The Vikings had their last official practice in Mankato Thursday morning and ended it with a mass autograph session. More than 1,000 fans lined the practice fields as players went over and furiously signed balls, posters, scraps of paper, just about anything that would take a pen or a magic marker.
Midway through practice Donovan McNabb threw the longest touchdown of the day, finding Jaymar Johnson streaking down the left sideline and hitting him for a 65-yard score.
The offense also did some red zone work near the ended of the session. Joe Webb threw for two TD's during the workout, finding Johnson again in the left corner of the end zone. Johnson momentarily bobbled the ball but gained possession before falling out of bounds. Webb also found Juaquin Iglesias with a short curl pattern just inside the goal line.
The defense stepped up on the final play of practice. Rookie safety Mistral Raymond stepped in front of a Chris Ponder pass near the back of the end zone and ran it back for a touchdown the other way. Unfortunately, Raymond came up limping at the end of the play with what head coach Leslie Frazier later said was a tweaked hamstring.
Veteran cornerback Cedric Griffin, who is coming back from his second ACL surgery in less than a year, has all but locked up the team's Comeback Player of the Year award if he gets back on the field and plays even close to his former level.
A close second for that award could be wide receiver Bernard Berrian. The Vikings had high hopes for the free-agent signee before the 2008 season and he did will in his first year, but he was injured much of 2009 and amassed a sub-par 247 yards on 28 catches with no touchdowns last season.
Many thought he would end up on the waiver wire prior to the start of training camp but he's not only still here, he's receiving high praise from both head coach Frazier and quarterback McNabb. McNabb says Berrian can not only still stretch the field but runs precise routs.
If Berrian does in games what he's been doing in practice, he should once again become a vital part of the offense.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Camp winding down
The Vikings held their second-to-last practice in pads in Mankato Wednesday morning an both the offensive and defensive units gave the fans something to cheer about.
During 11-on-11 drills the defense got the better of the quarterbacks four times as play was whistled dead for apparent sacks. Jaspar Brinkley also made a nifty interception of a Joe Webb passed that bounced out of the hands of the intended receiver and straight to the linebacker.
Receivers Greg Camarillo and Devin Aromashodu had good days, catching just about everything that was thrown their way, even when tightly covered. Aromashodu made the catch of the day, hauling in a long, 35-yard Christian Ponder pass while sprinting toward the right sideline.
Ponder also showed that Joe Webb isn't the only quarterback in camp with speed. When he couldn't find a receiver on one play, he tucked the ball in and sprinted around left end for a 20-yard gain.
Head coach Leslie Frazier continues to insist that Webb is focusing just on playing quarterback during training camp but, as in some previous practices, there he was again running a route as a wide receiver. On Wednesday they sent him down to the goal line to try to catch a Hail Mary pass from Donovan McNabb that was batted down by the defense.
On the injury front, safety Tyrell Johnson (hamstring) returned to practice and coach Frazier said he will likely play on Saturday barring any setbacks. Linebacker Kenny Onatolu did not practice but is no longer wearing the walking cast on his left leg.
Check out Thursday's print edition for a Chad Courrier feature on offensive lineman Phil Loadholt and a more extensive training camp notebook.
During 11-on-11 drills the defense got the better of the quarterbacks four times as play was whistled dead for apparent sacks. Jaspar Brinkley also made a nifty interception of a Joe Webb passed that bounced out of the hands of the intended receiver and straight to the linebacker.
Receivers Greg Camarillo and Devin Aromashodu had good days, catching just about everything that was thrown their way, even when tightly covered. Aromashodu made the catch of the day, hauling in a long, 35-yard Christian Ponder pass while sprinting toward the right sideline.
Ponder also showed that Joe Webb isn't the only quarterback in camp with speed. When he couldn't find a receiver on one play, he tucked the ball in and sprinted around left end for a 20-yard gain.
Head coach Leslie Frazier continues to insist that Webb is focusing just on playing quarterback during training camp but, as in some previous practices, there he was again running a route as a wide receiver. On Wednesday they sent him down to the goal line to try to catch a Hail Mary pass from Donovan McNabb that was batted down by the defense.
