee. Coach Mike Zimmer has not announced whether Siemian or third-stringer Kyle Sloter will start, and Siemian said Tuesday he doesn’t know.
“I’d like to play and figure it out and get that bad taste out of my mouth and put a good foot forward,” he said.
In the final preseason game last year, Zimmer gave starter Sam Bradford and backup Case Keenum the night off, and third-stringer Taylor Heinicke started.
Zimmer was asked what he would like to see out of Siemian in the event he does start Thursday.
“Just to execute better, be better in the pocket than he was; I think kind of take charge, take control of the huddle and the game,” the coach said. “Last week, he looked uncomfortable, yeah, but I didn’t think he did before that.’’
Siemian agreed. He played four scoreless series in the second half, and one of his completions was a batted ball he caught himself for a one-yard loss.
“I missed an easy throw on a keeper to (tight end) Blake (Bell),” he said. “I didn’t get in a rhythm really at all. … You’re kind left with that bad taste in your mouth. But at the same time, it’s not a full same sample size. So, you just make corrections, learn from it and move on.”
Siemian pointed the finger at himself for being sacked three times for losses of 25 yards.
“I’ve got to find a way to get rid of the ball somehow, some way or buy more time,” he said. “I thought there was a couple of times, if I got it out of my hand, it’s not a completion; but it’s an incompletion, and that’s better than a sack.”
Sloter relieved Siemian and led the Vikings to 15 fourth-quarter points. That included a 25-yard touchdown pass to Chad Beebe on fourth-and-15, and the winning 2-point conversion pass to Jake Wieneke with 47 seconds left.
Despite Sloter’s strong preseason, Zimmer has identified Siemian as the Vikings’ No. 2 quarterback. He has completed 20 of 35 passes (57.1 percent) for 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for a passer rating of 82.3 in three preseason games.
Siemian completed 11 of 17 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in a victory at Denver, where he was the primary starter the previous two years. In the second game, a 14-10 loss to Jacksonville, he went 5 for 10 for 46 yards and drove the Vikings to their only touchdown.
BRIEFLY Rookie cornerback Mike Hughes returned to practice Tuesday after sitting out all of last week and missing sessions Sunday and Monday. He fielded punts and could have that role Thursday with Marcus Sherels sidelined by a hamstring strain. Hughes is expected to be Minnesota’s regular kickoff returner.
— Also not practicing Tuesday were defensive backs Mackensie Alexander, Jack Tocho and Tray Matthews, wide receivers Beebe, Stacy Coley and Tavarres King, offensive lineman Josh Andrews and linebacker Devante Downs.
–Late in Tuesday’s practice, wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered an apparent left ankle injury and limped off under his own power. Regardless of health, Thielen, along with most other starters, is not expected to play Thursday.
PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/29/18
Smartest Vikings? Mike Zimmer gives high grades to team's most intellectual players
By Mark Craig
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was asked this week where he’d rank intelligence in the pecking order of picking players.
He gave a smart answer that had to disappoint not-so-smart players seeking NFL employment based on brawn.
“High,” Zimmer said. “We want intelligent players. Obviously, good players. But I think if it comes down to it and one guy is not smart and one guy is, we’ll probably go with the smart guy.”
Now, if only there were a fool-proof way for Zimmer and his peers to separate football’s nitwitted from its quick-witted.
It’s not easy, Zimmer said.
Like a lot of teams, the Vikings have the standard psychological tests and questions they ask college players before the draft. But Zimmer often goes old-school grease board and gut instincts during his part of evaluating the noggin.
“I only talked to the Vikings one time before the draft,” said middle linebacker Eric Kendricks, a second-round pick in 2015. “It was a 15-minute meeting during the combine. They just put me on the board.”
Kendricks was told to design UCLA’s favorite plays.
“I drew up a play to a basic formation,” Kendricks said. “Then [Zimmer] started moving guys around and asking me what everyone was supposed to do when there’s motion, a back out of the backfield, things like that. He wanted to know if I knew what everybody else was supposed to be doing.”
Zimmer calls it throwing “curveballs at them” to see if they’re able to understand entire concepts or just their assignment within that concept.
“I thought it went pretty smooth,” Kendricks said. “I don’t want to say it was one of the simpler interviews, but they just wanted to see my football IQ.
‘‘A lot of other teams did a lot of weird things trying to psyche me out. Like putting doubt on me to see how I’d react.”
The Vikings are one of the better teams in the league in large part because they have smart players.
Offensively, if newcomer Kirk Cousins is as smart as advertised, he’ll click with receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, who break defenses with savvy route running as much as speed and ball skills.
Defensively, the high football IQ is evident at all three levels, from the front four to Kendricks and Anthony Barr to a secondary that includes first-team All-Pros Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith, and a soon-to-be-40-year-old nickel corner Terence Newman.
Ten starters return from the defense that led the league last year in points, yards and third-down conversions allowed. Kendricks was asked which brain in this veteran-laden group ranks No. 1 in processing information on the field.
“It depends on what we’re looking for,” Kendricks said. “If it’s something with the line, the D-line are pretty good at communicating that. Splits and things, the DBs are great with that.
“The thing about our team is everyone is very intelligent in terms of knowing what’s going on everywhere. So there’s a lot of dialogue that’s happening at all times.”
Kendricks said it wasn’t until near the end of his rookie season that he felt comfortable in Zimmer’s defense.
“But now, we’re so comfortable communicating with each other, it’s second nature,” Kendricks said. “If it’s something you have to blurt out, you blurt it out. But if it’s something you can be more low-key about, you can alert somebody on the low.”
Kendricks is a fast middle linebacker. Being a smart player can make him even faster because “there are so many tips you can get pre-snap that if you recognize it, you can help the team out.”
However, part of being smart is knowing that the opposition has spent a week working on ways to outsmart even smart players.
“If there’s something I know for sure is going to happen, I might cheat to it,” Kendricks said. “But cheating also will get you hurt sometimes because the other team game plans, too. You can’t always be guessing. In this game, you need to be smart and know what everyone’s doing.”
PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/29/18
Kendall Wright's roster status more secure considering he leads all Vikings in career receptions
By Andrew Krammer
Kendall Wright — not Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs nor Kyle Rudolph — has the most career receptions on the Vikings roster.
The well-traveled veteran is on his “fifth or sixth” playbook entering his seventh NFL season, and he admitted a prolonged “learning process” early this offseason before he started to impress offensive coordinator John DeFilippo this month.
“First, it was a learning process early in the spring,” Wright said. “It was a lot of thinking, but once I got that done it was just playing fast; it was easy for me.”
While outside speculation often puts Wright on the roster bubble ahead of Saturday’s cuts, the reality is he’s the Vikings’ No. 4 receiver.
Listen: Who's going to make the Vikings' 53-man roster? Listen: Who's going to make the Vikings' 53-man roster? Ben Goessling and Andrew Krammer discuss the Vikings' acquisition of center/guard Brett Jones, Pat Elflein's status, project the 53-man roster and answer your Twitter questions on quarterbacks, George Iloka and running backs. Wright, whose sophomore NFL effort included 94 catches for 1,079 yards for the Titans in 2013, stepped in when Thielen hobbled off the practice field Tuesday and ran routes alongside Diggs and Laquon Treadwell. Thielen’s injury is not believed to be series, according to a league source.
“I’ve told him this,” DeFilippo said. “I thought when he started out when he got here, he was a little bit slow and I think he was trying to grasp everything. … Once he grasped what we were trying to do, I think over training camp and the last few OTAs you really saw his game take off.”
Wright, 28, likely will play in Thursday night’s preseason finale if only because he’s one of six Vikings receivers who isn’t either a projected starter or injured.
Siemian aims to rebound
Mike Zimmer said he wants to see 26-year-old backup quarterback Trevor Siemian “take charge” and look calmer in the pocket when he starts Thursday’s preseason finale in Tennessee. While Siemian, a former starting quarterback in Denver, is entrenched as the Vikings’ No. 2, he’s also looking to put out a better showing. He completed four of eight passes for 3 yards and took three sacks against Seattle.
