I'll leave you with this....have a great weekend!

[StickierBuns]

JJM's first throws as a Viking

[StickierBuns]

https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/1788998692181016656

[Montana Tom]

Hard to get a read on Turner in these Underwear Olympics, but still great to see him wearing purple on our practice field

[Kentis]

   

[purplefaithful]

In his first Vikings practice, J.J. McCarthy loses a bet, learns from his coach's mistake

Stationed at a podium just outside the Vikings' headquarters, coach Kevin O'Connell gestured out to the team's practice fields, turning reporters' attention behind them to where rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy was running sprints at the end of his first Vikings practice.

The sprints, McCarthy admitted later, were the payoff for a bet he'd lost.

With 16 snaps of skeleton passing drills scheduled for the first day of the Vikings' rookie camp practices on Friday, McCarthy challenged the team's defenders he could get through the drills with three or fewer balls hitting the ground. If he did, they'd have to run gassers; if four or more passes missed their target, McCarthy would be the one running.

McCarthy and undrafted linebacker K.J. Cloyd, in particular, had been chiding one another in jest before practice. It was Cloyd who intercepted McCarthy in a Vikings uniform for the first time, stepping in front of a pass and pointing at McCarthy as he returned it for a touchdown in the middle of Friday's practice.

"I've got to stop talking smack because it always turns out, they win in the end," McCarthy said. "The splits were a little messed up; I obviously take full credit for the outcome of the play. But you know, just reading it outside in, I felt like I could fit in there and force it, but at this level, they're a lot faster, a lot longer. It's great to learn now, before the vets get here. Hopefully I won't be in that situation anytime soon."

The Vikings could take the error in stride on Friday, as the start of their rookie minicamp marked the next juncture in a deliberate process they plan to use for McCarthy's development. McCarthy, the 10th pick in last month's NFL draft, is one of just two quarterbacks in the Vikings' rookie camp, with Eastern Kentucky QB Parker McKinney also in on a tryout. McCarthy spent enough time talking through the Vikings offense with the coaches before the draft that some of what he heard in prepractice meetings on Friday was familiar; his time between snaps was a stretch of consistent dialogue with offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, QB coach Josh McCown and O'Connell.

"This weekend is really about preparing him to step in with the full group next week, and then a week from there, we start our first [organized team activities] with the whole group," O'Connell said. "He's doing a great job of handling everything. I'm just enjoying seeing the process: rep-to-rep improvement, taking coaching points from Josh or Wes or myself and just continuing to build.

"We spent a lot of time together predraft, and one of the real benefits of that is, in a lot of ways, a lot of the things we're talking about, he's not hearing for the first time now. It'll feel like a lot, at times, to him, and that's OK. We just kind of want to continue to stress him above the neck, and then when we get out here on the grass, it's techniques, fundamentals, rhythm, timing, all the things that go into playing quarterback in our offense."

McCarthy was one of the first players on the field Friday, going through his own warmup process he'd brought to the NFL from Michigan. McCarthy said afterward he wasn't nervous to get on the field but was "more anxious than anything" to practice again after months of predraft interviews and workouts.

"Being in this league, it's a dream come true," he said. "Being able to be out there with the guys and really live your dream has been truly special. So I was just trying to be in the present, take in the moment, and I had so much fun out there."

O'Connell has said several times he thinks young QBs benefit from not needing to play right away, and the Vikings figure to be patient with McCarthy unless he shows enough mastery of their offense that there's no point in sitting him.

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vi...600365142/

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Coaches planned after practice to review film with him, talk through his thought process of each throw he'd made and discuss his progress with the footwork the Vikings want their quarterbacks to use. McCown's 16 years in the NFL, McCarthy said, make him a particularly valuable resource for the rookie.

"It helps so much because he has those NFL scars," McCarthy said. "Like, we had a play where it's ripping a [far side of the] field to 8-yard stop [route]. That's a far throw, and he's just talking about his process going through it."

McCown mentioned a mistake he made on a similar play with Cleveland in 2015 that Denver's Aqib Talib returned for a touchdown. "He's so vocal about it," McCarthy added, "and it's just invaluable."

O'Connell was McCown's quarterback coach on that play. Nine years later, both of them could instruct McCarthy, knowing the rookie could learn and laugh at himself a bit in the process.

"As I told him the second time he got a chance to rep that play, in a joking way, I said, 'Let's hope you can survive rep number two of your Vikings career on the play,' " O'Connell said. "He was great. He's having a blast out here."

[MaroonBells]

"O'Connell has said several times he thinks young QBs benefit from not needing to play right away, and the Vikings figure to be patient with McCarthy unless he shows enough mastery of their offense that there's no point in sitting him."

I hope it's more than just mastery of the offense. I might be the only one who thinks this, but I really hope they give him the full year to mature and develop physically, mentally, emotionally....maybe gain another 5-10 lbs. I think if we're exceedingly patient with young Jonathan James, it will pay off long term.

