Vikings Training Camp Diary: July 27

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Jul 27, 2019
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

Welcome to the Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Diary! Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about the Vikings’ training camp practice on July 27 in an easy-to-read bullet form.

Injury updates

  • WR Jeff Badet (undisclosed) did not practice for the second consecutive day
  • CB Mike Hughes looked to be near top speed as he ran sprints on Field 3. He was also seen backpedaling, making turns and catching over-the-shoulder passes while defending a trainer in light coverage drills
  • DT Linval Joseph is still recovering from an offseason operation (or operations) and once again was limited
  • DT Jalyn Holmes limped to the sideline and eventually walked off the field with a trainer after suffering an apparent leg injury during 11-on-11 drills – no word yet on his status

Notables

  • With Holmes out, Hercules Mata’afa filled in with the 1’s while Curtis Cothran worked with the 2’s
  • The Vikings are looking to bring in cornerback David Amerson for a workout, per Darren Wolfson of KSTP
  • CB Holton Hill was kept out of most team drills for the second straight day
  • WR Dillon Mitchell had a couple drops during 1-on-1 drills and WR Jordan Taylor struggled to gain separation from his defender
  • TE’s Irv Smith Jr. and Tyler Conklin each had reps with the first-team offense
  • RB’s Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah also received first-team reps
  • The competition for punt returner includes about 10-15 players and at this point appears to be wide open
  • After this morning’s walkthrough, special team coordinator Marwan Maalouf hinted part of the kicking struggles could be related to the holder, Matt Wile – “We’ve got to clean up the operation,” said Maalouf.
  • As a result, a couple new holders were seen taking snaps from head coach Mike Zimmer at the beginning of practice: Adam Thielen and Chad Beebe

Highlights

  • Chad Beebe continued his strong camp (I know, it’s been 2 days). He made an impressive one-handed grab in front of the paying-spectator section – Beebe seems to be taking hold of the WR3 role
  • Kirk Cousins found Adam Thielen on a deep arching pass right down the middle of the field – the likely TD was good for a gain of about 65 yards
  • No live field goals were made (or attempted) by kicker Dan Bailey

Reflection

  • Saturday’s crowd was huge – the fans in attendance were rowdy and they honestly didn’t get to see a whole lot of action
  • Perhaps the most interesting development was seen above – as Kirk Cousins worked with rookie TE Irv Smith Jr. after practice. The two were seen (and heard) discussing routes and later worked on their timing