“Experience is definitely good to have, and you fall back on it at times,” Siemian said. “But I still feel relatively young, and I’m learning a bunch.”
Surprises coming
Ahead of Saturday’s roster cuts down to 53 players, the Vikings have a sense of which of the players they cut are most likely to be plucked off waivers by another team and, in turn, not stay on their practice squad. But there are a few surprises every year, Zimmer said, when a player he thought he’d be able to keep gets claimed by another team.
“Every year, probably two or three guys [surprise me],” Zimmer said. “People have needs in certain places. You kind of get a feel, honestly, from around the league — for the most part — on what positions aren’t as strong as other positions. Those guys might get poached a little more.”
Hughes, Waynes return to practice
Cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Trae Waynes returned to practice Tuesday. Hughes had been held out since the Aug. 18 exhibition against Jacksonville because of an undisclosed injury, and is still unlikely to play in Thursday’s preseason finale. Waynes only missed Monday’s practice and also likely will sit with the other starters.
Thielen appeared to injure his left leg in practice and walked off with a noticeable limp.
Nine Vikings didn’t practice Tuesday and are unlikely to play in Tennessee: receivers Chad Beebe, Stacy Coley and Tarvarres King, cornerbacks Mackensie Alexander (ankle) and Marcus Sherels (hamstring), linebacker Devante Downs (foot), guard Josh Andrews and safeties Jack Tocho and Tray Matthews.
Quick hits
• Look for guard Danny Isidora and newcomer Brett Jones to snap the ball against the Titans. Both took 11-on-11 reps with Siemian during Tuesday’s practice. The initial O-line with Siemian featured, from left to right, Aviante Collins, Jones, Isidora, Colby Gossett and Brian O’Neill.
• Kicker Daniel Carlson converted all five field-goal attempts during Tuesday’s practice, including a couple from 42 yards away — the distance the rookie fifth-round draft pick missed twice from against Seattle.
PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 8/29/18
Quarterbacks - including Kirk Cousins - not red hot in the red zone
By Chris Hine
The red zone is the area of the field where communication and chemistry between a quarterback and his receivers might be the most important. Defenses are able to play tighter since they have less ground to cover.
“Your timing when the ball is being released, where it’s being thrown has to be that much more precise,” Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said.
Except quarterbacks, including Cousins, are typically less precise in the red zone.
In 2017, only one quarterback had a higher completion rate in the red zone than his overall completion percentage — Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, whose 64.9 red-zone percentage outpaced his overall 60.2 mark.
Cousins had a dip of 11.9 percent (64.3 to 52.4), the 20th-biggest drop among quarterbacks who had at least 14 passing attempts per game. His 52.4 red-zone completion percentage was 15th among those passers.
In his three seasons as a starter, Cousins had one good year in terms of that statistic — 2015. That season, Cousins had a 64.1 red-zone completion percentage (fifth in the league) and didn’t throw any interceptions in that part of the field.
He threw three last season and two in 2016 while hitting just 47.5 percent of his passes.
“Red zone football is unique,” Cousins said. “The windows are smaller. There’s less grass for the defense to defend so the players are going to be less spread out.”
The success or failure of a red-zone offense doesn’t always hinge on the quarterback. The receivers have to do their part in getting open in those tight windows.
This might be where having targets such as Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and tight end Kyle Rudolph came in handy for the Vikings last year.
Case Keenum had a drop of only 5.6 percent in the red zone, clocking in at 62 while throwing 16 touchdowns and no interceptions last season. This came after he completed just 43.2 percent in the red zone in 2016 for the Rams.
Perhaps the Vikings receiving corps also will help lift Cousins’ red zone numbers.
“The ability to separate down there is critical because the ball is on you fast and there’s people closer to you so it all marries together,” receivers coach Darrell Hazell said. “You have the timing, and the ability to find out is it man, is it zone, and then find those windows if it is zone.”
Added Cousins: “When they’re coming out of their break, the angles they’re taking and then understanding the defenses and routes that the defense is conceding as opposed to the ones they’re trying to take away, all that has to be studied and understood.”
Cousins said the same goes for everywhere else on the field, but numbers show it becomes a little more difficult to accomplish in the red zone.
Chris Hine is the lead writer for North Score, the Star Tribune’s sports analytics beat. startribune.com/northscore E-mail: [email protected]
PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/29/18
C.J. Ham’s Versatility, Diligence in Playbook Keys Benefiting Vikings Offense
By Lindsey Young
EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings needed to get out of their own territory, and they looked to C.J. Ham to help them advance.
On second-and-8 from his own 5, Kirk Cousins faked a handoff to running back Latavius Murray and instead wound up from inside the end zone and connected with Ham, who made the catch just ahead of Rasheed Green before getting forced out of bounds on the left sideline by Green and K.J. Wright.
Ham’s 10-yard catch gave Minnesota some much-needed breathing room and set in motion a 97- yard drive – including another play by Ham for 16 yards – that ended with a 1-yard touchdown by Murray.
It’s not uncommon for fullbacks to be in on plays near the end zone … when it’s at the other end. But Ham’s versatility has enabled the Vikings to utilize him in more roles than one.
“Kirk has told me that he really likes having me in there in some of those situations, so I take pride in that,” Ham said. “If Kirk likes me in there, I want to make sure I’m doing the right things when I’m in there with him. Coming from a running back background, being able to catch the ball, I think it just adds value to my position.”
Vikings Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo was asked about Ham’s first catch against the Seahawks in the teams’ third preseason game, and he emphasized the significant impact it had on getting Minnesota moving down the field.
“Whenever you have more guys of different skill sets, that’s a good thing,” DeFilippo said. “Keeping his balance and catching the football and making a guy miss, that was an impressive play, and that was a huge play for us at that time.”
According to DeFilippo, though, this is nothing new for the Duluth native.
“He’s being doing that stuff,” DeFilippo said. “Somebody asked me other day if it’s been surprising me that’s he’s played as well as he has, and I said no. He’s been doing that since we’ve been here. So, really pleased with C.J.”
Ham joined the Vikings as an undrafted rookie in 2016 and spent the majority of that season on the practice squad as a running back. Prior to last season, he was asked to make the move to fullback, which he embraced.
When asked how he’s improved heading into his second season at the position, Ham immediately responded that his overall knowledge of the game is much stronger.
“I feel like this year I’ve been able to dissect defenses and coverages and fronts a lot better than I did last year,” Ham said. “[Running backs coach Kennedy] Polamalu’s done a great job of helping me out in that sense, and I feel like I’ve gotten stronger in that part – and it’s making the game come to me easier.”
While Ham and DeFilippo didn’t work together in 2017, the coordinator concurs that Ham has the playbook down.
DeFilippo told media members that Ham is “one of the most diligent” player he’s coached. He said that on top of being smart and athletic, Ham takes pride in doing his job well.
Even when DeFilippo intentionally tries to stump Ham, he’s ready.
“I kind of try and surprise him each day on the script, putting him somewhere else and seeing if I can catch him without him preparing, and I never do,” DeFilippo explained. “He always comes up and asks, ‘Hey, how do you want this? How do you want this?’
“He can do a lot of things and lot of things well. Not only obviously playing fullback, but from a team standpoint on our special teams,” DeFilippo continued. “He’s a guy we’re continuing to watch grow and have a role in this offense. I’ve been very, very, very impressed with C.J.”
Hearing DeFilippo’s anecdote recounted to him following Tuesday morning’s practice session, Ham flashed a smile.
“It’s kind of humbling to know that he’s trying to throw a little wrinkle in there, and I’m still able to get it,” Ham said.
He then paid credit to Polamalu for continuously stressing that the fullback needs to know “everything.”
“You need to know the formations, you need to know the blocking schemes,” Ham said. “It just makes the game so much easier from a running back standpoint, a fullback standpoint, so just being in the playbook is something I pride myself in, and I have to continue to impress.”
In addition to team and position group meetings, as well as install periods of practice, Ham makes sure to dive into the playbook by himself every evening.
“[I’m] looking at what’s coming tomorrow and making sure I know where I’m exactly supposed to be position-wise, depth-wise, all of those things – to an exact ‘T.’ Coach Flip is very particular about how he wants things done, and I want to make sure I’m doing my job and doing it as well as I can for him,” Ham said.
