Day 12 Camp Notes

@"BarrNone55" said: Would like to see Oli put some distance on Dozier. 

I think even this guy could put some distance between himself and Dozier.

Its just that Darrisaw is really a true LT, legitimate big guy with a bigger lower body. Not some pumped up TE like Kalil or a lesser than talent like Hill. Darrisaw is long-armed, strong, big assed and close to 330 lbs naturally. Even Reiff looked top heavy, but not Darrisaw. I was hoping he'd be farther along.

The right guard position has earned the most coverage in camp, and it’s no accident. What initially looked like a countdown to Wyatt Davis’ eventual crowning as the starter instead turned into a position battle between Oli Udoh, a sixth-round tackle, and Dakota Dozier. Dozier’s presence on the team is a product of his longtime experience with Rick Dennison’s system, but his time on the field during the season has been worrisome.
Dozier started camp taking the first-team reps. While this clearly didn’t make Vikings fans all too happy, it wasn’t too long before the coaches decided to mix things up by adding Udoh to the competition. He’s been doing well, which is good news — especially with Davis missing a number of practices due to injury.
The coaches haven’t been shy in their praise of Udoh. Zimmer casually listed Udoh among the starters along the offensive line before adding that they need more competition among the backups. Offensive line coach Phil Rauscher did the same.
When former Vikings offensive lineman — and current coaching intern — Mike Harris transitioned to guard to fill a need, Zimmer brought up that Harris overcame the challenges that come with a tall player moving into the tighter space of the interior offensive line. But with Udoh, neither he nor Rauscher see it as a significant impediment.
“For some guys, (his length) would be a challenge,” Rauscher acknowledged. “But for (Udoh), he is a very good athlete and he understands leverage and angles. He’s a very smart player and he has the ability to get to the second level. And not everyone is the same. Not everyone takes the same angle. (Udoh) understands the angles that work for him, and when he gets to the second level and gets his mitts on you, he’s going to block you.”
Dozier, on the other hand, hasn’t looked great in team drills or one-on-ones, even struggling at times against backups. It should be noted that Dozier has done well in drills requiring communication and chemistry, something that the backup offensive line has struggled with significantly. That said, Udoh isn’t bad at sliding off of his assignment to pick up a new one.

Left tackle is the biggest concern, but as training camp began, left guard was almost as questionable. Ezra Cleveland, however, has looked like a completely different player from last year. Part of the reason could be that he has so much more experience with left-sided footwork than right.
“I think it’s been really good,” Cleveland said. “Getting back to the left side — I was there in college — it’s just really comfortable for me. I feel like I can use more of my tools in my toolbelt when I’m on the left side. Being on the right side, I used some muscles that I wasn’t really used to using, and back on the left side it’s just like muscle memory.”
Garrett Bradbury noticed the difference, too. “He was a left tackle in college so he’s used to that kind of hip mobility,” he said. “I think he’s a little more comfortable at left guard.”
Cleveland looks bigger and more powerful, too. His work in team drills stands out. His wrestling matches with Dalvin Tomlinson have created some space in the running game, while he has also been solid protecting the pocket. He could do a better job securing the second level, but as a base blocker, he has been doing well.
It hasn’t been perfect for Cleveland, and his record in one-on-one drills hasn’t been the best — so there’s room for improvement — but he looks much more developed than last year.

At center, Bradbury has neither looked impressive nor worrisome. His movement ability stands out and he has done an excellent job of blocking down the candidates for the third linebacker job, though he has struggled to keep players like Eric Kendricks at bay.
Bradbury’s one-on-one record against the starting group of defensive linemen has been concerning, as both Michael Pierce — who recently recovered enough to participate — and Dalvin Tomlinson have snuck by him. It looks as if power will continue to stymie him, even as he looks better than he did last year. In those same drills, however, he’s done reasonably well with Armon Watts, who is otherwise having a great camp.

I have a feeling Tomlinson is going to be very average. 

@"StickyBun" said: I have a feeling Tomlinson is going to be very average. 

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: Would like to see Oli put some distance on Dozier. 

Would like to see Dozier in a different career.

@"BarrNone55" said: At center, Bradbury has neither looked impressive nor worrisome. His movement ability stands out and he has done an excellent job of blocking down the candidates for the third linebacker job, though he has struggled to keep players like Eric Kendricks at bay. Bradbury’s one-on-one record against the starting group of defensive linemen has been concerning, as both Michael Pierce — who recently recovered enough to participate — and Dalvin Tomlinson have snuck by him. It looks as if power will continue to stymie him, even as he looks better than he did last year. In those same drills, however, he’s done reasonably well with Armon Watts, who is otherwise having a great camp.

honestly,  i would be disappointed if our DTs werent winning 1x1 drills against our OL,  most all DTs should win in those situations as they have so much more room to work with than normal as opposed to what they would normally have when they are forced to either stunt or work in a phone booth to get by their blocker.