The Minnesota Vikings are ramping up their practices as training camp rolls on and week one (Sept. 13) is rapidly approaching. With no preseason games this season we are able to focus on training camp more, bringing you better information about your favorite team and players. Let’s jump right into some news and notes coming out of Minnesota this past week, starting with the transaction wire.
The Vikings waived undrafted rookie offensive lineman Brady Aiello, making room for second-year running back Tony Brooks-James. The RB had been waived by the Vikings on August 8, but was brought back to help give the team some flexibility in the backfield.
The Vikings have also claimed safety Steven Parker off the waivers. Parker is a third-year player out of Oklahoma who was waived by the Miami Dolphins. He started four games for the Dolphins last season and provides the Vikings with some experience at safety.
The Vikings and star running back Dalvin Cook appear to be at an impasse again, according to NFL Network. The two sides have had an interesting offseason so far, with the RB saying he was not going to report to training camp without a new deal, then showing up because he felt a deal was close to being completed. Now, however, the two sides appear nowhere close to getting a deal done. It remains to be seen if Dalvin will play in 2020 without a contract extension. He has been participating in training camp, albeit on a limited snap count.
The team has been trying new offensive line combinations in training camp, but as of now, it seems they will likely go with the same lineup as last season (minus Josh Kline). Riley Reiff, Garrett Bradbury, and Brian O’Neill are locked in at left tackle, center, and right tackle respectively. Pat Elflein is the only wildcard, as he has been playing both left and right guard, but he has the inside track on one of those spots.
Unlike the offensive line, the defensive line has undergone some major changes this offseason. Linval Joseph is gone, his replacement Michael Pierce has opted out of the season, and Everson Griffen will be playing in Dallas this year. Danielle Hunter is still here thankfully, but he has sat out the last seven practices with an undisclosed injury. At defensive tackle, the Vikings have asked Shamar Stephen to play the nose tackle spot (Linval’s spot last season), and by all accounts he seems to be excelling in that role. The Vikings still need to find a DT to play next to Stephen and find another starting defensive end.
The cornerback was perhaps the biggest question mark heading into the season, but the rookies are out to show the world they have what it takes to start immediately. The biggest surprise has been Cameron Dantzler, who was a third-round pick just a few months ago. Speaking of the cornerbacks, we’ll be having a guest writer next week who will be focusing on that position. Make sure to check it out!
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