When the Vikings hired DeFilippo in February, coming off a Super Bowl LII championship as the Eagles quarterbacks coach, Ham felt a little nervous. He had worked under Pat Shurmur during the 2017 season, and when Shurmur accepted the head coaching job with the Giants, Ham wondered how the Vikings offense would change.
He said it was initially difficult not knowing what to expect or if the system would involve a fullback. But when he got to know DeFilippo and his plans for the offense, Ham understood that he would have an opportunity to continue demonstrating his versatility.
“From day one, he says we’re going to be a two-back offense,” Ham said. “His system is very complex, there’s a lot of different words, a lot of different motions, but I feel like I’ve done a good job of staying in playbook and making sure I know what I’m supposed to do.”
At home, Ham enjoys spending time with his wife, Stephanie, and playing his young daughter, Skylar. But on the football field, he’s all business.
And while his mentality changes a bit on the gridiron, the approach also has a family connection.
“My dad didn’t play sports, but he’s always worked extremely hard at anything he’s ever done, so when I’m out on the field it’s all about just working hard,” Ham said. “It’s on the field, get your job done, work hard. And then when I’m at home with my family, I get to kind of let all that go and just be free.”
PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/29/18
Lunchbreak: Vikings Land 7 Players on ESPN’s Top 100 List
By Vikings.com
The Vikings are on the cusp of the 2018 season, and it appears they have a roster that is primed and ready to make another deep postseason run.
ESPN recently released its ranking of the Top 100 players in the NFL, and seven Vikings made the list, which tied for the most from any team across the league.
Minnesota had four defensive and three offensive players included. The Vikings also had three players listed in the top 40. More than half (18) of the NFL’s 32 teams had three or fewer players on the entire 100-player list.
Minnesota’s trio of 2017 All-Pro defensive players were up first, led by safety Harrison Smith at No. 25.
ESPN Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin wrote:
Smith held quarterbacks to a 22.0 passer rating, allowed zero TD catches and came away with five interceptions and five pass breakups last season. He was the league’s best safety. There’s no reason to think he’ll lose that distinction in 2018.
All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes was listed at No. 34, while defensive end Everson Griffen was ESPN’s 39th-ranked player.
Rhodes were closed in 2017 as he shut down No. 1 receivers on a weekly basis. Quarterbacks have learned their lesson against targeting Rhodes, who allowed a 54.7 completion percentage and two touchdowns. His physicality in press coverage makes him a nightmare for opposing wideouts.
Coming off a career year in sacks (13), Griffen is the best pass-rusher on a star-studded Vikings defensive line. It took him only eight games to rack up 10 sacks last season. Entering Year 9, he is hitting his stride – and the QB.
All-Pro wide receiver Adam Thielen was up next at No. 71, followed by the 80th player on the list — Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was perhaps the splashiest free-agent signing across the league in 2018.
Thielen posted career highs in catches (91), targets (142) and yards (1,276) during his breakout 2017 season. Kirk Cousins loves spreading the ball around and going over the middle of the field, which fits Thielen’s game.
The last time Cousins had a supporting cast this good, he threw for almost 5,000 yards and had his best NFL season. The difference this time? He’s backed by the No. 1 defense. A career year is within reach for the $84 million quarterback.
Defensive end Danielle Hunter rounded out the Vikings defensive quartet at No. 91.
Hunter has 25.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown in three NFL seasons. Oh, and he’s only 23. The sky’s the limit for this young pass- rusher, who plays on one of the league’s best defensive lines.
Minnesota’s group was closed out by one of the team’s most exciting young stars in running back Dalvin Cook, who was No. 95 on the list.
Cook’s goal in his second season is simple: win Comeback Player of the Year. His rookie year was cut short by a knee injury. His 4.8 yards per rush and ability as a receiver making him a dynamic threat as an every-down back.
Minnesota’s seven players led the NFC North and were tied with Philadelphia for the most of any team in the league. Green Bay and Detroit had three players apiece. No Bears players made the list.
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Boone earns solid grade for preseason play
Mike Boone is in the mix to make the Vikings 53-man roster thanks to a strong preseason.
The rookie running back has impressed many around the organization, and even some outside of it.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com recently handed out grades to a player on each NFC team for the third preseason game, and he gave Boone a ‘B’ for a solid day’s work.
Brooks wrote:
The Vikings have discovered a nice combo back behind Dalvin Cook. Boone only tallied 39 scrimmage yards on 13 touches (nine rushes for 26 yards, four receptions for 13 yards), but he continued to exhibit the short-area explosiveness and wiggle that has made him a preseason
MVP candidate. As the Vikings put together their depth chart and game plans with their best players in mind, they might want to script out some plays for No. 44, to take advantage of his versatility on the perimeter.
Boone has 34 carries for 139 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and a touchdown in the preseason. He also had eight catches for 35 yards.
PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/29/18
10 Vikings-Titans Numbers of Note: Beebe, Boone Lead Vikings Offense in Preseason Stats
By Eric Smith
EAGAN, Minn. — The preseason is coming to a close.
The Vikings wrap up their preseason schedule Thursday night in Tennessee against the Titans. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. (CT) from Nashville.
Minnesota’s starters are not expected to play against the Titans, as Thursday’s game should showcase plenty of players fighting for roster spots.
The Vikings are 2-1 in the preseason, while Tennessee is 0-3.
Here’s a look at 10 numbers of note heading into Thursday’s matchup:
90 — The Vikings currently have 90 players on their roster. The team will have to get down to 53 players by 3 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.
236 — Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 24 of 40 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown in three preseason games. Quarterback Kyle Sloter also has 236 preseason passing yards.
17 — Minnesota’s starting defense gave up 17 combined points in 10 total series in three preseason games.
9 — Vikings wide receiver Chad Beebe leads the Vikings with nine catches in preseason play. He has 95 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
13 — The Vikings have played 13 regular-season games against the Tennessee/Houston franchise dating back to 1974. The first seven meetings came when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and the 1998 matchup was against the Tennessee Oilers. The past five meetings have featured the Vikings and the Tennessee Titans.
139 — Running back Mike Boone leads the Vikings with 34 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown in preseason play. The undrafted rookie free agent is trying to make the 53-man roster.
33 — Vikings safety George Iloka played 33 total snaps in Friday night’s preseason game against Seattle. Iloka, who was signed on Wednesday, played 25 defensive snaps and eight on special teams.
10 — The Vikings have racked up 10 sacks in three preseason games. Ifeadi Odenigbo and Anthony Harris have 2.0 sacks apiece, while five other players (Tashawn Bower, Eric Wilson, Danielle Hunter, David Parry and Jonathan Wynn) have one sack. Ben Gedeon and Stephen Weatherly have 0.5 sacks to their name.
16 — The Vikings are 16-4 in preseason play under Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer since he took over in 2014.
57 — Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson is tied for the longest successful field goal try in the preseason at 57 yards, which the rookie made in Denver. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who is preparing for his 23rd NFL season and will turn 46 in December, also made a 57-yarder this preseason.
PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/29/18
Game Preview: Vikings at Titans
By Vikings PR
The defending NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings (13-3 in 2017) will close their 2018 preseason slate on the road against the Tennessee Titans (9-7 in 2017) at 7 p.m. (CT) Thursday.
The game will be simulcast live locally on FOX 9 and KFAN 100.3-FM.
The Vikings have earned a 16-4 (.800) preseason mark under Head Coach Mike Zimmer, who has led the club to two undefeated preseasons in his four seasons at the helm. Prior to dropping the 2015 preseason finale at Tennessee, 24-17, the Vikings boasted a perfect 8-0 preseason mark under Zimmer.
Minnesota’s RB corps is second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage per game, averaging 175.7 yards through three games this preseason. Mike Boone leads the Vikings with 175 yards from scrimmage (sixth in the NFL) and fellow undrafted rookie Roc Thomas has 168 yards from scrimmage (10th in the NFL). Minnesota’s running backs are tied for fifth in the NFL with nine rushes of 10 or more yards. Boone has four (tied for second in the NFL), Latavius Murray has three, Thomas has one and Mack Brown has one.
