The second preseason game is over and it is hard to really assess where the position battles really lie. Most of us only see the games and have to rely on practice reports to determine which players the team is going to keep. The game left a little to be desired but there were some bright spots. I thought Max Brosmer looked pretty good. I could see the team keeping him on the final 53 and taking a chance that no other team will pick up Rypien. If they try that with Brosmer he could get picked up. Even if he is not picked up and signs onto the practice squad, another team could still sign him if he is not protected which can only happen four times. It will be interesting.
I wanted to see the wide receivers because Rondale Moore is out for the season and Jalen Nailor has a hand. I think that it could be time for the Vikings to look for alternatives. I do think that Thayer Thomas looked good. Some free agents still available are Amari Cooper, Gabriel Davis, Tyler Boyd, Brandon Powell, Jamison Crowder, and Allen Robinson among others. I like Gabriel Davis who is 26 years old and could be a longer term option. I would be surprised by any trade but not disappointed.
Trying to determine the final 53 is tough. Since there are an additional 16 players that can be added to the practice squad, the final 69 is probably easier right now.
One more preseason game to go.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
- Myles Price makes a name for himselfPrice, an undrafted rookie free agent, might’ve played himself into the to kick and punt returner position as the Vikings enter the final two weeks before the regular season begins Sept. 8 in Chicago.
After catching the go-ahead touchdown in Minnesota’s preseason win over Houston last week, he exploded with a 21-yard punt return on his only attempt against the Patriots and added an 81-yard kick return late in the fourth quarter.
“This guy, to me, falls under the category, if we can get him comfortable catching it, he’s gott he skill set to make guys miss,” O’Connell said while mic’d up in the third quarter. Seconds later, Price returned a punt 21 yards.
“There it is. Make the first miss. That’s a helluva job right there,” O’Connell reacted live to the return.
- Did any wide receivers step up?While Lucky Jackson had a bad drop and finished with only one catch for nine yards, the Vikings didn’t get much from any other receivers, either. Tai Felton had two catches for 32 yards. Jeshaun Jones had four catches for 39 yards. Myles Price had two receptions for 11 yards (his 18-yard catch was erased by a penalty). Thayer Thomas has one catch for eight yards.
Who haven’t we mentioned? Tim Jones, who finished with four catches for 68 yards, including a beautiful, over-the-shoulder catch on a perfect pass from Brosmer down the left sideline.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell pulled Howell from the game after the first quarter, inserting Brett Rypien for the second stanza and undrafted free-agent rookie Max Brosmer for the entirety of the second half. Reporters asked O’Connell about those decisions following the contest.
“It was really not a matter of anything Sam did or didn’t do,” O’Connell said. “I envisioned Max having the whole second half, but I wanted to make sure that [Rypien] wasn’t a victim of the clock there, where all of the sudden his time goes.”
O’Connell also spoke directly to Howell’s overall day.
For a lot of his chunk of time in there, [Howell] went up against their starting unit. We sat a lot of guys today, so it was going to be tough. But … I’m looking at just guys going out there and playing physical and executing and playing with detail and throwing and catching in the pass game.
So obviously we didn’t get off to the fast start we wanted. But no, that decision had nothing to do with any kind of performance-based decision. It was more about a plan to try to get all three guys in a game, and now we can obviously assess with four quarters next week the best way to handle it.
O’Connell also spoke at length about Brosmer and admitted that the competition for the QB2 position remains wide open in Minnesota.
“What I loved about Max is there were some breakdowns up front and maybe he couldn’t progress and read through concepts, but he plays with very fast eyes and very rarely puts the ball in harm’s way when he’s doing it, which is a unique trait,” O’Connell explained.
The coach noted an explosive play Brosmer made in the pass game, which referees reversed via a penalty, as well as a “dagger throw” on fourth down. Both examples displayed the relatively high ceiling Brosmer brings with him to the Vikings huddle.
