Even though quarterback Christian Ponder took a shot at the rubble where the Gage Towers used to stand, saying it looks better now than ever, most of the Minnesota Vikings players seemed excited as they reported to Sears Hall to begin the three-week training camp.
The three first-round draft choices all signed contracts Thursday morning and were at Minnesota State by 1 p.m. Other veterans trickled in, with some stopping by the media pack for quick interviews.
As you might expect, coach Leslie Frazier was upbeat about training camp, especially excited that all the players would be to camp on time, limiting distractions. He said his message to the team Thursday night would be to set the goals high but not forget the process that needs to take place to achieve those goals.
On-field practices begin Friday, with workouts at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Both Friday and Saturday practices will be held without pads, per league rules.
One of the fun aspects of this camp will be watching former MSU receivers Adam Thielen and LaMark Brown. Thielen has opened some eyes with his performance at off-season practices, while Brown has the experience of training camp last year at Atlanta, which tried to convert him to tight end.
The crowd of autograph seekers seemed a little bigger than usual for move-in day, probably the result of last season's success. Expectations seem pretty high as the offseason ends and preparation for the last season at Metrodome begins.
To see video from Thursday's check-in press conferences, go here.
No comments:
Post a Comment