The Vikings defense, which ranked No. 1 in the NFL in yards allowed and points allowed in 2017, is the only defensive unit in the NFL to not surrender a single point in first quarters in the 2018 preseason.
SIMULCAST
FOX 9 (TV Channel 9 in Minneapolis/St. Paul) and KFAN 100.3-FM/KTLK-AM 1130
Play-by-Play: Paul Allen
Analyst: Pete Bercich
Sideline Reporters: Greg Coleman and Ben Leber
Radio Pre-game Show: Mike Mussman | 5 p.m. (CT)
KFAN and KTLK serve as the flagship stations for the 63-station, five-state Vikings Radio Network.
VIKINGS IN THE PRESEASON
* The Vikings have a combined record of 156-100-3 (.609) in their 259 preseason games.
* The team has finished undefeated in the preseason eight times (1964, ’65, ’73, ’92, ’98, ’01, ’14, ’16).
* The Vikings have finished with a .500 record or better 44 times in the team’s 57 preseasons.
* Minnesota has finished .500 or better in the regular season 34 times after posting a .500 or better record in the preseason.
* The 13 preseasons in which the Vikings have finished below .500, the team went on to finish below .500 seven times in the ensuing regular season.
* Under Zimmer, the Vikings have compiled a 16-4 (.800) record in the 2014 (4-0), 2015 (4-1) and 2016 (4-0), 2017 (2-2) and 2018 (2-1) preseasons.
NORSE NOTES
Vikings quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian and Kyle Sloter are a combined 74-of-116 passing (63.8 percent) for 686 yards and six touchdowns. Minnesota’s combined passer rating is 93.5.
Thomas leads the Vikings with 114 receiving yards on five receptions, including two touchdowns. Boone leads the team in rushing with 34 carries for 139 yards.
Twenty-three Vikings players have caught at least one pass so far this preseason. That total includes Siemian who secured a deflected pass he threw. Chad Beebe leads the Vikings with nine receptions and has 95 yards and two touchdowns. Boone has eight receptions, and Stefon Diggs has seven.
The Vikings have outscored opponents 17-0 in first quarters but trail 31-16 in second quarters.
Minnesota led the NFL in yards allowed and points allowed in 2017. Tennessee ranked 13th in yards allowed and 17th in points allowed.
Anthony Harris recorded an interception against Seattle that helped spark Minnesota’s comeback. It was his second of the preseason. He and Jack Tocho each recorded interceptions at Denver, and the Vikings scored touchdowns after each turnover. Harrison Smith recorded an interception against Jacksonville, but Minnesota didn’t capitalize on the turnover.
Harris and Ifeadi Odenigbo have each recorded 2.0 sacks to lead the Vikings. Odenigbo, who had been working at defensive tackle this offseason and camp, filled in at defensive end against Jacksonville.
Tennessee natives
Smith (Knoxville) and long snapper Kevin McDermott (Nashville) are from Tennessee. Stephen Weatherly and Jonathan Wynn both played collegiately at Vanderbilt.
Former Titan
Receiver Kendall Wright was drafted by the Titans in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He totaled 280 receptions for 3,244 yards and 18 touchdowns in five seasons with Tennessee.
PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 8/29/18
DeFilippo: Kendall Wright's Flight in Vikings Offense Recently Able to 'Take Off'
By Craig Peters
EAGAN, Minn. — Forget simple fly patterns, Kendall Wright’s career has been all about learning on the fly.
The dubious stat line not of his doing: nine different starting quarterbacks, four head coaches and four unique offensive coordinators in his first six pro seasons.
Selected by Tennessee in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Wright played for three head coaches (Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Mularkey) and four offensive coordinators (Chris Palmer, Dowell Loggains, Jason Michael and Terry Robiskie) in five seasons with the Titans.
Seven quarterbacks — Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Zach Mettenberger, Charlie Whitehurst, Marcus Mariota and Matt Cassel — started games for the Titans during that span.
Wright started 41 of 66 games in Tennessee and recorded 280 catches for 3,244 yards and 18 touchdowns.
At the end of his rookie deal, Wright landed in Chicago for 2017, adding two more starting quarterbacks — Mike Glennon and rookie Mitchell Trubisky — and another head coach (John Fox). At least Loggains was the Bears offensive coordinator last season when Wright led Chicago with 59 receptions for 614 yards.
Fast-forward to April when Wright signed with Minnesota. He talked to former Baylor teammate Robert Griffin III and liked what he heard about fellow 2012 draftee Kirk Cousins, who had signed with the Vikings when free agency opened, after previously teaming with Griffin. Wright caught 108 passes for 1,663 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2011 at pass-happy Baylor to help Griffin win the Heisman.
Another starting quarterback, another offensive coordinator (John DeFilippo) and another head coach (Mike Zimmer).
“I’ve had quite a bit of adjustment. It’s no different,” Wright said. “You’ve just got to be a pro about it, handle it how you’re supposed to handle your business, do everything you’re supposed to do and do it the right way. Everything will start picking up.”
For all of Wright’s experience, he said there was a transition period here during spring Organized Training Activity practices. He worked heavily with the second team and Trevor Siemian, who was acquired by Minnesota in a trade, and worked his way into some reps with the first team during camp.
Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are returning after dazzling in 2017, and Laquon Treadwell has had a strong offseason in preparing for his third pro season.
DeFilippo said during a session with media members on Monday that Wright has “done everything that we’ve asked him to do and at a high level.”
“I’ve told him this, so I’m not telling you anything that I haven’t told him, I thought when he [got here, he started out] a little bit slow, and I think he was trying to grasp everything,” DeFilippo said. “And then once
he grasped what we were really trying to do, I think over training camp and the last few OTAs, you really saw his game take off.”
Wright said he studied hard and incorporated a method that he’s found helps him the most.
“They don’t give you the iPad just to give them like you give to your kids. You’ve got to look at the information and take notes. That’s what I do,” Wright said. “I go up there and draw every play up. I don’t use the position. I just draw the concept of the play. If you draw the concept up, you’ll be able to play any position instead of just going out there and trying learn one position. I try to learn all of them.”
Back in 2013, when Wright totaled 94 receptions and 1,079 yards with Locker (334 on 31 receptions) and Fitzpatrick (745 on 63), Fitzpatrick said Wright had a “streetballer-ish” way of running routes. It was a compliment, accompanied with the expectation that the receiver would get to the spot he was supposed to reach at the right time.
When the Titans changed coaches and systems in 2014, they requested that Wright change his approach. His targets, receptions and yards decreased, but his six touchdowns were a career-best.
Asked if any of the “streetballer” elements fit within the Vikings system, Wright said he is mindful of running routes the requested way while incorporating the ways he knows to get open.
“You don’t want to be a robot,” he explained.
Wright said he feels comfortable playing any receiver position in the Vikings offense.
“If Diggs gets tired, Adam gets tired, Tread, whoever, I can come in and play either position and be successful at it, I think,” Wright said.
Diggs and Thielen have shown the ability to play multiple receiver positions, so Wright could help maintain versatility.
DeFilippo said the 5-foot-10 Wright is a “really good inside receiver” because of the way he effectively creates separation.
“He understands leverage. He understands how to get a DB back to straight-stem them,” DeFilippo said. “I’ve been very, very pleased with Kendall, and he doesn’t make mistakes. He’s got very few, if any, mental errors. I’ll tell you, he’s done a fabulous job at improving himself, no doubt.”
As for what he thinks makes a good inside receiver, Wright pointed to quick-twitch muscles and a plan.
“You’ve got to know what you want to do, be able to read the defenses,” Wright said. “You’ve got to catch the ball quicker. It’s a lot of things, as far as inside and outside. A lot of people like outside because it’s kind of easy out there, but when you’re inside, it’s a little harder. You’ve got to work a little more, but I mean, you can get open, catch the ball and make big plays.”
Wright has one reception for nine yards on two targets in three preseason games, but he’s also turned in some shining moments in Vikings practices.
