Day 2 OTAs

[StickierBuns]

Yes, I know this is mostly meaningless, but....

This will probably be close to the MNF game stats in Chicago....

[MAD GAINZ]

LOL Sticky

I mean as the 2nd biggest JJM fan (behind you, but ahead of his mom), I'll say you're not wrong.

[purplefaithful]

The Commies, The 49'ers, The Vrabel led Pats and I think Denver too are all doing a really good job of surrounding young QB's in a way that maximizes their potential.

Vikings are right up there as well - with the results still TBD.

[StickierBuns]

LOL Sticky

I mean as the 2nd biggest JJM fan (behind you, but ahead of his mom), I'll say you're not wrong.

MadG and Sticky:

[purplefaithful]

Vikings outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel called it a “blessing” Wednesday to be a part of the organization and in the state of Minnesota.

Van Ginkel, who initially joined the Vikings from the Dolphins on a two-year deal during 2024 free agency, signed a one-year, $23 million extension on April 29.

The Vikings started organized team activities (OTAs) Tuesday; members of the news media could attend practice for the first time Wednesday.

“Obviously we love it here,” Van Ginkel said, referring to his wife, Sam Van Ginkel, and two sons. “We wanted to be here. Any time you can get an extension, get more security, it’s something that I wanted, and I’m glad that we could get it done.”

Van Ginkel, a 29-year-old native of northwest Iowa, is entering his seventh season in the NFL. He’s spent four of those years with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who, as Miami head coach, drafted Van Ginkel in 2019. This will be Flores’ third season in Minnesota.

“I kind of know the expectations of what he’s trying to get done and how we’re trying to attack different offenses,” Van Ginkel said. “You have to be ready to adjust on the fly, and at any moment the game plan can change or the scheme can change, and that’s something that makes me love this defense ’cause I’m versatile, I can play many positions, and I think me and Flo think alike, so that definitely helps.”

Van Ginkel set career highs in tackles (79), sacks (11.5) and interceptions (2) last season and was voted second-team All-Pro.

Startribune

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Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson has returned from his offseason attending the Met Gala and F1 races to participate in a voluntary portion of Vikings spring practices that some stars might miss for extra vacation.

But Jefferson was in attendance Wednesday and has been for a couple of weeks, according to coach Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings receiver is participating during the first week of full-team sessions (or organized team activities), which he missed last year amid contract negotiations that eventually resulted in a $35 million annual pact.

There wasn’t a reason to doubt Jefferson’s commitment, but his presence suggests he’s well aware that his bond with new Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, last year’s 10th overall draft pick, is a key in their path forward.

After a roughly 110-minute practice Wednesday, McCarthy met with local reporters and said he’s spending a “good amount” of time with Jefferson on and off the field. They sat courtside at the Timberwolves’ May 14 playoff win over the Golden State Warriors.

“It’s been extremely huge,” McCarthy said. “He’s a tremendous talent, a tremendous leader, but his leadership really shows up when he’s here. And just being able to get that chemistry building on and off the field has been invaluable.”

There are limits to their team-building at this point — no pads or live contact — but Wednesday’s session was plenty spirited as McCarthy went through his second of what can be 13 practices before training camp.

Don’t read too much into it, O’Connell warned reporters.

“As an ultimate reminder, it is the learning and teaching phase of the offseason program,” O’Connell said. “So, getting out in front of any rep questions, competition questions, tracking of completions and/or handoffs, I’ll go ahead and allow the time of the year to speak for itself.”

McCarthy said: “There’s a lot of above-the-neck capacity today that we were just stressing. It’s just so much fun out there to be able to hit some of those play calls and hit the reads … then there’s some where you miss a certain part of the cadence, but at the end of the day, it’s all learning.”

At risk of providing too much to read into, here’s a look at McCarthy’s day:

Rainy skies push over 80 players into the team’s fieldhouse at TCO Performance Center, where McCarthy warms up for nearly 15 minutes alongside half of the team occupying one end zone.

Following a nearly 15-minute warmup period, quarterbacks and centers rep snaps. McCarthy’s relationship with new center Ryan Kelly, a former Colts Pro Bowl player, is another critical union for the Vikings. McCarthy said they’ve twice met together with offensive line coach Chris Kuper away from the field. They need to be aligned in pass protection calls and cadences.

“Base stuff and just being on the same page with that,” McCarthy said. “It’s a continued process. That relationship is going to grow.”

McCarthy, who missed his rookie season because of an Aug. 10 torn meniscus, said he’s just happy to be playing again.

“It feels amazing,” McCarthy said. “When you get it taken away from you, you’d take every chance you get to get back out here and really appreciate it and get the most out of it.”

For at least Wednesday, the Vikings’ pecking order at quarterback went McCarthy, Sam Howell, Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer. That’s how they consistently aligned, including during the practice’s fourth period, which focused on under-center and shotgun handoffs.

The Vikings’ many former quarterbacks — coordinator Wes Phillips, position coach Josh McCown, assistant Jordan Traylor — huddled with run game coordinator Curtis Modkins and offered pointers to McCarthy and others as they worked through timing and footwork.

