Ben Leber just mentioned this in a tweet about Viking's camp. That was the upside in taking a chance on this guy. Big guy, 6'2", 220+ lbs. Good speed. Former 1st round pick. Still young at 27 years old. If he can stay clean and healthy, he's going to make plays for this team when he gets back from his 4 game suspension. 

MANKATO, Minn. – After playing college football at Florida State, Vikings rookie running back Dalvin Cook remembered thinking that the speed of the game couldn’t possibly get any faster.
Then his first NFL training camp started this week.
“And it does (get faster),” Cook said. “You’ve just got to adjust to it. Once you know what you’re doing, you can move at the speed (the veterans are) moving. But the vets have been out there for seven or eight years. They know what to do. They aren’t as fast as you, but they know where to be at and how to do it. So you’ve got to study your technique and be a mastermind at your game.”
As Cook quickly tries to absorb life in the NFL as the Vikings’ top draft pick, he has been thrown into early action during training camp. 
http://www.twincities.com/2017/07/29/vik...f-the-nfl/

http://www.twincities.com/2017/07/29/vik...ie-season/

Mike Zimmer's random game simulations aim to help Vikings in clutchRandom simulated game situations have become more common at Vikings practices as Zimmer tries different teaching tools to improve his team’s "clutch gene."

MANKATO — Mike Zimmer ordered his Vikings offense to its own 2-yard line.

“Make them punt the ball!” Zimmer said to his defense.

As the Vi­kings spend their last train­ing camp in Man­kato, here are the 12 most en­ter­tain­ing play­ers, in one man's opinion.– Dalvin Cook took a hand­off and ran into a hu­man wall. He bounced backward, like a dirt bike equipped with a re­verse gear, then exe­cuted a few steps that might land him on “Dan­cing With The Stars” be­fore burst­ing into the secon­dary.
This oc­cur­red on the first day of full-squad train­ing camp prac­tice for the Vi­kings. The de­fend­ers were not tack­ling, but his deft foot­work and bursts of speed made Cook the most in­trigu­ing play­er on the field.
I’ve been at­tend­ing Vi­kings train­ing camps since 1990. Most of the prac­tices are so bor­ing they make you crave the rel­a­tive thrills of sixth-in­ning pitch­ing changes ... unless there is a rare tal­ent on the field.
Cook might qual­i­fy. As the Vi­kings spend their last train­ing camp in Man­kato, here are the 12 most en­ter­tain­ing play­ers I’ve watched here:
12. Antoine Win­field
11. Joey Brown­er

10. Scott Studwell

9. Randall Mc­Dan­iel

8. John Ran­dle

7. Daun­te Cul­pep­per

6. Chad Green­way

5. Robert Smith

4. Per­cy Har­vin

3. Cris Carter

2. Brett Fav­re

1. Randy Moss

read all the detail here:
http://www.startribune.com/freakish-star.../437406033


Jim Souhan’s pod­cast can be heard at MNSPN.com. Twit­ter: @SouhanStrib. E-mail: [email protected]

Vikings would like a starter to emerge quickly in competition between Elflein, Easton 
MANKATO – Vikings rookie center Pat Elflein has a few seconds to boil down hours of playbook study. The hand of 329-pound Linval Joseph is stamped in the dirt across the line. An $18 million quarterback waits on him.
Who’s the middle linebacker? What protection adjustment is needed based on the play call and one of the defense’s frenzied looks? Making the right calls — and loudly enough — will help decide whether or not the third-round pick can compete with incumbent Nick Easton for the center job, which is a key opening remaining in the retooled Vikings offensive line.
There’s no time to waste, according to offensive line coach Tony Sparano.
“You really want to get that body in as soon as possible,” Sparano said. “I think the longer a center position competition goes, as opposed to maybe some other competitions within the line, you know, that can cause confusion.
“There’s no real timetable,” he added. “We just know it’s got to happen fast.”


The clock is ticking. Elflein, swapping first-team series with Easton during Saturday’s first padded practice of training camp, makes a late change. Turning his head left and right, he shouts the new call...
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-cente...7415933/#1

#Vikings are finalizing a big-money 5-yr extension for star CB Xavier Rhodes, I'm told. @SunnyTheAgent is in town to hammer out the details