The Minnesota Vikings haven’t played a game since December.
National non-stop coverage of the combine and NFL draft has died down as veteran and rookie players are just a couple months away from reporting for full-team training camp.
Until then, football fans are itching for reports, insight and content of any sort surrounding their favorite team.
Lucky for you, former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond is covering Organized Team Activities (OTA’s) for News Talk 830 WCCO, and has secured exclusive one-on-one interviews with players who the team will definitely depend on this fall.
When your team is in a bit of a salary cap conundrum, drafting well and developing talent is key to keeping the competitive year after year. So, instead of signing a big-ticket free agent to help bolster the offensive line and keep QB Kirk Cousins upright, the team selected Garrett Bradbury out of NC State in round one of the draft. Bradbury took the field as the starting center on day one of OTA’s.
With their second-round pick, Minnesota invested in an additional weapon for Cousins, Irv Smith Jr. He's a tight end who won a national championship with Alabama and is touted as an elite athlete who can run downfield and hold his own blocking at the line of scrimmage.
Of course, any team that is going to contend for a division needs to have defensive leaders. The Vikings can still rely on Harrison Smith, who undoubtedly will continue to be an active presence in the locker and meeting rooms this season.
Local product, and seemingly everyone’s favorite, wide receiver Adam Thielen went from undrafted to all-pro. If this team is going to be the offensive juggernaut that it aspires to be, Thielen and Cousins will have to be on the same page.
When one door closes, another opens. Last season Stephen Weatherly had to step in when the Vikings needed help on the defensive line. At just 25 years old, he’s ready to help out whenever and wherever his team needs him.
Jeff Diamond joined 'Hey It's Cory Hepola' to breakdown the Vikings off-season and their depth at wide receiver.