“The things … that he’s done and shows consistently [are] why he’s getting the reps that he is. I thought Brett Rypien did some good things, and obviously Sam had some tough circumstances,” O’Connell continued. “There’s a reason why we’re playing all three of them. As far as like what that means in the overall competition, I would just say it’s still open and we’re trying to figure out what that room is gonna like for the season.”
…
“I do like all the [three] players, a lot,” O’Connell said.
- Backup QB battle part 2
Sam Howell silenced external skepticism with a close-to-flawless effort in Minnesota’s first exhibition (11-for-13 passing, 105 yards, and a TD on a sneak). Incumbent QB3, Brett Rypien, took a couple sacks and finished 1-for-4 passing with 6 yards, granted his stat line could have looked drastically different if Jeshaun Jones secured a long on-target throw. Max Brosmer, whom we dubbed “the biggest unknown” seven days ago, was the coolest story, clipping 5 of 8 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown 2 miles from his college campus at the University of Minnesota. A former New Hampshire star turned Gopher turned Viking, the 24-year-old played 19 snaps in his first NFL action and is primed for more reps in his second.
“I think he’s earned it. I think he’s earned it,” O’Connell created an echo chamber at the podium. “But at the same time, I think Sam and Ryp’ did some really good things – and have. I think when you look back to the game last week, I think Ryp’ — we had a chance on a go ball down the sideline to Jeshaun, just a competitive NFL play, I thought he threw a great ball. Does his day look totally different in the box score if that catch is made there? And then what plays ultimately come off that?”
O’Connell reiterated that all three quarterbacks will play. He felt it was important to articulate that to them to help them prepare, “but then we’ve got to be ready to adjust as the game comes to us,” he said.
Asked the most important attributes for a backup QB, O’Connell said the following:
“I think first and foremost they have to be guys that can have ownership of the plan without having taken reps. All the reps, if there’s a few that don’t go to the starter – you can count them on one hand in the normal practice week once you get to that game week, especially when you’ve got a young [starting] quarterback. So you’re looking for somebody that can be in the meetings, take the coaching points, maybe take reps.”
O’Connell explained mental reps, essentially shadow reps, where quarterbacks are taking pseudo drops behind the play going on, envisioning the full rep based upon the defense’s alignment, is a huge element.
“You see it sometimes in the background of the film, and it’s the things you need to see to know that in the moment you’re going to go out there and you’re going to be called on to execute a third down,” O’Connell commented, noting Nick Mullens converted two third downs on his first two snaps last year. “If you’re gonna be a quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, you need to be able to maximize the meeting room, the walk-throughs, the reps, whether you’re taking them or not, ‘cause ultimately we want guys that can step in and execute the game plan that week and do it with confidence. They wouldn’t be here if we weren’t confident in them. Ultimately, we want the football team to feel like no matter what, we’re going to do the things at that position in the confines of our offense to win a game.”
- Punt returner up for grabs
Now that spot is entirely “up for grabs,” according to O’Connell.
“We’ve got some talented guys, maybe without the experience level that you would always want, but at the same time, the upside and the ability should be a really good competition,” O’Connell remarked, also providing context on an ongoing position battle on offense. “With that [fourth] receiver spot, it’s still the same thing. I think there are guys that have done some really good things all across the depth of that receivers room and will continue to give guys opportunities to go make plays, and they’re going to get some great work against a really good secondary next couple of days and on into the game on Saturday.”
- Fantastic front seven depth
Adding Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to the equation should move the pass-rush needle and help Minnesota’s defense improve on its 2024 totals of 49 sacks and 180 pressures, which were Top 5 marks.
A once-over of the depth chart is intoxicating: The Vikings front seven houses Jonathan Greenard, Allen, Harrison Phillips, Hargrave (aka “Gravedigger”) and Andrew Van Ginkel up on the ball and Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, Jr., stacked off. They “should be a leading presence of our football team,” O’Connell noted.
Quarterback pressure has been omnipresent throughout Vikings Training Camp, including in the joint practices.
