08-06-2023, 03:58 PM
TJH:
Suspicions were raised on Thursday when T.J. Hockenson was dressed for practice but only ran routes on the side with an assistant. That was very curious, especially with his contract status up in the air. There was no word of injury then and we still haven’t heard anything about an injury.
We got more information today when Hockenson was in shorts and not pads, then walked off the field with a trainer shortly into practice. What is the deal with him? We don’t know for sure, and it’s very peculiar.
CINE:
There is a lot of talent with Lewis Cine, whom the Vikings selected at the end of the first round in 2022. The issue isn’t with his talent, but rather how his development is going. He is inconsistent with reading plays and bites a lot on double moves. He also gets grabby when he’s beaten in a route. That will need to be cleaned up, but it’s not all bad. His athleticism and instincts are overall in a good place, the consistency needs to be better.
Asamoah:
Brian Asamoah II is essentially Cine in linebacker form: an explosive weapon that is improving, but doesn’t make the best decisions. This two play sequence from Asamoah is all you need to know about where his game is at
https://twitter.com/TheRealForno/status/...81344?s=20
PACE:
Inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. is having a tremendous training camp. He is explosive, hitting the right gaps and making plays. There isn’t quite enough there for him to be a starter, as he doesn’t stack and shed well enough to be an every-down player, but as we’ve said before, there is absolutely a role on this team for Pace. Don’t be surprised if he gets a high snap share from the onset of the regular season.
Suspicions were raised on Thursday when T.J. Hockenson was dressed for practice but only ran routes on the side with an assistant. That was very curious, especially with his contract status up in the air. There was no word of injury then and we still haven’t heard anything about an injury.
We got more information today when Hockenson was in shorts and not pads, then walked off the field with a trainer shortly into practice. What is the deal with him? We don’t know for sure, and it’s very peculiar.
CINE:
There is a lot of talent with Lewis Cine, whom the Vikings selected at the end of the first round in 2022. The issue isn’t with his talent, but rather how his development is going. He is inconsistent with reading plays and bites a lot on double moves. He also gets grabby when he’s beaten in a route. That will need to be cleaned up, but it’s not all bad. His athleticism and instincts are overall in a good place, the consistency needs to be better.
Asamoah:
Brian Asamoah II is essentially Cine in linebacker form: an explosive weapon that is improving, but doesn’t make the best decisions. This two play sequence from Asamoah is all you need to know about where his game is at
https://twitter.com/TheRealForno/status/...81344?s=20
PACE:
Inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. is having a tremendous training camp. He is explosive, hitting the right gaps and making plays. There isn’t quite enough there for him to be a starter, as he doesn’t stack and shed well enough to be an every-down player, but as we’ve said before, there is absolutely a role on this team for Pace. Don’t be surprised if he gets a high snap share from the onset of the regular season.
Blackmon:
Throughout the last three padded practices, Mekhi Blackmon has been the nickel corner and that continued on Saturday afternoon. There hasn’t been anyone else I have seen that has gotten those reps on the first team. Even with Andrew Booth Jr.injured and fighting for one of those spots, Blackmon seems to have a firm grip on first-team nickel cornerback. An impressive feat for the rookie third-round pick.
Addison:At Thursday’s night practice, Jordan Addison looked legit. He was beating cornerbacks with ease and even making a spectacular catch as well. On Saturday, he continued his impressive training camp and created a lot of separation, including smoking starting cornerback Akayleb Evans on a comeback route. Addison made it look like he was a 10+ year vet.
More takeaways:
https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/lists/minnesota-vikings-saturday-training-camp-practice-takeaways/
More takeaways:
https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/lists/minnesota-vikings-saturday-training-camp-practice-takeaways/