O’Connell, the head former quarterback, then grabbed all four quarterbacks’ attention for a couple of minutes of instruction. Last season, O’Connell met with McCarthy every week to discuss the game plan. He said he’s told McCown to have a “no stone unturned” approach with the 22-year-old quarterback and not to assume he recalls everything.

“I’ve been really surprised by some of the things that he does know,” O’Connell said. “You’re like, ‘Man, we covered that in a 10-minute burst in Week 11 last year; how do you remember that?’ And then there’s some other things where you’re like, ‘Oh, I assumed he knew that.’”

Roughly 51 minutes into practice, McCarthy lines up with part of the offense for the first of two seven-on-seven passing drills. He completes seven of 10 passes, but not the first throw to Jefferson over the middle. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. jumps the crossing route and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. catches the deflection — the first jab by a secondary that batted and ripped away passes. Cornerback Dwight McGlothern knocked away another later in the session.

“Everyone wants to be perfect, especially at the quarterback position,” McCarthy said. “But the more you try to be perfect, it’s going to kill you more than your imperfections will. I just feel like being able to accept in these learning, teaching phases that it’s OK to learn and fail and try things and take risks.”

“Most of the risk is anticipatory throws,” McCarthy said, “trying to fit it into a tight spot and try little things with my footwork and my eyes.”

O’Connell clarified what he’s looking for from McCarthy in those moments.

“You can really get a feel for, ‘Is a guy reading with his feet?’” he said. “‘Is he taking the right drop? Is his base and body and balance positioned to the throws and sequence of the drop in the proper place? And did he make the throw? And then was it accurate?’ And then you can kind of coach backwards from the ending of the play.”

During the first of two 11-on-11 periods, McCarthy operates the huddle with O’Connell calling the play into his in-helmet speaker. He completes passes to running back Aaron Jones, Jefferson and receiver Jalen Nailor, among others, during a 15-minute session against a half-speed defensive front that isn’t allowed to hit anyone. McCarthy’s longest throw lands complete to Jefferson in the back of the end zone about 50 yards away.

“How many situations can [O’Connell] put me in where I’m able to almost be on my own a little bit,” McCarthy said, “and now we come back together, regroup and talk through it, and that’s why this learning and teaching phase is so huge … where we can be uncomfortable and there’s no consequences.”

McCarthy ends the day with a quick hurry-up drill: a couple of tosses against a half-speed defense and a spike to stop the clock.

He relived all that in much more detail on his own Wednesday evening.

“During treatment, I watch the film once, a quick buzz through it,” McCarthy said. “Really eye-candy stuff; how did it look from a base perspective? And then I dive deeper into it that night and just go over each play and really all the intricacies of what I saw, what I didn’t see and why that was the case.

“And then the next day, we’re in here dissecting it.”

Startribune

[JustInTime]

[purplefaithful]

The superlative: Most likely to flex on the line of scrimmage

Sometimes it's difficult to look at what a team did over the offseason and figure out what it was thinking. There's no such problem with the Vikings. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O'Connell had a clear vision, one potentially influenced by the team that won the Super Bowl. If the Eagles are built by investing heavily through signings or the draft on their offensive and defensive lines, shouldn't Minnesota emulate them if it wants to get there?

The Vikings already had tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill locked up to big deals on offense, but after years of struggling with inconsistent offensive line play on the interior, the organization went big. It signed center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries away from the Colts. Fries, who missed most of 2024 because of a fractured leg, signed a five-year, $87.7 million deal, landing the fourth-largest full guarantee ($44 million) of any player in free agency. Adofo-Mensah then used his first-round pick and only top-100 selection on guard Donovan Jackson.

Likewise, the Vikings were already heavily invested in their edge rushing rotation between Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and 2024 first-rounder Dallas Turner, who cost them something close to the No. 1 pick in a typical draft between a pair of trades last spring. They spent the offseason rebuilding their rotation on the interior. They signed two well-known veterans who were released by their former teams for cap reasons in former Commanders tackle Jonathan Allen and former 49ers lineman Javon Hargrave. They will combine to make more than $30 million in average annual salary.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to build through the interior, a philosophy that predates the Eagles. I'm intrigued to see what it means for how the Vikings play. In 2024, they had very distinct characteristics. They threw the ball at the second-highest rate of any offense on early downs in neutral game scripts. On defense, coordinator Brian Flores blitzed at the league's highest rate, sending extra rushers at the opposing quarterback more than 39% of the time.

Do these moves hint at changes to those philosophies? With J.J. McCarthy taking over for Sam Darnold at quarterback, will the upgraded offensive line push the Vikings to lean more into the running game, where they added Jordan Mason to help shoulder the workload? And with Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin and Cam Bynum all leaving the secondary this offseason, will they relieve some of the pressure on their defensive backs by blitzing less often and trusting their strengthened front four to get home on their own?

Minnesota won 14 games last season, so it doesn't need to make massive changes, but the investments the organization made to upgrade the interior of its lines might hint toward a stylistic evolution on both sides of the ball.

ESPN

[Canthony]

LOL Sticky

I mean as the 2nd biggest JJM fan (behind you, but ahead of his mom), I'll say you're not wrong.

I may have to argue you on the second biggest JJ guy lol