Sports
Vikings Territory: 4 Takeaways From The First Day Of Vikings Training Camp
Fans even digitally chided the team for ignoring free-agent guards.
July 29, 2021
The Minnesota Vikings vehemently seek to erase the underwhelming memory of their recent 7-9 season, and that started with boots-on-the-ground this week.
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How will oodles of defensive free agents jell? Will it happen right away? Who the hell will play right guard? Is Kellen Mond going to be the real deal in time? Can Dede Westbrook be considered a shoo-in for WR3? All of these questions are valid, and the dispersal of answers began yesterday.
When the Vikings re-signed Dakota Dozier this spring, the timing was delicate as general manager Rick Spielman signed no noteworthy guards in free agency. Instead, he signed defensive free agents like pulling Skittles out of a bag. Fans even digitally chided the team for ignoring free-agent guards. The Dozier news, at the time, meant the franchise was obviously planning to start him again – a sad forecast because Dozier struggled in 2020.
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On Tuesday, Spielman spoke highly of Oli Udoh, a guard entering his third professional season. Lo and behold, Udoh was grabbing first-team reps on the first day of camp. Therefore, it may not be Dozier or Davis at all out of the gate in 2021: Start getting comfortable with some Udoh starting action at RG. It’s a plot twist, to be sure.
Here’s the bomb he launched to – wait for it – fellow rookie Ihmir Smith-Marsette. A youth infusion:
Two rookies connect on the first day back at quasi-normal football dealings in Eagan. For nearly everyone in attendance, it was the first time back at a Vikings event since 2019, so experiencing a misslie from rookie to rookie was just what the doctor ordered for headlines.
Not long ago, the Vikings built rosters to horrify opponents on defense while doing “just enough” on offense to win ballgames. You will recall the Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford days, founded upon defensive principles that intermixed prayer on the offensive side of operations.
The Vikings have bonafide balance, derived from head coach Mike Zimmer’s embrace of offense over the last few seasons.
Activities are returning to pre-pandemic life. There was no fan-oriented training camp in 2020. We’re back. Anthony Barr agrees:
Attendance in Eagan will continue to build over the next week, likely culminating this Saturday when the Vikings host a nighttime practice.
Life is gradually becoming normal – and that means homefield advantage will be restored. The Vikings need that.
This press release was produced by Vikings Territory. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