On the injury front, safety Tyrell Johnson (hamstring) returned to practice and coach Frazier said he will likely play on Saturday barring any setbacks. Linebacker Kenny Onatolu did not practice but is no longer wearing the walking cast on his left leg.
Check out Thursday's print edition for a Chad Courrier feature on offensive lineman Phil Loadholt and a more extensive training camp notebook.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Quiet day at Vikings camp
Even though the Minnesota Vikings players were in full pads, there wasn't a lot of eye-catching action during Tuesday's morning practice.
Linebacker Chad Greenway made a couple of interceptions during team drills, and in a short-yardage drill, Adrian Peterson made a ridiculous cutback against linebacker Erin Henderson to spring a long run.
Other than that, it was pretty quiet.
Defensive coordinator Fred Pagac held a press conference to tell everyone how much he liked the attidtude of his group, and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave followed to say that his unit knows what it's doing but needs time to become more precise.
On the injury front, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and Tyrell Johnson both missed practice with hamstring injuries. Receiver Percy Harvin (ribs) and guard Steve Hutchinson (shoulder) both returned, as did defensive end Adrian Awasom (illness). Safety Simeon Castille continued to do some running on the adjacent field, though his injury has not been reported.
Check out Wednesday's print edition to see what Jim Rueda writes about new nose guard Remi Ayodele. There will also be an AP story on Cedric Griffin as well as other notes from both practice sessions.
Linebacker Chad Greenway made a couple of interceptions during team drills, and in a short-yardage drill, Adrian Peterson made a ridiculous cutback against linebacker Erin Henderson to spring a long run.
Other than that, it was pretty quiet.
Defensive coordinator Fred Pagac held a press conference to tell everyone how much he liked the attidtude of his group, and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave followed to say that his unit knows what it's doing but needs time to become more precise.
On the injury front, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and Tyrell Johnson both missed practice with hamstring injuries. Receiver Percy Harvin (ribs) and guard Steve Hutchinson (shoulder) both returned, as did defensive end Adrian Awasom (illness). Safety Simeon Castille continued to do some running on the adjacent field, though his injury has not been reported.
Check out Wednesday's print edition to see what Jim Rueda writes about new nose guard Remi Ayodele. There will also be an AP story on Cedric Griffin as well as other notes from both practice sessions.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Bomar, Bomar ... where art thou, Bomar?
Vikings backup quarterback Rhett Bomar proved to be pretty shifty Monday, leaving practice through a different exit to avoid the media after morning practice.
The 26-year-old Bomar, who signed with the Vikings in December, was arrested on suspicion of third-degree DUI, a gross misdemeanor early Sunday morning. He was arrested at 2:47 a.m. in downtown Mankato, and he spent the day in jail, posting a $12,000 bond before getting released Sunday night.
Coach Leslie Frazier said that Bomar addressed the team before Monday's practice and apologized for his actions. Romar then participated in the practice. However, he did not leave the field through the same exit as he and all the players do every day.
"Hopefully, he can learn from his mistake and move forward," Frazier said. "It's disappointing, but hopefully, it's something we can all learn from."
On the field, there were quite a few injuries to key players, though none were considered serious. Guard Steve Hutchinson missed some snaps with a sore shoulder, and receiver Percy Harvin sat out a couple of periods with sore ribs. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe pulled up during a passing play, grabbing his hamstring, but he walked off the field and into the locker room with a trainer a few minutes later.
Safety Tyrell Johnson, who is competing for a starting spot at safety, missed the morning practice with a hamstring injury. Safety Simeon Castille, who suffered a leg injury Saturday, did some light running on an adjacent field, and defensive lineman Adrian Awasom was absent because he was sick.
Check out Tuesday's print edition for a story on second-year cornerback Chris Cook, who struggled with injuries last season. There will also be more news from Monday's practices.
The 26-year-old Bomar, who signed with the Vikings in December, was arrested on suspicion of third-degree DUI, a gross misdemeanor early Sunday morning. He was arrested at 2:47 a.m. in downtown Mankato, and he spent the day in jail, posting a $12,000 bond before getting released Sunday night.
Coach Leslie Frazier said that Bomar addressed the team before Monday's practice and apologized for his actions. Romar then participated in the practice. However, he did not leave the field through the same exit as he and all the players do every day.