“I don’t know how many I had, but that’s not how I look at it in the preseason,” Wright said. “To me, I haven’t had many targets, but what I was looking at was, ‘Was I getting open? Was I running the route at the right depth,’ and those types of things. … I was just playing the game I love to play and doing my job.”
PUBLICATION: VIKING Update DATE: 8/29/18
Sloter vs. Siemian: Under pressure and overall
By Tim Yotter
Mike Zimmer gave a vote of confidence to Trevor Siemian as his backup quarterback, but Kyle Sloter’s ability to lead the Minnesota Vikings to two comeback victories has some fans calling for him to be the No. 2 guy behind Kirk Cousins.
Sloter’s two touchdown passes and one two-point conversion in the final 10 minutes last Friday took the Vikings from a 13-6 deficit to a 21-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He led the team on eight- and nine- play drives, although both were on relatively short fields – the first touchdown drive was set up on the 32- yard line, thanks to an Anthony Harris interception that he returned 36 yards, and the game winner started on Minnesota’s 47-yard line due to a Chad Beebe 34-yard punt return.
But Sloter’s final touchdown pass to Beebe came when he rolled out to his left to buy time on fourth-and- 17 after taking a 7-yard sack on third down from an unblocked blind-side rusher. It showed Sloter’s ability to quickly move on to the next play.
“Playing quarterback is a tough position. You’re going to get hit and typically when you do get hit it’s going to be a pretty good one,” Sloter said. “… If you don’t have the mental toughness to come back from something like that, you shouldn’t be in the National Football League.”
Despite those very different results on consecutive plays, what do the stats say about Sloter and Siemian and their ability to perform when pressured?
According to the preseason analytics compiled by Pro Football Focus, Siemian has a much better quarterback rating under pressure, although there hasn’t necessarily been enough of those circumstances to draw grand conclusions.
Siemian has a 109.9 passer rating when under pressure, completing four of eight passes for 51 yards and a touchdown for the 15th-ranked passer rating under pressure this preseason and he has been pressured on 14 of 41 dropbacks. However, it should be noted that Siemian has taken six sacks, a statistic that isn’t figured into a quarterback’s rating.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer indicated last week was the first preseason game that Siemian looked uncomfortable in the pocket and hopes to see a difference in Thursday’s preseason finale.
“Just to execute better, be better in the pocket than he was. I think kind of take charge, take control of the huddle and the game,” Zimmer said. “Last week, he looked uncomfortable, yeah, but I didn’t think he did before that. Last week, I thought he did.”
Sloter, meanwhile, ranks 70th this preseason with a 62.5 rating while under pressure. He has also completed four of eight passes for 36 yards in those situations, but he doesn’t have any touchdowns when he was considered “under pressure” by PFF’s tracking. He has been pressured on 12 of his 46 dropbacks and has taken four sacks.
However, the overall passing statistics from Siemian and Sloter paint a different picture.
After coming to Minnesota at the start of last year, Sloter has been with the Vikings for almost a full year. That helps, he says, but with Cousins and Siemian in front of him, practice reps are harder to find. That’s where preseason helps.
“I think anytime you can go out there and see live reps and live action is very valuable in this league, whether it’s a preseason game or not,” he said. “… Anytime I can go out there, I’m really trying to train my eyes to be in the right place, train myself like I would any other day in practice. Whether it’s a preseason game, it’s just a chance to go out there and see how fast other people are, see the pace of everything, have things slow down in my mind a little bit. It’s just a good chance to go out there and put something on film and hopefully get another game with being in the offense to help myself grow.”
This preseason, Sloter’s 111.4 rating overall is easily the best of the three quarterbacks with his three touchdowns and no interceptions – Cousins is at 85.0 and Siemian is at 82.3. Sloter’s 73.2 completion percentage is also better than Cousins (60.0) and Siemian (57.1).
Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo has seen that growth since he was hired to coordinate the offense in February and players were able to start practicing in May.
“He’s improved greatly since he first got here or since I first got here. He’s been here, obviously,” DeFilippo said. “I just think you see a guy that up until now hasn’t had a lot of experience playing the quarterback position. So, we’re very happy and Kevin Stefanski has done a great job with him and it’s really nice to see him come in and give us a spark and complete footballs and run around and make plays and extend plays. I think that’s a big part of his game. He did a really nice job the other night.”
There is no guarantee that the Vikings keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, but Sloter has at least put together a strong preseason of work that could indicate he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster.
PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 8/29/18
What can Pro Football Focus numbers tell us about the Vikings’ preseason?
By Matthew Coller
The Minnesota Vikings wrap up their preseason on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans and then they will make a number of difficult decisions on the 53-man roster.
While preseason games are not the only determining factor on a roster spot, they can make the call easier if a spot comes down to two players. So let’s have a look at what the in-depth preseason numbers from Pro Football Focus tell us about the performances of some players who are either battling for a job or playing time…
Offense WR, Chad Beebe
Key stat: Vikings QBs are 9-for-12 with two touchdowns and a 137.2 quarterback rating on throws in his direction
From the bottom of the depth chart to the cusp of earning a job, Beebe has showed his special teams ability and been effective in the passing game. The 5-foot-10 receiver from Northern Illinois isn’t physically imposing, but he has flashed a natural feel for the game on both impressive touchdown catches.
QB, Kyle Sloter
Key stat: 8-for-10 on throws over 10 yards, 118.6 rating between 2017 and 2018 preseasons
The Vikings’ project quarterback has put together his second straight strong preseason. Overall he’s 30- for-41 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions while showing off his strong arm and athleticism. Impressively, when Sloter has thrown the ball over 10 yards he has been successful. There is no question Trevor Siemian is the No. 2 QB, but the Vikings are more likely to keep Sloter on the 53 after he performed the way they hoped.
C, Cornelius Edison
Key stat: 39.2 run block grade, the lowest of any Vikings player with three preseason games
While Edison handled the situation about as best as he could, it has become clear that he isn’t ready to take on first-team defenses. He especially struggled to get to the second level on run plays. The Vikings traded for Brett Jones to likely start Week 1 in place of Pat Elflein. Making a decision on Edison may depend on whether Danny Isidora can be Jones’ backup center.
OT, Aviante Collins
Key stat: seven QB hurries allowed in 112 pass blocking snaps
The Vikings’ second-year lineman has played left and right tackle and guard during the preseason. He has shown the potential that intrigued the Vikings last year when they signed him as an undrafted free agent, but the numbers point to some struggles in pass protection. The Jaguars particularly made life difficult on Collins. Still he’s made a good enough case in practice to be solidly on the team in a backup role.
OT, Brian O’Neill
Key stat: Zero QB hurries in 69 pass blocking snaps
Playing exclusively with the second team, O’Neill has been excellent in pass protection. It’s clear the Vikings see him as a project and aren’t willing to push him too fast. It’s been a good camp/preseason for the second-round pick as he has taking steps forward from draft day and received a great deal of experience filling in with the first team in practice.
RB, Mike Boone
Key stat: 3.6 yards after contact per carry
As he battles with Roc Thomas and Mack Brown for the No. 3 running back job, Boone’s strength and freakish athleticism have been on display. Of his 4.1 yards per carry, the majority is coming from yards he’s gained after the opposing team gets a hand on him.
WR, Kendall Wright
Key stat: Two targets in 42 passing snaps
The former Titan and Bear has been a non-factor on the Vikings’ offense during preseason. But when either Stefon Diggs or Adam Thielen have been nicked up during a game or practice, Wright has been the receiver to come in, which is an indicator of where he stands on the depth chart. Still his lack of production leaves the door open for the team to potentially let him go on cut down day.
Defense LB, Eric Wilson
Key stat: Six run stops
Last year Wilson made the team on the back of strong special teams play. During this preseason, he has been a playmaker, blowing up run plays in the backfield and occasionally getting after the quarterback on blitzes. He appears to be a lock for a depth role and could even find himself on the field in certain situations.
DE, Tashawn Bower
Key stat: Five run stops, two QB hurries in two games
After making the team out of camp as an undrafted free agent in 2017, Bower rarely saw the field during the regular season. He has been even more disruptive in this year’s preseason and may have worked himself into significant playing time this season.