[StickierBuns]

"O'Connell has said several times he thinks young QBs benefit from not needing to play right away, and the Vikings figure to be patient with McCarthy unless he shows enough mastery of their offense that there's no point in sitting him."

I hope it's more than just mastery of the offense. I might be the only one who thinks this, but I really hope they give him the full year to mature and develop physically, mentally, emotionally....maybe gain another 5-10 lbs. I think if we're exceedingly patient with young Jonathan James, it will pay off long term.

They have to.....and smart fans will realize this. He is going to need reps, a comfort level, understanding NFL corners and defenses, etc. But of course in the nutzo sports social media world, some fans will be calling him a bust if he doesn't start Week 1. KOC needs to stick to the plan and he will with JJM. He has to build real confidence. I don't think he needs to gain any weight, he looked big to me. If he's at 219 lbs-ish, he's good to go.

[purplefaithful]

"O'Connell has said several times he thinks young QBs benefit from not needing to play right away, and the Vikings figure to be patient with McCarthy unless he shows enough mastery of their offense that there's no point in sitting him."

I hope it's more than just mastery of the offense. I might be the only one who thinks this, but I really hope they give him the full year to mature and develop physically, mentally, emotionally....maybe gain another 5-10 lbs. I think if we're exceedingly patient with young Jonathan James, it will pay off long term.

I think the last part of that sentence is not a quote, but just the media conjecturing..I hope it is.  

IMO the best scenario for JJ is for Darnold to man the position well and for a while. 

He needs to bulk-up (i used to be that skinny at 21 lol) and he needs to observe how pro's go about their business on game day and on a weekday too.

---

@sticky, I think he closer to 200 than 220? you know him better than I do.

[StickierBuns]

JJM was 219 lbs at the Combine. Not sure what he weighs right now. JMO, but he doesn't look skinny to me. Jayden Daniels looks skinny. Penix looks thinner than JJM. Jordan Love looks thinner. It will be interesting to see where the Vikings want him. My guess would be between 218 - 222 lbs.

Below is a pic of him at the Combine weighing 219 lbs. He's just one of those kids that is stronger than he might look. Thick ass and thighs, built strong.

[purplefaithful]

As soon as the Vikings selected him with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he dove headfirst into the playbook.

J.J. McCarthy certainly looks the part of a franchise quarterback. That much was apparent on Friday afternoon as McCarthy took the practice field at TCO Performance Center for the first time with the Vikings.

Not only did McCarthy look every bit of his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame, he showcased his arm talent, effortlessly zipping the ball around to his teammates.

Any nerves?

“I was more anxious than anything,” McCarthy said. “You’re just waiting so long to get back to real football.”

It helps that McCarthy has been tirelessly preparing for this moment. As soon as the Vikings selected him with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, he dove headfirst into the playbook in an effort to learn as much as he could. He also met with different members of the coaching staff over Zoom to go over everything before he arrived back in town.

That gave McCarthy a leg up on the first day of rookie minicamp.

“It didn’t feel like my first day,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been going over the offense for a long time.”

As much as McCarthy has made a concerted effort to learn the offense over the past few weeks, he also had some pre-existing knowledge going back to his formal interview with head coach Kevin O’Connell at the NFL Combine, as well as his private workout with the Vikings on his college campus in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“We spent a lot of time together predraft, and a real benefit of that is, in a lot of ways, a lot of things we’re talking about he’s not hearing for the first time,” O’Connell said. “That’s what I liked so much about the part of the process we went through predraft.”

There were still some highs and lows from McCarthy. He looked comfortable for the most part and made a handful of throws that even a seasoned veteran would’ve been proud of. He also threw an interception during the 7-on-7 portion that ended up being returned for a touchdown.

“I felt like I could fit it in there and force it,” McCarthy said. “At this level, they’re a lot faster, a lot longer. It’s great to learn now before the veterans get here. Hopefully won’t be in that situation anytime soon.”

Maybe the most important thing for McCarthy in the short term is continuing to give himself grace. He has a tendency of trying to learn everything all at once. He knows that isn’t in his best interest.

“I’ve fell victim to the paralysis by over analysis before,” McCarthy said. “I’m taking it slow incrementally, and they’re doing a great job of making sure that process is going as smoothly as possible.”

There will undoubtedly be some teaching points that O’Connell impresses upon McCarthy this weekend. That comes with the territory. That said, O’Connell noted that his main goal is making sure McCarthy is ready when the veterans return next week.

“He’s a process driven guy,” O’Connell said. “He understands that there’s a long road ahead of him. We’re just trying to make incremental gains that will be solidified as part of how he plays quarterback for a long time. I’ve been really impressed with him so far.”

https://www.twincities.com/2024/05/10/vi...is-moment/