Three Things To Watch At Vikings’ Training Camp
Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
We’re almost there folks! In less than two weeks, the Minnesota Vikings will begin their 64th training camp in Eagan, MN. As we enter the final stage of the offseason, let’s look at the top three things I’m looking for from the Vikings before they step foot in U.S. Bank Stadium in 2024.
We Don’t Love To See It
The first and arguably most important thing I want to see out of the Vikings is actually what I don’t want to see: Injuries or any more player drama. Let’s face the facts, the 2024 Minnesota Vikings are not in a position to weather a lot of “distractions”. As a matter of fact, most analysts would say this team is destined for a down year, even in optimal conditions.
Vikings fans know all too well how a franchise and a season can change in an instant when a key player suffers a major injury before even putting his gameday jersey on (see Teddy Bridgewater’s 2016 offseason). The team is already dealing with T.J. Hockenson’s knee, which there is no timetable for when he’ll return, and an experiment at QB with Sam Darnold. They’ll need all the health we can get.
Also, no more distractions. We’ll see if Jordan Addison receives a suspension — my guess is that it’s going to be four games with an appeal reducing it to two. In the name of Dennis Green, please show this young man how to call an Uber.
Turning Down the Blitz
It’ll be fascinating to see what kind of impact adding defensive veterans has on Brian Flores’ play-calling. The Vikings blitzed at a 51.5% rate in 2024, which was the highest rate in the NFL. It’s my opinion that some of the reason for this can be attributed to Flores trying to cover up some of the Vikings’ deficiencies, especially on the outside and in the middle of the field.
The Vikings added linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman, along with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Couple these moves with Ivan Pace, Jr. entering his second season in the league, and I don’t think it’s crazy to think the Vikings could mix up their approach a bit. It’s no secret that the Vikings’ brand of high-risk, high-reward defense was an improvement over previous seasons, but the risks ended up outweighing the rewards over the last quarter of the 2023 season.
Hey! Darnold?
Last, but certainly not least, I want to see how much time both Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy get running the starting offense. That split is going to be telling. You’d be a fool to think McCarthy has the ability or even the chance to claim the starting role without the opportunity to showcase what he can do behind the starting O-line, Justin Jefferson, and Aaron Jones. If that split looks even close to 50/50 towards the end of training camp, it might just be time to start speculating.
I’m not trying to start a “schism” here in Minnesota, even though we do love a good schism here. But if McCarthy is THE GUY, it shouldn’t take an insane amount of time to prove he gives this team a better chance to win than Sam “Freaking” Darnold. Don’t get me wrong, I hope Sammy blows the doors off and wrecks the NFC North this season. Wouldn’t that be an amazing headline for everyone? “Is Sam Darnold better than Jordan Love?” There wouldn’t be enough Old Style in the entire country to get Packer fans through the season in that case. But no matter how well Darnold does, I’m still casting an eye toward McCarthy to see when he might take over.
No matter what, I’m just glad football is almost here. I’m sick of summer. Give me a snowy Sunday with brats on the grill, a frozen beer in my pocket, and a Vikings game. We’re almost there, I can smell it!
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