Vikings ICYMI: Preseason Schedule, Bradford’s Edge & More

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May 9, 2017
Screen shot courtesy of NFL Network

“Vikings In Case You Missed It” intends to funnel every news report, the most general of informational notes and a handful of the best analysis articles pertaining to the Minnesota Vikings into one all-encompassing write-up. If you don’t have the time to follow the Purple and Gold as much as you may like, allow Vikings Territory to do the dirty work for you with our catch-all Vikings recap of everything you may have missed.

Stay up to date with Minnesota’s finalized preseason schedule, why it’s good to be Sam Bradford and plenty of other Vikings analysis blurbs and team updates after the jump!

NEWS REPORTS

Minnesota Vikings team news and roster announcements

August 11: at Buffalo Bills
August 18: at Seattle Seahawks
August 27: San Francisco 49ers
August 31: Miami Dolphins

  • Chris Tomasson – Pioneer Press: Vikings apply to host NFL Draft in 2022 or 2023

Article Blurb: “We think, obviously, we have a great community, great hospitality, great hotels, restaurants. We think it would be an ideal spot to host an NFL draft … It helps us get through the Super Bowl and then turn our attention to thinking through what the logistics of an NFL draft in our market would look like … There is great brand value and economic impact for being a host city for the NFL draft. There’s also an opportunity to put together a unique Minnesota experience for the draft if it were to come to this market.”
— Vikings Executive Vice President Lester Bagley

FEATURES & ANALYSIS

Minnesota Vikings analysis articles, feature stories and columns

  • Todd McShay – ESPN: Vikings among most improved teams following NFL draft

Article Blurb: “The Vikings didn’t have their first pick until the second round, but that didn’t stop them from snagging one of the most explosive players in this draft, RB Dalvin Cook, who fell further than he should have based on character and durability concerns. With Latavius Murray also in Minnesota, Cook won’t have to carry the load as a rookie.

GM Rick Spielman did a nice job addressing the team’s hole at defensive tackle with a high-upside player in Jaleel Johnson. He’s one of the most explosive interior pass-rushers in this class and gives the Vikings some insurance if Sharrif Floyd is unable to play again. I also love the addition of center Pat Elflein. He has the versatility to play multiple positions along the interior and has the requisite experience and intelligence to make the jump from college to be an immediate NFL starter.”

  • Matt Vensel – Star Tribune: “Vikings Draft Choice Rodney Adams Forges Ahead with Heavy Heart”

Article Blurb: “When the Vikings called me, it was like everything had paid off. There was a lot of emotion. Everyone was crying, saying that my mom would be proud. It was amazing.”
— Rodney Adams, Vikings 2017 5th-Round Pick

  • Andrew Brandt – MMQB: “It’s Good to Be Sam Bradford”

Article Blurb: “The Vikings will soon be coming to Bradford to offer more money and more years just like the Rams and Eagles—teams that each paid at least $24 million to a quarterback who never made the Pro Bowl.”

  • Sean Tomlinson – Bleacher Report: “Projecting Every NFC Team’s Starting Lineup”

Article Blurb: “Offense – QB Sam Bradford; RB Dalvin Cook, RB Latavius Murray; WR Adam Thielen, WR Stefon Diggs; TE Kyle Rudolph; LT Riley Reiff, LG Alex Boone, OC Pat Elflein, RG Joe Berger, RT Mike Remmers.

Defense – LDE Brian Robison, NT Linval Joseph, DT Tom Johnson, RDE Everson Griffen; SLB Anthony Barr, MLB Eric Kendricks, WLB Emmanuel Lamur; LCB Terence Newman, SS Andrew Sendejo, FS Harrison Smith, RCB Xavier Rhodes.”