CB, Craig James
Key stat: 24 yards allowed in 46 coverage snaps
With Mackensie Alexander and Mike Hughes out against the Seahawks, James saw a huge number of snaps in the slot and played well. He might not make the roster, but could be a candidate for practice squad.
CB, Holton Hill
Key stat: QBs are 6-for-9 with 53 yards when targeting Hill
While he did show improvement from week to week, Hill may not have done enough in camp and preseason to earn a roster spot. Opposing quarterbacks have had success throwing in his direction and he had several missed tackles against Denver. If he does make the 53-man roster, it will be on his potential.
DE, Stephen Weatherly
Key stat: One sack, four QB hits in 65 pass rush snaps
The 2016 seventh-round pick has been a project player during his first two seasons. In Year 3 he may be coming into his own. Weatherly has been dominant in the first three weeks, even defending a pass in coverage against Denver. The Vikings may very well have their D-line rotation.
S, Tray Matthews
Key stat: Highest rated Vikings tackler graded by PFF
With the addition of George Iloka, it’s unlikely that Matthews will make the 53, but he’s made a case for a practice squad gig. The strong-tackling safety may end up being a project who could compete for job down the road.
PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 8/29/18
10 players who need a strong preseason finale
By Matthew Coller
The Minnesota Vikings are set to play their final preseason game on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans. While the contest will not feature the Vikings’ top stars, it will be meaningful to a number of players who are battling for position. Here are 10 players who could really use a strong performance…
QB, Kyle Sloter
The Vikings’ third-string quarterback has played well during his appearances late in games, going 30-for- 41 with four total touchdowns. He’s flashed the arm strength and athleticism that intrigued the Vikings when they signed him last year following his release by the Broncos. The Vikings have generally had three quarterbacks, so it would appear they will keep Sloter on the 53-man roster, but he hasn’t always been as impressive in practice, so the 24-year-old could use another solid outing to leave no question about whether he belongs.
RB, Mike Boone
The former Cincinnati running back is in the lead for the No. 3 running back spot, especially with Roc Thomas missing some time due to injury and not playing against the Seahawks last Saturday. Overall the Vikings’ outstanding athlete averages 4.1 yards per carry on 34 rushes and has eight receptions during the preseason. It’s likely that he will start against the Titans and get another opportunity to prove he’s deserving of a roster spot and even a role as a change-of-pace back.
RB, Roc Thomas
In his two preseason games, Thomas was also impressive, gaining 4.2 yards per carry and grabbing five passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The ex five-star recruit has flashed some of the skill that made him a top high school player, including patient, effective runs and receiving ability. The team’s appreciation for Boone will make it difficult for Thomas to make the squad, but an impressive performance could at least keep him around on the practice squad.
WR, Brandon Zylstra
Over the first few weeks of camp, it appeared to be a lock that Zylstra would force his way onto the active roster, but he missed the first two preseason games with an injury and was not a standout against Seattle. Zylstra has good hands and finds ways to make plays when the ball comes his way. However, his lack of top-notch speed could be an issue, so he will have to prove he can create separation from NFL corners — even if they are Tennessee’s backups.
WR, Chad Beebe
Beebe has fought his way up the depth chart into an on-the-bubble position. His ability on special teams combined with two quality outings against Denver and Seattle (he caught touchdowns in both games) has forced the team to consider him for a job. Beebe isn’t the tallest or fastest player in camp, but he’s been the best playmaker among fringe receivers. Receivers like Jeff Badet, Korey Robertson and Tavarres King have failed to stand out.
CB, Holton Hill
There was a lot of intrigue when the Vikings signed ESPN’s No. 1 rated undrafted free agent, but Hill hasn’t done much to shine in the preseason or camp. Aside from a nice play on special teams against the Seahawks, there hasn’t been many memorable moments for the former Texas standout. Hill does have potential with great size and athleticism, which could make him a practice squad candidate. Of course, cutting him would likely mean another team scooping him up.
Defensive coordinator George Edwards talked about Hill’s progress on Tuesday:
“I felt that last week was probably one of his better weeks,” Edwards said. “He got up and he pressed, and he’s still working to perfect the press technique, but is a lot better getting up and challenging routes. We just look for him to continually show progress that way, because he’s got the ability to stay on top of routes. He’s got the ability to cover, but understanding the techniques and fundamentals and doing it consistently every day is a big thing for him right now. We just look for him to continue to progress.”
K, Daniel Carlson
After two missed kicks against Seattle, nobody wants Thursday night to get here faster than the Vikings’ young kicker. Following the game, Mike Zimmer mentioned that he had sent Carlson a message by going for two after the first missed kick. The former Auburn star beat out veteran Kai Forbath for the job, in part because of his big leg, but if he struggles again, that will make everyone at TCO Performance Center pretty nervous heading into the regular season — including him.
S, Jayron Kearse
Mike Zimmer said that the addition of George Iloka had nothing to do with any particular player, but it could push former seventh-round pick Jayron Kearse off the squad with Harrison Smith, Andrew Sendejo, Anthony Harris and Iloka secure in their jobs. While Kearse is an outstanding athlete with great size and speed, he hasn’t appeared to catch on as a reliable backup defensive back option. If the Vikings keep Kearse, it will be because they value his special teams.
TE, Tyler Conklin
The Vikings selected Conklin in the fifth round with eyes on another receiving option. Thus far, the former Central Michigan tight end hasn’t been a standout during preseason games. He is competing with Blake Bell for the No. 3 job — if the Vikings decide to keep a third tight end.
CB, Craig James
Injuries to Mackensie Alexander and Mike Hughes have opened the door for James to see some playing time at nickel corner. He could play the entire game there on Thursday night, giving the 22-year-old a chance to find his way onto the practice squad as in-case-of-emergency nickel corner depth.
Every offensive lineman
We will see Brett Jones, who was acquired this week from the Giants, for the first time in purple. If he can catch on quick enough, we may see Jones start at center Week 1 as Pat Elflein continues to recover from offseason surgery. It’s likely Danny Isidora, Aviante Collins and Brian O’Neill will see a good number of snaps. It’s still unclear how the Vikings’ depth chart beyond the starters will look.
PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 8/29/18
Rosenfels: Kirk Cousins isn’t the biggest question mark for this Vikings offense
By Sage Rosenfels
The biggest story for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason has been their decision to move on from Case Keenum and successfully chase, and sign, quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Vikings gave Cousins $84 million over three years, all fully guaranteed. Despite this major chess play by general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer, the acquisition of Cousins is not my concern for the Vikings as we head into the 2018 season.
After three preseason games, Cousins has already shown why the Vikings believed he was better than Keenum. His arm is obviously stronger. The Vikings will put more responsibility on Cousins’ plate to win games because his years of starting experience are vastly greater than Keenum’s. That added responsibility will allow the coaching staff and players to rely on Cousins to bring them back from deficits if/when they are facing any this fall. I believe this is where they consider Cousins an upgrade. Once the Vikings got behind by two scores in the second quarter of the NFC championship game, Keenum didn’t seem to have enough firepower to lift the Vikings out of the hole they dug for themselves.
My concerns for the Vikings are the two variables that will have the largest affect on how Cousins plays this year — his offensive coordinator and the offensive line.
John DeFilippo, the Vikings new offensive coordinator after Pat Shurmur was hired as the head coach of the New York Football Giants, is the prototypical story of a son of a coach also becoming a coach. His dad was a college coach, and even during his playing days in college, DeFilippo began his quest to be an NFL coach by taking summer internships with NFL franchises. Since his days as a backup quarterback at James Madison (there is no shame in being a backup quarterback), the new Vikings O.C. has been on a tour of college and pro football teams before landing in Minnesota.
His previous NFL offensive coordinator job was in 2015 with the Cleveland Browns. Statistically, the Browns were near the bottom of the NFL in most offensive categories, but I won’t put that poor showing fully on DeFilippo’s shoulders. His quarterbacks were Josh McCown, Austin Davis, and Johnny Manziel. His skill position talent may have been the worst group in the NFL. Since DeFilippo wasn’t the GM, not all the blame falls on him. An offensive coordinator, no matter how brilliant, can only do so much without talented players. Especially at the quarterback position.