The front seven, sans Van Ginkel, who did not practice this week, made life difficult for the Patriots offensive line. Greenard had a phenomenal two days; Turner was particularly disruptive in Thursday’s 2-minute drill. O’Connell noted interior counterparts, including diamond-in-the-rough Elijah Williams.
“I think you’ve felt, obviously, Grave’ and J.A., but it’s been some of those other guys too – all four of those other guys that really are in that rotation,” O’Connell said. “Then we’ve got, I know I talked about him, but Eli, a guy that came to rookie minicamp on a tryout basis and continues to show up and make plays. Some of those guys are gonna get a lot of snaps on Saturday, and I can’t wait to watch them play.”
“The offense was humming as a whole,” he said. “I feel like the physicality up front really set the tone, and just the way we’re able to execute and be precise; but it all starts with the boys up front. They did a tremendous job today.
“It was really a culmination of everything,” McCarthy added. “I felt like we were running the ball really well. We’re moving the line of scrimmage. Guys were detailed in and out of their routes. And, you know, I felt like the ball placement was a lot more accurate today than yesterday. … Still, a lot of throws that I want back and could put in better spots. But at the end of the day, I feel like we were just functioning very well, the 1s and 2s.”
McCarthy delved a bit into his prep for Wednesday and Thursday’s practices with the AFC squad that included studying film from the Patriots first preseason game.
Turns out, it didn’t help as much as expected.
“They did not do much of that,” he quipped, grinning. “I kind of switched up my mindset going into [today]: just hear the call, play the call, focus on my fundamentals and go through the pure progressions, and just kind of play from there, not knowing what you’re going to expect.”
McCarthy explained the mentality allowed him to be more decisive and instinctual and to focus on his feet, “the foundation for the rest of the play.”
These types of experiences are invaluable for the young passer, who understands the regular season will also present plenty of unexpected scenarios.
He’s also got Justin Jefferson to remind him of just that.
“I was talking to Jets the other day in the locker room and telling him the situation, and he’s like, ‘Dude, there’s going to be a lot of teams this year that are going to show one thing on and film, and then when they come play us, when they play me, they’re going to show a different thing,’ ” McCarthy said. “So yeah, it was great to get exposed to that early on.
“Just like training camp has been this entire time, great learning lessons and capitalizing on situations,” he added.
When it does come to game prep, however, McCarthy is confident in the approach he’s utilized for a long time, taught to him by none other than former Patriots star Tom Brady.
The pair of former Wolverines have connected over the years, and McCarthy tipped his cap to Brady for providing him with a week-long routine to follow.
“I’ve just had little add-ons here or there since I’ve been here,” McCarthy noted. “It’s this process that you have to keep sticking to, because it works, and you can’t let the outcome dictate it, but you adapt it a little bit on the fly. The process that I’ve built and relied on is something I’m going to rely on in the future.”
“Look, as I’ve told J.J., and as I’ve told our offensive unit, it should be a good thing that the expectations for, not only a quarterback playing for the first time but for the group itself, I want them to be high,” O’Connell told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini in an interview on the Scoop City podcast. “We have goals and aspirations as a team and our offense will certainly play a part of that.”
Coming off one of his best practices of this year’s training camp, the arrow for McCarthy appears to be pointing up with the regular season opener just 24 days away.
“I expect there to be reactions, positive, negative,” continued O’Connell. “Our goal is to win football games and J.J. is going to play a role in that. Our team’s going to play a role in that. I will, maybe more so than anyone, play a role in that, with what we ask our team to do, with what we ask our offense to do, what we ask J.J. to do.”
However, O’Connell was quick to stress that developing a quarterback isn’t something that happens overnight. There is a process with ups and downs, and patience will be needed as McCarthy gets his legs under him in the NFL.
“I think that’s what gets organizations in trouble sometimes. When you want so badly — we all want so badly for it to look a certain way, and be a certain way from the very beginning,” said O’Connell. “But what are you doing as a coach, as an organization, as a teammate, as one of the 11 in the huddle with said player to make sure that we’re doing everything in our power to give the best possible chance to have success?”