  • Ben Goessling – ESPN: “Top of Dalvin Cook’s To-Do List with Vikings? No More Fumbles”

Article Blurb: “Cook said cutting down on his fumbles is at “the top of the list” of things he has to work on, along with pass protection — another area where Peterson struggled over the years. While the act of picking up blitzes involves the ability to recognize and adjust to where teams are bringing pressure, the process of improving Cook’s ball security is fairly straightforward.”

  • Ben Goessling – ESPN: “Wrestling Shaped Mike Zimmer; It Also Shaped the Vikings’ Draft”

Article Blurb: “The lessons Zimmer learned from [wrestling] helped shape him as a football coach. He knows firsthand what it demands of an athlete: self-discipline, intestinal fortitude and an imperviousness to pain. A sport that requires that much of a young man, then, also speaks rather loudly to Zimmer about what kind of a football player he is.”

Audio Blurb: “I know that everyone is going to talk about Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville, for good reason; Joe Mixon in Cincinnati, for good reason; but, for me, the prospect who I think is going to come into the NFL and take it by storm is going to be Dalvin Cook, the Minnesota Vikings’ second-round selection.”

  • Brent Sobleski – Bleacher Report: “Every Team’s Best UDFA Signing”

Article Blurb: “[Louisiana State’s Tashawn] Bower doesn’t present the same physical tools as Hunter, but he’s a natural pass-rusher when given an opportunity to pin his ears back. Due to the coaching staff’s ability to develop his former and current teammate, Bower hopes they can do the same for him.”

Article Blurb: “The biggest area where Rhodes’ game has evolved is his ball skills. Prior to 2016, he had a total of two interceptions. Recording a career high in interceptions (five), but a career low in pass deflections (10) makes sense because he was catching the ball at a high frequency all while being targeted at a significantly lower amount than previous seasons. ”

  • Matthew Coller – 1500 ESPN: Finding Meaning in Sam Bradford’s Record-Breaking Completion Rate

Article Blurb: “The challenge for [Pat] Shurmur will be: How can he maximize [Sam] Bradford’s arm talent, while working around his limitations?”

TEAM UPDATES

Minnesota Vikings developing story updates and injury reports

  • Teddy Bridgewater Injury: N/A
  • Xavier Rhodes Contract: N/A
  • Vikings Pursuit of Michael Floyd: N/A
NOTES & QUOTES

Minnesota Vikings basic notes and interesting quotes

  • Top-100 NFL Players – NFL Network: Vikings safety Harrison Smith Ranked 74th
  • Chad Greenway – Fox Sports: Positive Coaching Alliance and Youth Sports Seminar
  • Sidney Rice – Twitter: “It’s Better to Prepare than Repair.”
  • Mike Zimmer – Vikings: “We’re going to get back to being the Vikings, and we’re going to be blue-collar.”
SOCIAL MEDIA

Minnesota Vikings-related social media posts from analysts and players — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

  • Twitter: [More] Rookie Camp Highlights

  • Twitter: Vikings Rookies — Grade School Album

  • Twitter: Vikings Safety Jayron Kearse Records a ‘Tweet Defense’

  • Instagram: Harrison Smith NFL Top-100 Selection Response

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT5HUGEgi3x/

AROUND THE NFL

Notable NFL news, reports, updates and analysis

  • Aaron Hernandez – ESPN: Judge Vacates Murder Conviction
  • Peyton Manning – Colts: Indianapolis to Erect Statue of Peyton Manning on October 7th, 2017
  • Carson Wentz – Philly: Carson Wentz Hunting Wild Goats in New Zealand
  • Colin Kaepernick – SB Nation: Rumored Reasons Why Colin Kaepernick Remains Unsigned
  • NFLPA – Bleacher Report: NFLPA Files Grievance Over Painkillers
  • Buffalo Bills – NFL Network: Bills Hire Brandon Beane as New General Manager
VT — IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

And, of course, don’t miss the latest Minnesota Vikings materials available at Vikings Territory

PARTING SHOT: “Vikings ICYMI” will post every 2-3 days at 5 PM CT depending on media circus.

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