"Hopefully, he can learn from his mistake and move forward," Frazier said. "It's disappointing, but hopefully, it's something we can all learn from."
On the field, there were quite a few injuries to key players, though none were considered serious. Guard Steve Hutchinson missed some snaps with a sore shoulder, and receiver Percy Harvin sat out a couple of periods with sore ribs. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe pulled up during a passing play, grabbing his hamstring, but he walked off the field and into the locker room with a trainer a few minutes later.
Safety Tyrell Johnson, who is competing for a starting spot at safety, missed the morning practice with a hamstring injury. Safety Simeon Castille, who suffered a leg injury Saturday, did some light running on an adjacent field, and defensive lineman Adrian Awasom was absent because he was sick.
Check out Tuesday's print edition for a story on second-year cornerback Chris Cook, who struggled with injuries last season. There will also be more news from Monday's practices.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Final week of camp begins Monday
There are just four days of training camp remaining, with full practices in the morning and walk-throughs in the afternoon.
There's a few things to look for over the next week:
Quarterback Donovan McNabb has looked OK but needs to get more comfortable in the system. The receiving corps is nondescript, and every defense is going to focus on Adrian Peterson, so there's more pressure on the QB.
The offensive line is a work in progress, needing serious time to play together. Right guard Anthony Herrera will probably remain on the physically-unable-to-perform list for a couple more weeks, but the other four starters -- tackles Charlie Johnson and Phil Loadholt, guard Steve Hutchinson and center John Sullivan -- aren't likely to change. They will have to play better for this team to succeed.
The defensive secondary also has some moving parts. Cornerback Antoine Winfield is a given, and Cedric Griffin won't likely play in the first two or three preseason games. Chris Cook was the third cornerback on Saturday and will probably start in the preseason opener at Tennessee, but Asher Allen remains in the mix.
At safety, Hussain Abdullah seems cemented at one position, while Jamarca Sanford and Tyrell Johnson are competing at the other. Sanford has made the most noticeable plays so far at training camp.
See you at early practice Monday.
There's a few things to look for over the next week:
Quarterback Donovan McNabb has looked OK but needs to get more comfortable in the system. The receiving corps is nondescript, and every defense is going to focus on Adrian Peterson, so there's more pressure on the QB.
The offensive line is a work in progress, needing serious time to play together. Right guard Anthony Herrera will probably remain on the physically-unable-to-perform list for a couple more weeks, but the other four starters -- tackles Charlie Johnson and Phil Loadholt, guard Steve Hutchinson and center John Sullivan -- aren't likely to change. They will have to play better for this team to succeed.
The defensive secondary also has some moving parts. Cornerback Antoine Winfield is a given, and Cedric Griffin won't likely play in the first two or three preseason games. Chris Cook was the third cornerback on Saturday and will probably start in the preseason opener at Tennessee, but Asher Allen remains in the mix.
At safety, Hussain Abdullah seems cemented at one position, while Jamarca Sanford and Tyrell Johnson are competing at the other. Sanford has made the most noticeable plays so far at training camp.
See you at early practice Monday.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
9,145 fans? Really?
The Minnesota Vikings held their annual night practice Friday at Blakeslee Stadium, with an announced crowd of 9,145 fans.
Don't think they were lying on attendance, but the fans couldn't have been happy with how little action they saw over the two-hour practice. But there were fireworks, and I'm not talking about the scrum between the offense and defense during one full-contact drill.
Coach Leslie Frazier has said that the defense is usually ahead of the offense during the early part of training camp, which makes sense. The offense is installing and perfecting a bunch of new plays, which require timing among all 11 players, while the defense can play with more emotion and just run to the football.
But the defensive line has dominated the offensive line nearly every time the No. 1 units face each other.
The defensive line of ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison and tackles Kevin Williams and Remi Ayodele have caused several sacks, whcih are signaled by a whistle because there's no tackling the quarterbacks.
The offensive line is a work in progress, with three starters back: center John Sullivan, left guard Steve Hutchinson and right tackle Phil Loadholt. Right guard Anthony Herrera is rehabbing a surgically repaired knee and arm, and Chris DeGeare is filling in at that spot. Left tackle Charlie Johnson has only been with the team for six days, three of which he could practice, as he takes over for Bryant McKinnie, who was released this week.