…
“J.J., specifically, he’s in a really good spot right now from a standpoint of we’re trying to build a plan that goes beyond the first regular season game. We want to get him ready to go. We want to get him prepared. But my job is to prepare the whole football team. And those two things can be going on at the same time, but maybe not necessarily be in the same place at the same time,” O’Connell said.
“I think there’s been good examples of that throughout the first three, four weeks here and having a day like today (Thursday), responding to both some positives that he did yesterday, some coachable things. To see a team for a second time, play with that much conviction — the ball was jumping out of his hands and really felt like the offense had a great day,” he continued. “I feel like J.J.‘s in a good spot right now. We just got to keep working. It’s details. It’s discipline. It’s a lot of boring things.”
The Minnesota Vikings entered the offseason knowing they’d have to find a short-term replacement for Jordan Addison‘s inevitable suspension for the start of the season. That process led to selecting Tai Felton in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
While the Vikings are high on Felton eventually developing into a contributor, he still has a lot of work to do before then. With Addison’s three game suspension now official, Jalen Nailor is set to take over WR2 duties opposite Justin Jefferson, until his teammate is eligible to return. At least, that was the plan…
Until Thursday, when Nailor suffered a hand injury during the second of two joint practice sessions against the New England Patriots. According to SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson, there is “definite concern” regarding the 26-year-old former 6th round pick.
Nailor’s injury exacerbates an already thin Minnesota Vikings wide receiver room, after free agent signee, Rondale Moore — who they had been hoping would help fill in during Addison’s suspension — blew out his knee during his first preseason snap as a Viking, and since has been ruled out for the year.
That leads us to 32-year-old one-time superstar, Odell Beckham Jr. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Beckham has “drawn interest” from several organizations, though he has yet to find a home for the upcoming 2025 season.
Andrew DePaola sat on the turf of TCO Stadium, leaning back on his palms beneath an inky-dark sky lit by sparkling fireworks.
Two-year-old Olivia, uncertain about the colorful explosions, nuzzled her head against DePaola’s shoulder while wife Amy cozied next to him. Luke, 11 months, happily used DePaola’s purple helmet as a jungle gym; 4-year-old Drew and almost-6-year-old Grace giggled and played nearby.
DePaola smiled, soaking in the moment.
This is the life he’s dreamed of.
The Vikings annual training camp night practice had just wrapped, marking his fifth as the team’s long snapper.
DePaola’s path hasn’t been easy. It has, however, been rewarding.
He’s entering his 11th NFL season and sixth with Minnesota, but his journey actually began in 2012 as a 27-year-old undrafted rookie with the Buccaneers. He twice fell victim to final roster cuts but in 2014 became Tampa Bay’s starting long snapper, a position held three seasons before tearing his ACL in the 2016 regular-season finale. DePaola worked his way through rehab, played for Chicago the following season and joined the Raiders for the 2018 campaign … only to tear his other ACL in Week 1.
DePaola found himself out of football for an entire year, working to find his way back to the sport he loves.
In November 2020, the Vikings gave him a shot, first on the practice squad and then the active roster in December— and it all paid off. Fast-forward five years, and DePaola (a team captain) this year became the first long snapper in NFL history to receive three straight Pro Bowl nods.
To say DePaola doesn’t take much for granted is an understatement.
“It just says a lot about who the guy is,” Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels said. “You know what he truly goes through, the adversity he’s able to handle and the grit that he has. You just appreciate that so much.”
Added Daniels: “Everybody’s got a story, and that’s what makes it so cool, right?”
Talk with DePaola’s coaches or teammates, and it’s likely they’ll point out the work ethic that’s gotten him where he is today.
He recalled being a young snapper trying to make it in the pros, focusing all his energy on his hands, arm strength and aim. He now understands that emphasis was misplaced.
What is the most important part of snapping, mechanics-wise?
DePaola paused, chuckled, paused again.
“I don’t know how to explain this,” he quipped, “but it’s the butt.”
