DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 LOCAL NEWS: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Skor North As deadline approaches, Harris appears set to play season under franchise tag By Judd Zulgad https://www.skornorth.com/2020/07/as-deadline-approaches-harris-appears-set-to-play-season-under-franchise-tag/ The Athletic Vikings Training Camp Guide — TEs: Kyle Rudolph, Irv Smith lead the way By Arif Hasan https://theathletic.com/1925569/2020/07/14/vikings-training-camp-guide-tes-kyle-rudolph-irv-smith-lead-the-way/ Purple Insider The pluses and minuses of keeping Anthony Harris on the franchise tag By Matthew Coller https://purpleinsider.substack.com/p/the-pluses-and-minuses-of-keeping NATIONAL NEWS: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 CBS Sports Six NFL rookies most equipped to make an immediate impact despite modified 2020 offseason By Chris Trapasso https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/six-nfl-rookies-most-equipped-to-make-an-immediate-impact-despite-modified- 2020-offseason/ Agent's Take: Sizing up situation for Cowboys' Dak Prescott, other unsigned franchise-tagged players By Joel Corry https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/agents-take-sizing-up-situation-for-dak-prescott-other-unsigned-franchise- tagged-players-as-deadline-nears/ Maven Media 61 Days Until Vikings Football: Could Brett Jones Be an Option at Left Guard? By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/61-days-vikings-football-brett-jones-canada-left-guard Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph Competed in a Celebrity Golf Tournament Last Weekend By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/adam-thielen-kyle-rudolph-celebrity-golf-tournament Can Blake Brandel Translate Elite College Production into NFL Success? By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/blake-brandel-vikings-oregon-state-draft-tackle MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Barr on Preparing For The Season, Safety Concerns, Changes To Team's Defensive Personnel, Impact of No Offseason Program, More By NFL Network https://www.vikings.com/video/barr-on-preparing-for-the-season-safety-concerns-changes-to-team-s-defensive-per VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Xs and Os: How Drafted Offensive Linemen Could Impact Vikings By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/ezra-cleveland-blake-brandel-kyle-hinton-offensive-linemen PUBLICATION: Skor North DATE: 7/15/20 As deadline approaches, Harris appears set to play season under franchise tag By Judd Zulgad Anthony Harris signed his franchise tender with the Vikings in May, but there was still two months at that point for the safety and the team to come to an agreement on a multiyear contract. So far that hasn’t happened and Harris’ opportunity to play under anything but a one-year contract in Minnesota will end at 3 p.m. Wednesday. That’s the date (and time) after which players given the franchise designation are prohibited from signing multiyear contracts until the end of the regular season. Harris won’t be hurting for money in 2020 — he will be guaranteed a salary of $11.4 million for the season — but the Vikings’ failure to work out an extension with the veteran does raise questions about his future with the team. Unlike some players who have been given the franchise tag, there doesn’t appear to be any animosity between Harris and the Vikings. The team put the franchise tag on the 28-year-old in mid-March, despite being pressed up against the salary cap. The feeling was that the Vikings might be blocking Harris from becoming a free agent in order to trade him, possibly for a draft pick. The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants reportedly were among “several serious suitors” interested in Harris, but evidently the Vikings could not get what they wanted. So what Minnesota has now is two of the top safeties in the NFL and both will be compensated very well. Harrison Smith will make an $8.35 million base salary in 2020 and will count $10.75 million against the salary cap. That means the combined cap hit of the Vikings’ two safeties will be $22.15 million. Harris, signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia in 2015, tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions last season in 14 games. He also had an interception in the Vikings’ opening-round playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints last season. PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 7/15/20 Vikings Training Camp Guide — TEs: Kyle Rudolph, Irv Smith lead the way By Arif Hasan (Editor’s note: This is part of a series of position-by-position articles breaking down every non-specialist player on the Vikings roster as we build up to the start of training camp later this month. We’ve already covered the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Next up, the tight ends. Still to come: Offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties.) The Vikings’ move away from three-receiver sets last year created opportunities for their tight ends, and as a result, we saw their target share rise from 16.1 percent in 2018 to 23.8 percent in 2019. The fact that Minnesota threw the ball less overall, however, somewhat hid that production: The total number of tight-end targets only increased by 10 over the course of the year, split evenly between Irv Smith and Kyle Rudolph. The fact that Smith’s targets only came after a few weeks, as his role in the offense grew, is a pretty good indication that he’ll take over sooner rather than later. That said, the Vikings will still see fit to use Rudolph in the red zone and might expand Smith’s usage as a seam threat. Minnesota was remarkably inefficient with their tight-end usage, ranking 25th in tight-end receiving yards per route run, despite an effective quarterback and a tendency to play tight ends more often, receivers less often and seeing one of their top receivers missing most of the year. With Smith’s development and the absence of the Vikings’ top receiver from 2019, it’s entirely possible that the offense revolves around the tight end more than other receivers. Kyle Rudolph Though the Vikings didn’t seem intent on keeping Rudolph on the roster as recently as summer of last year, they found ways to use the red-zone threat throughout the year. As has been the case throughout most of Rudolph’s career, he found more utilization as a blocker than might be ideal, with 398 snaps as a run blocker and 90 as a pass blocker, and only 407 as a receiver. In what might be his last year in a Vikings uniform — his guaranteed money runs out this year — he could establish himself as the type of tight end too valuable to leave in free agency, especially for his goal-line play. Strengths: Third-lowest drop rate of any tight end with at least 100 targets (of 48) since 2016 and second-lowest drop rate of any TE with at least 200 targets (of 17). No drops in 2019. Rudolph’s great hands are a result of excellent technique, great ball tracking and good body control. He does a great job using his body to create exclusive real estate for the ball and adjusts well to balls thrown outside of his frame. Consistently comes down with contested catches. Rarely uses his body to aid in the catch process. He’s stronger than most “receiving” tight ends, evident not just at catch point but throughout the process. Does a good job asserting route path and bullying defenders. He’s demonstrated fairly good route-running for a tight end, with upper-body fakes that consistently create leverage advantages for defenders. Weaknesses: Does not have the dynamic athleticism to be used as a primary option in the offense, one reason his offensive efficiency as a receiver has consistently placed among the bottom tight ends in the league. He can only either perform as a checkdown option or in the red zone. Willing but not a particularly successful blocker. Has the tools — size, strength and tenacity — but often loses off the snap or looking into the second level. Often has issues with hand placement and shoots blocks wide. Inconsistent leverage, often popping his pads too high on the block. His angles as a blocker could use work, especially in-line. While extremely useful in his narrow role, the specificity of role makes him significantly less valuable than most tight ends, a position that, by its nature, emphasizes versatility. Irv Smith Jr. (David Berding / USA Today) Irv Smith With a better rookie season than one should expect of any tight end, much less one as young as Smith was entering 2019, the Vikings’ newest matchup weapon is on track to become a defining feature of their offense if he continues to develop, particularly if he can open downfield threats. The former Alabama end surprised the Vikings with his blocking capability out of the gate, and his receiving thus far is meeting lofty expectations. That said, he’ll have to do much more to earn genuine plaudits as a critical cog in the offensive machine. Strengths: Speed is a clear asset — one of the fastest tight ends in the NFL, at least by 40-time standards. That speed shows up on the field and he can threaten the seam and create matchup issues. NFL defenders already respect his vertical threat, often biting on comebacks and playing further off than normal. He’s great with the ball in his hand, was used in college on end-around runs and tight end screens.