It's too early to get concerned about the offensive line, but Donovan McNabb is not nearly as elusive as he was earlier in his career, and Adrian Peterson can't be an elite running back without room to run.
In case you pay attention to position battles, safety Jamarca Sanford was the starter ahead of Tyrell Johnson, and Chris Cook was the third cornerback in the nickel defense.
Don't think they were lying on attendance, but the fans couldn't have been happy with how little action they saw over the two-hour practice. But there were fireworks, and I'm not talking about the scrum between the offense and defense during one full-contact drill.
Coach Leslie Frazier has said that the defense is usually ahead of the offense during the early part of training camp, which makes sense. The offense is installing and perfecting a bunch of new plays, which require timing among all 11 players, while the defense can play with more emotion and just run to the football.
But the defensive line has dominated the offensive line nearly every time the No. 1 units face each other.
The defensive line of ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison and tackles Kevin Williams and Remi Ayodele have caused several sacks, whcih are signaled by a whistle because there's no tackling the quarterbacks.
The offensive line is a work in progress, with three starters back: center John Sullivan, left guard Steve Hutchinson and right tackle Phil Loadholt. Right guard Anthony Herrera is rehabbing a surgically repaired knee and arm, and Chris DeGeare is filling in at that spot. Left tackle Charlie Johnson has only been with the team for six days, three of which he could practice, as he takes over for Bryant McKinnie, who was released this week.
It's too early to get concerned about the offensive line, but Donovan McNabb is not nearly as elusive as he was earlier in his career, and Adrian Peterson can't be an elite running back without room to run.
In case you pay attention to position battles, safety Jamarca Sanford was the starter ahead of Tyrell Johnson, and Chris Cook was the third cornerback in the nickel defense.
They're not just standing around out there
Another hot but breezy morning practice for the Vikings on Saturday. The hour-long walk-through included a drop-back drill for all four quarterbacks who practiced their footwork and pivot.
Much of the session looked like 22 guys working on special teams and the other 60-plus guys standing around watching. Head coach Leslie Frazier said that may be what it looks like but that the walk-throughs are beneficial to the team in terms of gauging concentration levels and building attention to detail.
The walk-through will be in sharp contrast to what takes place tonight when the team moves inside Blakeslee Stadium for a workout from 7-8:55 p.m. labeled Family Football Night. The practice will include a lot of full-contact drills.
The Vikings plan to do a number of situational football workouts this evening. Among them will be a red zone drill in which the offense will try to score touchdowns while the defense tries to hold the opposition to a field goal.
There will also be a back-up drill, where the offense starts on the minus-3 yard line and tries to get out of that hole while the defense tries to keep the players pinned back.
Another will be what Frazier calls the four-minute period. The drill entails the offense trying to hold on to the football for the final four minutes by controlling the clock, running the football, converting first downs, In essence the players are keeping the defense from having to go back on the field and thereby winning the game.
From a defensive standpoint in the same drill, the players must try to find a way to get the ball back and allow the offense to get back on the field and win the game.
Tonight's workout is free and will conclude with a fireworks display.
Much of the session looked like 22 guys working on special teams and the other 60-plus guys standing around watching. Head coach Leslie Frazier said that may be what it looks like but that the walk-throughs are beneficial to the team in terms of gauging concentration levels and building attention to detail.
The walk-through will be in sharp contrast to what takes place tonight when the team moves inside Blakeslee Stadium for a workout from 7-8:55 p.m. labeled Family Football Night. The practice will include a lot of full-contact drills.
The Vikings plan to do a number of situational football workouts this evening. Among them will be a red zone drill in which the offense will try to score touchdowns while the defense tries to hold the opposition to a field goal.
There will also be a back-up drill, where the offense starts on the minus-3 yard line and tries to get out of that hole while the defense tries to keep the players pinned back.
Another will be what Frazier calls the four-minute period. The drill entails the offense trying to hold on to the football for the final four minutes by controlling the clock, running the football, converting first downs, In essence the players are keeping the defense from having to go back on the field and thereby winning the game.
From a defensive standpoint in the same drill, the players must try to find a way to get the ball back and allow the offense to get back on the field and win the game.
Tonight's workout is free and will conclude with a fireworks display.
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