He comes to Minnesota for his second stint as an NFL play-caller with a completely different set of tools to work with. At the skill positions, he has a group that many consider in the top five in the league. He has two talented receivers who are smack dab in the middle of their primes. His No. 1 tight end, Kyle Rudolph, isn’t the speedster that DeFilippo had as quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia with Zach Ertz, but Rudolph’s red zone and security blanket talents are still a valuable weapon to any offense. At running back, the combination of Latavius Murray, Dalvin Cook and two impressive rookies in Mike Boone and Roc Thomas, will give the O.C. options even if one goes down with an injury this season. The offensive firepower that led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl last year isn’t much better than what the Vikings will put on the field this season.
John DeFilippo With John DeFilippo in his first season as offensive coordinator, the Vikings could need a year just to fully adjust. (Credit: Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports)
The question, then, is what DeFilippo can and will do with Minnesota’s weapons. Even if he is an excellent play designer and caller of the Vikings’ offense, it’s still a tall task to install, practice and perfect a new offense in less than six months. As such, offenses with new coordinators often have more success in the second year of the new coach’s tenure.
As an example, when Kyle Shanahan, who has proved to be one of the top offensive minds in football over the last 10 years, was hired as the O.C. in Atlanta, the Falcons didn’t have immediate success. Matt Ryan, who had already been with Atlanta for seven fairly successful seasons, flourished in his second season under Shanahan. Despite Ryan’s weapons staying relatively the same from Year 1 to Year 2 under Shanahan, it took a full season of ups and downs before fully putting it all together for Ryan’s MVP season in 2016. On paper, DeFilippo has the quarterback and the players to be successful. Usually, it takes time for that talent to marinate and grow before maximizing its potential.
This brings me to my second concern for Cousins and this offense. It doesn’t matter who is at quarterback, or who he has to throw and hand the ball to, if the offensive line is poor. Though it’s just the preseason, this vital aspect of the Vikings is what I find most concerning. This is the most glaring difference between the current Vikings offense and the Eagles attack last season. The Eagles may have had the best offensive line in the NFL, which is a major reason Nick Foles has a Super Bowl ring.
The Vikings offensive line hasn’t been a strength for years. Both Teddy Bridgewater and Case Keenum did a great job of reducing the impact of poor pass protection with their ability to escape trouble when the pocket broke down. Multiple plays a game that would have been sacks were instead turned into quarterback runs, completed passes, and even incompletions, which are still better than sacks. Cousins doesn’t have their athleticism, but he does have more experience, better anticipation, and a quicker release, which can offset his lack of escapability.
Going into the 2018 season, the Vikings already have two huge holes to fill along the line. The sudden death of position coach Tony Sparano has already created a unique challenge for the Vikings. I’ve always felt that after the head coach and two coordinators, the offensive line coach is the most important hire for a football team, at all levels. They have to get five players to work in unison, against much better athletes, for 60 to 70 plays in a game. Any mental or physical mistakes can result in a catastrophe. The coach must also be able to plug in backups to play like starters. Rarely does a line go 16 games without major injuries. Sparano was known to be a very creative run game designer as well, and his pass-protection schemes helped minimize hits on the quarterback last year. Like Shanahan in Atlanta, it took Sparano a second season to have his impact fully felt along the Vikings line. With Sparano’s death, there will be a new voice with different ideas leading the offensive line room.
The loss of starting guard Nick Easton to a season-ending neck injury doesn’t help either. Plus, long time interior starter/backup/Swiss army knife lineman Joe Berger retired last spring. Oh, and second-year center Pat Elflein has been out much of training camp with an injury. The Vikings knew the line was going to be thin heading into free agency and the draft but didn’t make any splash moves to improve it, and it has looked like the weakest aspect of the team through three preseason games.
Pat Elflein After a stellar rookie year, Pat Elflein’s absence has been felt in camp. How long he stays out is just one question facing the offensive line. (Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports) Upper management isn’t turning a blind eye to the issue either. On Sunday, the team gave up a future seventh-round draft pick for Giants interior lineman Brett Jones. Is Jones the answer? That’s a big if. The Giants don’t have a great line already and they wouldn’t give up a great player at this stage for only a seventh-rounder. There was a good chance he would have been cut in the coming weeks anyway. This is basically doing him a favor because the Vikings are in need. There may be another move before we get to Labor Day. Rick Spielman has been known to be aggressive this time of year.
Friday night’s matchup with the Seahawks revealed some of the line’s weaknesses. The group struggled to protect Cousins for more than one hitch in the pocket. He took multiple hits after delivering the football. You could tell that DeFilippo is cognizant of the O-line issues and tried to counteract their struggles with play action and wide-receiver screens. A good offensive coordinator can design an attack that attempts to hide the limitations of his line.
But at some point, the Vikings will have to drop back and throw the ball 40 times a game to win. This is why they went out and chased the best quarterback available in the draft and free agency. Kirk Cousins is an upgrade at the quarterback position because of his experience, arm strength, and ability to win by throwing from the pocket. Buying extra time, executing play-action concepts, and throwing wide-receiver screens is something Keenum and Bridgewater could do just as well, if not better, than Cousins. If the current Vikings quarterback can’t stay upright while in the pocket, his value is diminished.
The good news so far is the offense has been solid in the run game. If they can continue to run the football, Cousins can be a very dangerous play-action quarterback that would mix with the defenses stacking the box to stop the run.
The Vikings won 13 regular-season games last year. With Aaron Rodgers back to full health and the Vikings making changes at key positions on their offense, it is unrealistic for this team to finish the season with the same regular-season record. On paper, the Vikings may be a better all-around football team, but NFL games aren’t won on paper. They are won with talent, chemistry, coaching, and some luck.
So far, the Vikings have run into some tough luck before the season has even started, which probably feels like a broken record for the Vikings faithful who have been most loyal to the team for decades. The good news is that if they make the playoffs at even 10-6, they will be tough team to beat.
PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 8/29/18
Vikings position-group breakdowns: A new offense for a thin tight end group
By Arif Hasan
(Editor’s note: For his debut here at The Athletic, Arif Hasan will be going through the Vikings position groups and giving his impressions on what he’s seen in training camp and preseason games from each. This is the second in an eight-part series that will publish between now and Sept. 5. Check out the entire series here.)
If there was ever a year for tight ends to be the focal point of the Vikings offense, this would be it. Kirk Cousins is coming off a three-year period where his team ranked eighth in tight end targets, eighth in tight end target percentage and ninth in tight end yardage percentage.
Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was the quarterbacks coach for an Eagles offense that led the league in tight end targets, was second in tight end target percentage and was first in tight end yardage percentage and himself coordinated an offense in Cleveland where tight end Gary Barnidge led his team in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Between the two of them, they’ve had four seasons in the last three years where the leading receiver on their team was a tight end (Barnidge, Zach Ertz twice in Philadelphia and Jordan Reed in Washington), and another year where one ranked second (Vernon Davis in Washington).
In theory, this should set the Vikings up to take advantage of the tight end talent they have on the roster. But without accounting for the nature of those offenses — where the leading tight ends were almost always the most talented receiving option on their team — we can come to the wrong conclusions about that history.
Though the Vikings invested in Rudolph — whose average salary, once accounting for the salary cap the day he signed, ranks fifth among tight ends — there’s not as much need to funnel their offense through their tight end position when they have receiving talent at the wide receiver and running back positions.
Still, there’s certainly reason to pay attention to the position.
Kyle Rudolph Pos. Height Weight Age Exp. Draft TE 6-6 265 28 8th year 2011 2nd rd. After three consecutive seasons of healthy play, Rudolph has averaged 622 yards a season — eighth among tight ends. His yards per game over that span, however, measures in at 17th among tight ends. Still, with 20 touchdowns — second to only Rob Gronkowski — he’s definitely an asset.
That’s who Rudolph is — only 89 percent of his yards came outside of the red zone, which ranks 87th of the 100 tight ends with the most yardage in the past three years.
That can be big for the Vikings, who bring in a quarterback not known for his red zone prowess to a roster without typically tall receivers.
