Latest news with #Vikings
USA Today
13 minutes ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Vikings' J.J. McCarthy is going to have his hands full against the AFC's best in Week 10
The #Ravens secondary is stacked:😈 CB: Marlon Humphrey😈 CB: Jaire Alexander😈 CB: Nate Wiggins😈 CB: Chidobe Awuzie😈 S: Kyle Hamilton😈 S: Malaki Starks The Minnesota Vikings' offense is designed to put their new starting quarterback in every position to succeed in 2025 and beyond. J.J. McCarthy is bound to be tested time and again in his first year as a starter with the Vikings, but both he and the team remain optimistic. Will there be hiccups along the way? Of course, every rookie and veteran quarterback has them. Despite that, some tests will be tougher than others, and after a recent free agent signing, one of them is now staring the Vikings in the face on their 2025 regular season schedule. In Week 10, the Minnesota Vikings will face off against the Baltimore Ravens and their MVP-winning quarterback, Lamar Jackson. While the defense will have their hands full with Jackson, McCarthy will have his hands full with a loaded Ravens secondary. The team had a great unit before but over the weekend they added former All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander to the group. Four homegrown first-round picks are in that group of the Ravens, with free agent signings making up the rest. They have always had an eye for talent to build up their secondary and now they may be the toughest test on the Vikings schedule in 2025.
USA Today
an hour ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Analyst names one Minnesota Vikings tight end as best in NFL in unique skillset
The Vikings have prided themselves on loading up their roster with a unique assembly of skill players. They are deep at nearly every position to the point that even the depth players have their own unique assignments. That leads us to a piece published by ESPN's Bill Barnwell on Thursday, where he labeled the best players in the NFL in unique areas. He broke down the best gunner, blitzing off-ball linebacker, and sixth offensive lineman. Another award he gave out was best blocking tight end, which is where the Vikings came into the mix. The recently extended Josh Oliver earned that distinction from Barnwell as he backs up the receiving option at the position, T.J. Hockenson. Barnwell explains, "The numbers back up the idea that Oliver is an elite blocker. He ranked fourth among eligible tight ends in ESPN's run block win rate a year ago, finishing just behind a former teammate in now-Jaguars tight end Johnny Mundt. NFL Next Gen Stats credited Oliver with only two pressures allowed across 55 pass-blocking snaps, producing a pressure rate that was just about half the league average among tight ends." Barnwell also explains in the piece that having a reliable blocking tight end is one of the more underappreciated aspects of the NFL in today's world. For now, though, Oliver and the Vikings are in a happy marriage and are okay if they fly under the radar. If J.J. McCarthy wasn't happy enough having book-end tackles like Christian Darrisaw or Brian O'Neill, adding Oliver to the mix puts their edge protection over the top.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minnesota Vikings joint practices confirmed ahead of training camp
The Minnesota Vikings will be hosting joint practices at TCO Performance Center this year, and there will be some interesting storylines that come with them. The New England Patriots, led by Mike Vrabel, will come to town. It will be Vrabel's first year as the Patriots' head coach, returning to the place where he won three Super Bowls as a linebacker from 2001-08. Vrabel served as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns in 2024 after being fired from the Tennessee Titans following the 2023 season. Advertisement Vrabel and Kevin O'Connell's careers overlapped in 2008, O'Connell's first and only season with the Patriots after being drafted in the third round. Brian Flores was on the staff from 2004-18, also overlapping with Vrabel. We also get to see J.J. McCarthy face off with fellow 2024 first-round quarterback Drake Maye, the third-overall pick. The Vikings had a serious interest in Maye going into the draft, seeking a trade to the top of the draft. Can McCarthy show that they came away with the right quarterback? The joint practices are set for Aug. 13 and 14 at 2:30 PM CST. The two teams will then play at U.S. Bank Stadium for their second preseason game on Aug. 16 at Noon CST. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings joint practices confirmed with AFC team ahead of training camp
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick 'must bounce back' from poor 2024 season
Dallas Turner didn't have the most impactful rookie season in 2024, leading some to question the Minnesota Vikings' decision to trade up and select him. That makes his 2025 season vital to his future. The Vikings already have two Pro Bowl edge defenders, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. That made it hard to get Turner on the field as much as fans expected heading into last season. But Brian Flores and the Vikings are expecting big things from the second-year defender. This week, Matt Holder from PFF listed Turner among six 2024 first-round picks who need to have a bounce-back season to avoid the "bust" label. Holder acknowledges the obstacles Turner faced as a rookie, but says it's time for him to make a regular impact. But it was a little shocking to see him only take 28 percent of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference, and he could receive a similar workload this fall. . .Both starting edge defenders from last season return for the Vikings: Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. . .Turner has an uphill battle to crack the starting lineup and could have a tough time seeing the field again. Last week, Flores told the media that he doesn't view Turner as a backup, and instead views him as an equal to Van Ginkel and Greenard. Flores isn't one to hype a player up in front of the media, so maybe it's a sign that Turner is coming along. But we still need to see Turner actually do it when the games count this season. Perhaps Flores is scheming ways to get him on the field without taking Van Ginkel and Greenard off. No matter how it happens, the Vikings paid a hefty price to land Turner. That means they need to see results sooner rather than later.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Aamil Wagner, RT, Notre Dame
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Aamil Wagner, RT, Notre Dame Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Vikings fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Minnesota. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Vikings, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Vikings fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall. Player Information Player: Aamil Wagner School: Notre Dame Height/Weight: 6-6/290 lbs. Player Background - 4-Star Recruit - Adidas All-American - Two-Time First-Team All-Ohio in High School Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season - 22 Career Games - 15 Career Starts Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season - 79.7 PFF Run Blocking Grade - 80.9 PFF Pass Blocking Grade - 481 Run Blocking Snaps - 544 Pass Blocking Snaps Player Traits - Quick thinking to be able to handle blitzers - Solid anchor ability - Great length and size to handle bigger edge defenders - Great athlete who can be a lead blocker when tasked with it Player Summary If you want an offensive tackle on your team who will be an enforcer for your entire offense, Aamil Wagner is your guy. If he had skates on, he would be on a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team playing a pivotal role in how they intimidate teams. Instead, he is just playing at Notre Dame and taking out edge rushers who try to get around him. He is constantly taking them out of plays completely, or is simply anchoring well enough to the point they give up on the rep. He needs to get more agile when kicking out, but the raw power and physical traits are there for teams to work with and develop further.