“You want your butt pointed at your target, and you want to keep your butt on the same plane,” DePaola detailed, noting a raised or lowered derriere will disrupt the ball’s trajectory. “It’s something you’ve definitely got to work on. … Your legs, your hips, those all need to work in sync, and that’s where you get your power from. Your lower body does more than your hands, and you have to learn that to be successful.”
… there is more
The Vikings picked Diggs in the fifth round of the 2015 draft and he went on to star in Minnesota for five seasons, posting two 1,000-yard seasons and scoring 32 touchdowns — none more memorable than his walk-off “Minneapolis Miracle” to beat the Saints in the 2019-20 playoffs.
Through it all was a hint of drama. Cryptic posts on social media followed by reports that he didn’t like how he was being used in head coach Mike Zimmer’s run-first offense, Diggs was ultimately traded to the Buffalo Bills in the deal that gave Minnesota the draft pick they used on Justin Jefferson. It was a win-win for all parties as Diggs earned First Team All-Pro honors in his first season playing alongside Josh Allen in Buffalo — and the Vikings got Jefferson, who is on pace to become one of the best receivers in NFL history.
Still, Russini asked: “When you look back at your time in Minnesota, is there anything that you wish you did different?”
“Not necessarily,” Diggs said. “Obviously everything happens for a reason. I built a lot of key relationships that made me who I am today. If I did anything different, I wouldn’t be the player or the man I am right now. Growing pains. Being a young player, being a young adult. Figuring it out for yourself. I don’t really have a dad, a father figure, so I kind of figured it out as I went. I don’t look back and say I wish I did something differently. I built some real good relationships. There’s some great people in Minnesota. That’s why I kind of still come back here with a smile.”
His response about not having a dad growing up led to Russini’s next question: “You say no father figure. Do you have one of those now?”
“I feel like I’ve had ‘em throughout my life, that I’ve taken tidbits here and there as far as how they father and how they’ve led their life, but everybody’s different,” Diggs answered. “I try to just take bits and pieces, just like as a receiver I take bits and pieces from other receivers. Try to add to my game. I’ve always said I’m not Julio Jones, I can’t be Julio Jones, but I can learn breaking and catching and doing things aggressively. But just like life, it’s a learning curve.”
How does he feel when people say he comes with drama?
“Take it with a grain of salt. The many teams that I have been on, the players on your team and the coaches will tell you that I’m a professional, I work hard. They’ve never doubted that. They’ve never doubted was I good player or was I a professional. Did I work hard? Did I approach the game the right way? They’ve never said that.” Diggs said.
“If they call me diva because I wanted the ball, I’m literally will to take that. As a receiver, you should want the ball. As far as character-wise, I’ve been a great teammate. I’ve treated everybody like family. I’ve treated everybody like brothers. I take it with a grain of salt. And I’ve got big shoulders. I’m willing to take it.”
Five days after the NFL team’s cheer squad announced the addition of two male cheerleaders, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn, the organization addressed an uproar from haters who didn’t necessarily agree with the pair’s addition.
“While many fans may be seeing male cheerleaders for the first time at Vikings games,” the football team said in a statement to NBC News Aug. 14, “male cheerleaders have been part of previous Vikings teams and have long been associated with collegiate and professional cheerleading.”
The team added, “We support all of our cheerleaders and are proud of the role they play as ambassadors of the organization.”
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: Bengals
Sent: Pick 50, Pick 201
Received: Pick 58, Pick 90
…
Trade Partner: Giants
Sent: Pick 90, Pick 211
Received: Pick 102, Pick 134, Pick 166
…
Pick 18. Dillon Thieneman S Oregon 6’0” 205
Pick 58. Carnell Tate WR Ohio State 6’3” 191
Pick 82. Jamarion Miller RB Alabama 5’10” 220
Pick 102. Gracen Halton DT Oklahoma 6’2” 292
Pick 115. Logan Jones OC Iowa 6’3” 302
Pick 134. Zakee Wheatley S Penn State 6’2” 201
Pick 166. Smith Snowden CB Utah 5’10” 220
Pick 210. Isaiah Glasker LB BYU 6’5” 240
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