Unfortunately, Cousins and Rudolph don’t seem to have developed much of a connection throughout camp or the preseason. During the preseason, Rudolph ran 34 passing routes and only caught one pass
for three yards — an average of 0.09 yards per passing route run. In the regular-season last year, he caught 1.33 passing yards per route run, a number 15 times larger.
Kyle Rudolph Kyle Rudolph has just a lone catch for three yards so far in the preseason. (Credit: Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports) That wouldn’t be a huge concern, except that it replicates a lot of the issues we’ve seen in camp. Cousins seems to consistently find the right spot to put the ball when targeting Stefon Diggs or David Morgan, but hasn’t found the right areas to target Rudolph, aiming too high or low, or behind him as he runs.
Rudolph also has had some problem reeling in passes, and it looks like he’s revisiting some of the drop problems he had earlier in his career. That may not be as significant when ball placement hasn’t been there for him yet, but it raises an eyebrow.
As for blocking, Rudolph has been given a lot of one-on-one pass blocking assignments against defensive ends, probably as part of an experiment to see which play-action passes can work and which won’t. While he’s done better on them in practices than he has on the field in the past, it’s still a weakness of his. As a run blocker, there’s no doubt that Rudolph has improved his recognition and awareness of what needs to be done on a blocking play, but he has problems sustaining blocks once he locks on, and seems to be too ingrained into bad habits as a blocker, including a frequent tendency to lock on to the outside of the pads instead of firing through the numbers. His issues as a blocker continued into the preseason again, so Rudolph looks to be a red zone receiving specialist for another year.
David Morgan Pos. Height Weight Age Exp. Draft TE 6-4 265 25 3rd year 2016 6th rd. If Rudolph is a receiving specialist, Morgan is a blocking specialist and follows in the footsteps of players like Rhett Ellison and Jim Kleinsasser as largely blocking tight ends who can flip into pass-catchers on extended plays late into the progression.
While Morgan is not quite as athletic as Ellison was, it looks like he’s become a more consistent blocker and has continued that approach well into camp. Morgan has done an excellent job pushing edge defenders off the ball, even containing high-level run defenders like Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen.
He’s not running many downfield routes, but he has caught nearly everything thrown his way in practices, and has even managed separation against linebackers who have improved their coverage capability in camp, like Ben Gedeon and Kentrell Brothers. Morgan has consistently been good at the catch point and is a decent enough route-runner, but doesn’t quite have the downfield speed to be thought of as a multi- threat tight end.
Interestingly, he’s only run nine passing routes in the preseason — less than a third of what Rudolph has — and has generated more receiving yardage. It’s a very small sample, of course, but it could give us insight into the fact that Morgan may end up being an underrated receiving option — as a last resort.
As a blocker in the preseason, he hasn’t been perfect but he’s been very good. A few missed blocks have led to some bad runs for the running backs, but for the most part, he’s done an excellent job driving defenders down the field and creating big running lanes when he’s at the point of attack. While it doesn’t look like the near-dominant run-blocker we saw from the 2017 regular season, there’s also no signs he won’t return to that once the games actually matter.
Blake Bell Pos. Height Weight Age Exp. Draft TE 6-6 252 27 4th year 2015 4th rd.
Tight end depth is a big concern for the Vikings, and it’s probably one of many reasons we won’t see Minnesota match the Eagles’ feat of generating 1,200 receiving yards from its tight end corps last year or nearly 1,300 yards the year before. Blake Bell was brought up quickly after converting to tight end from quarterback in his final year of college and still had quite a bit to learn. An exciting athletic package, the original plan for Bell was to develop on a practice squad for some time. The NFL always has other plans, however, and he was forced into early playing time.
Last year was very poor for Bell, who looked extremely out of place as a blocker and clearly didn’t have much experience as a receiver. He would often be left lunging on his blocks and allowed defenders into the backfield a number of times. As a receiver, he didn’t offer much. Though faster on-field and on a track than Morgan, he had more difficulty generating separation and wasn’t a reliable receiving option, even late in the progression.
Arif Hasan ✔ @ArifHasanNFL Blake Bell highlight catch
4:03 PM - Jul 29, 2018 35 See Arif Hasan's other Tweets Twitter Ads info and privacy In camp, we saw that continue. There have been a good number of drops to go along with the highlight above, and he’s had an equally difficult time of sustaining blocks. Unlike Rudolph, who has a good approach to everything in the running game up until the point of contact, Bell has difficulty finding his assignments at the second level and had poor blocking angles. Bell may be the third-best tight end on the roster, but that speaks more to the issues the Vikings have with depth than anything else.
Tyler Conklin Pos. Height Weight Age Exp. Draft TE 6-4 254 23 Rookie 2018 5th rd. A fifth-round draft pick in 2018, Conklin hopes to succeed where previous late-round picks MyCole Pruitt and Bucky Hodges couldn’t, sticking on to the roster as a Day 3 receiving tight end. Conklin doesn’t have quite their assets as physical specimens, but he certainly isn’t a slow player, either. He looked pretty good for Central Michigan, and then looked like a good prospect at the Senior Bowl, both in practices and the game.
He hasn’t looked quite as good in practices. He stood out in the all-rookie session early in training camp, but got lost in the shuffle when all the veterans arrived. He wasn’t targeted very often in camp, and had a bit of a drop issue. While he does a better job getting open than Bell does, he’s been struggling more in the blocking game and generally doesn’t look ready to play the position in the NFL. There’s definitely something there for a practice-squad candidate, but that would underscore how little the Vikings can rely on their depth.
In the preseason, Conklin has dropped one of his three catchable targets and had significant difficulty run- blocking except on simpler kick-out and seal assignments that give him a bit of an advantage. There’s a lot there for Conklin, but he hasn’t put it all together yet.
Tyler Conklin The talent is there for 2018 fifth-round draft pick Tyler Conklin, but he still has a ways to go to round into NFL form. (Credit: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) Tyler Hoppes
Pos. Height Weight Age Exp. Draft TE 6-4 236 23 Rookie Undrafted 2018 Hoppes has had 36 total snaps in the preseason, which is actually a bit more exposure than he got throughout training camp as a fifth tight end. He didn’t get targeted very much, even when running with the threes, and it’s generally difficult to evaluate how he’s looked. The few opportunities don’t reveal someone who will leapfrog Conklin or Bell on the depth chart, and Hoppes either needs to resolve some concentration issues or spend significant time working on technique. He was perhaps the most likely player in camp to drop a pass, and it originally didn’t look like it was a technique issue. It still may not be, but the persistency of the problem either speaks to an underlying issue with his fundamentals or reveals a player that needs to reset himself mentally. Either way, it hasn’t been good.
His lack of opportunity in camp has also cut down on his time spent blocking. In practice, he’s seemed assignment-sound, but generally misses his aiming points with his hands as he shoots out to engage as well as looking for opponents at the second level. In the preseason, his problems looked even bigger as a blocker; he had issues sitting down and anchoring in his blocks and couldn’t maintain consistent leverage — a problem both with how he approaches the blocks head on and with where he puts his hands.
If Hoppes can become more reliable, it looks like the tools are there to develop a decent depth tight end, but consistency is a big hurdle.
PUBLICATION: NFL.com DATE: 8/29/18
Kirk Cousins explains why he picked Vikings over Jets
By Austin Knoblauch
After spending two years playing under the franchise tag in Washington, Kirk Cousins discovered just four hours into free agency how much more he was capable of making on the open market.
"It just goes to show that free agency is a different game, it's a different deal when you're actually up for grabs," Cousins told his wife, Julie, while at home on March 14.
Cousins was the biggest prize of free agency this past offseason -- a bonanza that ultimately was won by the Minnesota Vikings when they signed him to a three-year deal that included an $84 million fully guaranteed payout. The deal made him the highest paid player in NFL history and the first quarterback to sign a multi-year, fully guaranteed deal.
In "Kirk Cousins: Why I picked the Vikings in free agency," go behind the scenes from the start of free agency as Cousins makes his decision to play for the Vikings.
The nearly 14-minute video gives a good look at what Cousins valued more than money in his decision to play for Minnesota and why he turned down a very rich offer to play for the New York Jets.