EAGAN, Minn. — The fans have returned. The pads are on. Football is happening at the TCO Performance Center, and it is swelteringly stupendous.
The Minnesota Vikings have not had the smoothest of starts. One of their most questionable positions, cornerback, has already been dealt two on-field blows. First, Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL. Then, Shaq Griffin injured his hamstring. The Vikings are optimistic about Griffin, and in the meantime, they’ve been in troubleshooting mode.
Make no mistake, though: A lot of other things are happening. A week into training camp, here’s what we’ve learned:
1. Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has not yet taken any snaps with the first-team offense. He has mostly been throwing to receivers Jalen Nailor, Lucky Jackson and Trishton Jackson throughout the first week. His mechanics look more polished than they did this spring. Throwing left? Not a consistent problem. Heaving it deep? McCarthy connected with Trishton Jackson Tuesday afternoon on a 50-yard strike down the field against the first-team defense.
But by no means has he been perfect. On Tuesday, he sailed a couple of attempts toward the sideline. Maintaining the same base and timing against a pass rush is the current focus. Progress is the goal, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, not perfection.
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McCarthy has had no trouble gelling with teammates. After Monday’s practice, he dapped up running back Aaron Jones on the field and chatted with Jones’ young son. On Tuesday, McCarthy lobbed a fade toward Lucky Jackson in the red zone. Jackson dropped the ball, but McCarthy found him a few seconds later and patted him on the helmet.
JJ is being prepped and practicing for when it is his turn pic.twitter.com/mpGwn4cQkf
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 30, 2024
2. Sam Darnold began training camp with a couple of massive deep balls. Justin Jefferson torched cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. on one, and a day later it was Jordan Addison doing damage. Placing the ball accurately has not been an issue when Darnold has aired it out. If anything, O’Connell mentioned Tuesday, there are times the quarterbacks could probably take the shot rather than checking the ball down.
Darnold’s layering ability is apparent, too. He frequently arcs the ball effectively into holes on the sideline.
One challenging aspect to gauge in training camp is in-traffic attempts over the middle. If a ball is nearly picked off by the defense, is it because the receiver did not peel his route off correctly? Is it because Darnold forced a ball into a tight window? Or was he humming that ball into that window to see what he could get away with as part of a trial-and-error process? These questions don’t have easy answers; only the coaches have the film to review each throw, and only they know all of the intricacies of each play. But these types of throws will continue to be worth watching as training camp progresses.
3. The Vikings are well aware of their cornerback issues. On Monday, they signed defensive back Bobby McCain, who has played the position, and they also moved safety Jay Ward out to cornerback for the first time. On Tuesday, they agreed to terms with 30-year-old cornerback Fabian Moreau, according to an NFL Network report. Moreau started 11 games last year for the Denver Broncos. He has one thing many of the Vikings’ backup cornerbacks don’t: experience.
Does this rule out additional cornerback signings? No. The free-agent market is not filled with high-end options, but Stephon Gilmore is the most intriguing. He played for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in New England. He has started 33 games at corner over the last two seasons, and his production has remained. Adding him is a no-brainer, but the Vikings aren’t the only team thinking this way. Gilmore’s market is going to be robust, and the longer he waits, the more likely it is teams could need his services. Not to mention, the longer he waits, the less time he has to spend at training camp.
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4. When asked which players had stood out at camp so far, multiple Vikings players brought up Aaron Jones. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw, specifically, raved about Jones’ skill set and how much the former Green Bay Packer could enhance the run game.
It’s also worth noting that the Vikings have shown numerous looks with fullback C.J. Ham in the backfield — in split-shotgun sets, in I-formation looks and even in the pistol.
5. Brian Asamoah II, a third-round pick of the Vikings in 2022, only played 36 defensive snaps last year. He missed time in training camp and never fully returned to the lineup.
Ivan Pace Jr.’s emergence factored into the team’s decision, but Asamoah was also navigating foot and shoulder injuries. Asamoah said this week that he underwent surgery in January to repair his labrum tear. He had played through the injury, mostly on special teams. Pace and Blake Cashman have taken most of the first-team defensive snaps with the first-team, but Asamoah has had a Bullet Bill vibe to him this week.
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6. On Tuesday, the Vikings structured a portion of their practice around third-down situations. In those 11-on-11 reps, Flores used four edge rushers: Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner, Patrick Jones II and Andrew Van Ginkel. Another offseason signee, Jihad Ward, mixed in at times. Expect that group to see the field once the season begins on obvious pass-rush downs.
Notably, O’Connell also referenced undrafted rookie Gabriel Murphy on Tuesday. “He’s showing up, time and time again, early on here as a guy who is versatile in the rush game,” O’Connell said.
7. Ryan Wright and Seth Vernon seem to be in the thick of a punting competition. The Vikings have given them equal reps, and Vernon, who went undrafted in 2023 out of Portland State, certainly has a strong enough leg.
One note: Wright has been the primary holder for kicker Will Reichard throughout the spring and summer, and that’s no small job. Each player dropped in a couple of nice punts Tuesday that parachuted inside the 10.
Quick hitters: Cornerback Duke Shelley played with the No. 1 defense Tuesday in nickel packages. Byron Murphy Jr. slid inside, while Akayleb Evans manned the opposite corner … Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver remain the backup tight ends. Mundt continues to receive multiple targets each practice … Running back Kene Nwangwu has taken more reps this summer than in years past, but he’s still third on the depth chart behind Jones and Ty Chandler … Evaluating rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez has been difficult, but multiple Vikings staffers have shared that they’re high on his potential development … Internally, the Vikings have been stoked about Jalen Nailor’s performance thus far … Rookie Michael Jurgens worked Tuesday as the backup center.
SPEEEEEEEEDY @jalennailor pic.twitter.com/ixwT2n17Zt
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 30, 2024
(Photo of Aaron Jones: Bruce Kluckhohn / Associated Press)
