While the Vikings of Minnesota finish their OTA training in the past two weeks, they still have a compulsory mini -cap next week and another OTA series the following week – we are starting to get some flavor for this year’s team and how it can differ from the team last year.
Of course, this is the time of year for many Jet Players (for example “I feel good”) and the coaches (for example “we are just trying to improve every day”) that sound well but do not really give you a sense of team dynamics or changes compared to last year. But listening and watching carefully, there are a few observations to note at this stage which could be revealing on this Vikings team and their coming season.
Advertisement
Here are some OTA observations that have marked me so far.
Harrison Phillips is fired
This is one thing for a new player to be excited and optimistic about his new team (“I just want to help winning championships”), or an existing player who recently signed a new contract, but that is another thing when a former veteran and captain of several years displays the enthusiasm he does not have previously and with details to save him. This is what Harrison Phillips did last week at his press conference.
Of course, this is the season of optimism when each team is healthy with brilliant new additions and can only be better than last year, but for a veteran like Phillips, to release a level of enthusiasm before invisible and reasons to save it – is remarkable. Here are some chips of his press conference:
Advertisement
-
Phillips had a positive thing to say about JJ McCarthy, comparing his leadership style to Josh Allen, with whom he played in Buffalo, earlier in his career when he got used to the power of his role.
-
He was enthusiastic about all the new additions and credited the property of the Vikings for their commitment to constitute a championship team.
-
He was particularly enthusiastic about adding to his d-line room in Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen and how it will allow them to send waves during an offense during a match with a deeper rotation and to allow more variations and ways to attack a particular offense.
-
He was enthusiastic about what they bring to the table, learning from their techniques, how their style of play can lead to different opportunities, and also how the new coach of the Vikings force had a new program designed to promote speed rather than simply swelling for more power.
-
Finally, he said it was the furthest along the team at that time of the year since he was with the Vikings. It attributes this to the continuity of basic players (and coaches staff) and that compared to previous years when they used OTA to build the foundation, this year, it has already been built, they were therefore able to make more progress and build from this existing foundation from the start.
JJ McCarthy goes in the right direction
Now that JJ McCarthy is QB1 and the presumed starter, it is normal that the threshing train is really fueled by fan experts and boys. And we see it on social networks. But in terms of performance in the field, apart from certain highlighting games in limited training sessions in shorts (which does not make sense in terms of projection of real performance), there is really not much to indicate, in one way or another. This is the reality for each recruit or in this case the second year quarterrier which has not yet played a cliché in the NFL.
What can be said about the development of JJ McCarthy, and it also dates back to last year is that it goes in the right direction – and this is taken up by its teammates and trainers.
McCarthy has always been ready and willing to do the work. Last year between the OTAs and the training camp, when many players take a break or go on vacation, McCarthy was in the installation of the Vikings who continued to work so that it was more prepared and ready for the training camp. Not all recruit quarters do this.
Advertisement
This dead season, McCarthy continued to put the work and described his practice routine, followed by a film review of her practice after the end, then a more detailed criticism of the evening, then training the next morning. And as a presumed leader and starter in the quarter-Arrière, McCarthy made a duty to reach out to each player in the locker room and start to establish these relationships. His approach seems to be well received among his teammates and inspires optimism.
What is also obvious of Kevin O’Connell and beaten reporters by looking at OTA is that the Vikings do not take the next day with McCarthy. O’Connell said they used the majority of their offense in practices, rather than a more limited subset which is sometimes the case with young people or new quarters, and beat the writer Kevin Seifert, while the intensity of practices varies, day by day and even drilling to drill, there have been intense periods when offenses and defense do not recurse as possible Previous, Brian Flores does not hold anything from his defense system.
O’Connell has already adopted the approach to launch a lot in the team in the first training sessions to see how much everyone keeps. Regarding McCarthy, he declared that he and the coach of QB Josh McCown had adopted the approach to assume nothing with McCarthy, because in the past, they were often surprised by what he kept after having covered him only once last year in mid-season, while in other cases, something he supposed that he did not know was not the case.
But overall, what the Vikings do with McCarthy at this stage of the out -of -season program does not seem different from what they did with the veteran Sam Darnold last year, which indicates confidence in McCarthy’s progress and the ability to manage an upcoming fire in terms of plays and defensive projects, etc. Harrison Smith did years earlier in the interval season for a season comment for a comment in the season for a comment for a comment for a comment for a comment for a comment for a comment for a comment for a question of the interval to “be a little smart beyond years. Development on the other side of the ball.
Advertisement
A few accounts of beaten reporters who looked at the practices indicate that McCarthy had better and worse days as planned, and McCarthy himself said that they were not where they wanted to be, but are convinced that they can get there when they need to be there. McCarthy also does not seem to be deleted by errors. He declared during his press conference in OTA that trying to be perfect all the time can be more harmful than imperfections, which is the right mentality, especially for this period of the year.
Overall, this seems to be a more unreserved optimism about McCarthy from players and coaches, rather than the qualified variety (for example, it is well but always has a steep learning curve …). McCarthy always has everything to prove when it comes to playing in a regular season match in the NFL, but at this point, I do not detect myself much to worry about its trajectory. Perhaps some of them will come to the training camp or the pre-season, but at this stage, whatever their shortcomings in practice, they have not aroused much criticism or concern.
Some other minor observations
-
The Vikings had almost 100% participation in the OTA. The new CB Isaiah Rodgers missed the first days of the OTA but has been there since, but no big absences.
-
All wounded Viking players are on the track to be full by the training camp. Guys like Will Fries and even Mekhi Blackmon are not full for the Otas-Fries did not participate other than the weight room, but Kevin O’Connell said that he could obtain limited measures in practices before the training camp and in any case, he will be ready for the training camp. Until now, Rondale Moore has rehabilitated his knee injury in the OTAs.
-
Josh Metellus seems to be a kind of restraint, because it has been reported as only 50% in practices when he awaits a new contract. There have been discussions in progress between the Metellus camp and the Vikings, but so far, no agreement on the terms.
-
Last year, Jalen Nailor, who now wears the n ° 1 jersey, added weight and force to her frame this dead season and, according to all accounts, is significantly and almost unknown. Nailor will have a lot of competition to keep his place on the depth table of the wide receiver this season, and apparently a little inflate is a way in which he and probably the coaches think that his game will help his game.
-
Justin Jefferson seems more established in his role as leadership with the team and recognizes his “influence” with the team. He made this comment during his press conference last week and seemed more confident in his own leadership capacity. He previously said he didn’t know how much he could be a vocal leader, but now he knows he can do it. This is the first time in three seasons that Jets participated in the OTA, probably in part because it needs additional time with JJ McCarthy, but also because it has now been paid. The OTAs can be voluntary, but as the best -paid captain and player of the team, expectations are a little higher. Kevin O’Connell said that he had spoken a lot with Jefferson about his role with the team, as captain and star player, and what his presence and energy mean for the team. Jefferson seemed happy to be in the OTA and did not hesitate to participate this year.
I will have more observations after the mini-camp next week, but so far, things seem to go well because the Vikings work through phase two of their program out of season.
Advertisement
More Dailynorsman.com:
