Training Camp 2013

2013 TRAI N I NG CAMP ISSUE

ARCHING TOWARD A MILESTONE, ETRODOME MEMORIES & A ISSION TO THE MEADOWLANDS

2 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

INDEX

Now on the west side of the Miss.......... 3 The Vikings start to ponder.................. 4 Bringing the heart of a lion................... 5 Look who Ponder gets to throw to....... 6 Lead the way Chad.................................. 7 Farewell Metrodome............................... 8 New addition to the Vikings Wall......... 9 Round 2 for these two............................10 Linebackers play mix and match........11 Special teams continue to imrove...... 12 Let’s keep moving the chains...............14 The milestone monster......................... 15 Young, deep and talented......................16 NFC north preview................................ 22

2013 Vikings roster................................ 23 NFL schedules........................................ 26 No towers in 2013................................... 28 Leading the way for AP........................ 29 Life on the opposite side of the field.. 30 Local boys back home to roost............ 31 Judgement time for Frazier................. 32 Back in the slot....................................... 35 Training camp photos........................... 37 2013 Vikings fantasy preview.............. 38 Linemen providing consistency......... 39 Competition under center.................... 40 Grading the rookies.............................. 44

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 3

Now on the west side of the Mississippi

After five seasons of playing for the Packers, the purple and gold decided to bring in Desmond Bishop. Even though he missed an entire season with a hamstring injury, the Vikings believe Bishop can add speed and knowledge to the defense.

JOEY DENTON sports editor Once again, the Vikings organization has turned a former enemy in to an ally with the offseason acquisition of Desmond Bishop.

The former Green Bay Packer came in to training camp with a lot of questions, but yet has gotten a great vibe from the fans that can’t stand Green Bay. Fans not only want to see the seven-year vet succeed after suffering a major injury, they want to see him get “revenge” on the NFC North rivals.

Coach Frazier is excited to see him back on the football field and wearing purple and gold.

“I think what he gives us is more competition at the position and having a veteran who has had success in our league, and hopefully he’ll show up our linebacker depth as well so the competition he creates, the leadership that he brings, the success he’s had in our league and his talent, hopefully he’ll round out our linebacker corps.”

With all the questions and rumors surrounding his torn hamstring, even more questions

starting to fly around regarding his position. Right before Bishop signed his one-year contract, the Vikings had decided to take a look at Erin Henderson for the middle linebacker spot. Henderson is a little bigger and seems to get lost in the mix on pass plays.

Here’s the problem. Bishop has not only been a middle linebacker most of his career, but he’s been one of the most productive ones in the NFC before his torn hamstring. According to Frazier, where those two end up is based on schematics.

“There are some things we would have to take a look at schematically if it’s not a good scheme fit for him outside, or we had trouble inside, but we felt like we needed to make that move to get him back inside,” Frazier said.

Ever since Bishop has stepped on to the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus, he’s been nothing but smiles and enthusiasm, and he didn’t let the questions regarding his leg get to him. He set the tone from day one of camp.

“I think I’ll be fine. I’ve put myself through some rigorous workouts just to kind of test to

see where I’m at. It’s nothing like actually putting the pads on and banging around, but I think I’ll be fine,” Bishop said.

Just because the leg is almost fully healed, doesn’t mean he’s NFL ready. He’s not coming back to play some pick-up sevenon-seven league. He’s going to be hitting some of the world’s greatest athletes, and that’s just some of his worries in his comeback.

“Probably right now just trying to remember all the names I keep getting thrown out at me,” Bishop said. “I think just getting back acclimated with football, the schedule, the playbook and learning how things are operated around here. I think that will be the toughest challenge, but once I get past that. I’ll be fine.”

Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams noticed Bishop has knocked off his rust before he came to Mankato.

“All the rust that I expected him to come in with for him wasn’t there, and for him to pick up the defense, I thought that it was going to be a little tough,” Williams said.

After getting drafted in

Bishop / page 20

David Bassey • msu reporter Bishop was a ballhawk for the Packers with 218 total tackles in his last two seasons combined.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

The Vikings start to ponder

The Vikings know that in the NFL you can’t be just a running only team, and since the squad didn’t have many targets for Ponder, it was hard to judge whether he is the man on Campus. Now they have some targets, let’s see what this guy can do.

RYAN LUND special to the Reporter Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder has taken his fair share of knocks over the course of his brief NFL career.

Whether on the field, staring down Clay Mathews and

Ndamukong Suh, or in the locker room, squaring off against the NFL’s unrelenting media machine, the Florida State product has faced plenty of adversity following his selection, 12th overall, by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2011.

However, the third-year signal

Brian Denton • special to the reporter Coming in on his third season, the Florida State alum now has soom tools in the passing game for him to use.

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caller is determined to make the leap from second-tier starter to first-team football player this season.

“I do feel like I belong here, I feel comfortable,” said Ponder.

“Knowing everybody, all of my teammates, all the coaches, knowing the area and everything, knowing how things work; I just know that I need to continue to become a better football player and a better quarterback.”

For all of his promise leading up to the 2011 season, Ponder’s biggest hurdle may not have come from opposing defenses, but from the Vikings’ questionable receiving corps, a group that became further muddied earlier this year following the departure of yardage munching offensive weapon Percy Harvin.

Flash-forward to this year’s training camp, and on an unusually chilly July afternoon Ponder may very well have found his answer.

Ponder found one of the team’s latest additions streaking up the sidelines on a simple go-route last Friday, lofting the ball into the gusty skies, over the outstretched arms of journeyman safety Andrew Sendejo, and safely into the left hand of freshly-inked wideout Cordarelle Patterson as the two streaked down the right sideline.

“I think he planned that one,” Ponder said with a laugh following Friday’s afternoon practice session. “He looks great.”

Patterson’s raw athleticism made him a popular choice at

29th overall this year, and with the right tutelage, the flashy wideout, reminiscent in many of ways of fan-favorite Randy Moss and slot dynamo Percy Harvin, could become the crown jewel of Ponder’s oft-maligned arsenal.

“I think a lot of our receivers looked great today,” said Ponder.

“We’ve just got to keep getting that rhythm. It’s our first day back, and you’ve [got to] work out some kinks, but it was a decent start.”

The two budding talents will have plenty of help in establishing that rhythm, thanks to the addition of longtime Green Bay standout Greg Jennings, who became the latest Packer to skip town for Minnesota back in March.

Jennings’ leadership should provide plenty of tutelage for Ponder and his developing offense, while also giving the young quarterback an undisputed top option in the passing game.

“He’s huge, just the way that he gets open, just watching him on tape, sometimes he even throws me off with some of the moves,” Ponder said of his veteran teammate.

“His leadership is great too.

Working with some of those younger guys, he’s a good asset for all of us.”

For all of Jennings leadership, and Patterson’s raw athleticism, the most surprising addition to Ponder’s burgeoning arsenal has hit a bit closer to home: the Vikings most recent playoff quarterback Joe Webb.

Webb’s last performance, a brutal 24-10 drubbing that saw the backup complete just 11 passes for 180 yards, likely became his last under center, as Webb was quickly phased out of the passing attack early in the off-season.

But with former Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel now firmly entrenched as Ponder’s back-up, Webb has been allowed to transition back to the position that the Vikings initially targeted him for, lining up instead at wide receiver.

Not surprisingly, the two have developed a unique chemistry, born of Webb’s former role.

“I think it’s great, because he understands from the quarterback position how routes should be ran,” Ponder said. “He’s definitely an athlete that can make plays.”

And with these new weapons lining up alongside him, Ponder will have few excuses should he falter once again in 2013.

After kicking off the 2012 season with a promising seven touchdowns and zero interceptions through his first five games, Ponder began to falter down the stretch, ultimately tossing 18 touchdowns to his 12 interceptions, and missing the team’s lone playoff tilt with a bruised bicep.

Still, on a windy July afternoon, the sky remains the limit for the intellectually gifted quarterback. And with a few new tools at this disposal this season, the sky should be a little clearer.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Bringing the heart of a lion

MSU Reporter • 5

Penn State linebackers Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti are now in the NFL ranks and ready to show the Vikings what they can do.

JOHN HECKT staff writer Gerald Hodges has great speed and Michael Mauti has tremendous instincts, but these rookie linebackers from Penn St also bring to the NFL something that doesn’t necessarily show up on tape: the ability to overcome adversity.

After the Penn St. child sex abuse scandal, the university and its football program was in shambles. The future of their recruiting was bleak at best and the players were constantly bombarded with questions about the controversy. The team was banned from any kind of bowl game, so the NCAA made all players at Penn State eligible for transfer. A few key players, such as Silas Redd and Stephon Green, took the NCAA up on that opportunity and decided to join other teams. But Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti made the decision to return for their senior year despite all of the chaos.

“It came down to sticking with our teammates and the guys we’d been with for five years,” Mauti said. The loyalty they displayed seemed to have

inspired their teammates to persevere, but Mauti and Hodges didn’t simply motivate their teammates and step up as leaders, they performed.

Mauti had 96 tackles and three interceptions in 11 games for the Nittany Lions. Hodges delivered as well, recording 109 tackles and two interceptions. After losing their first two games, the Nittany Lions turned it around. They won eight of their final ten games, going 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten. “We just viewed that whole adversity as an opportunity for us to kind of show positives in a really screwed up situation,” Mauti said. “We had a great senior class and a great head coach in coach O’Brien and it was the most fun I’ve had playing in any season.”

But Mauti’s determination was tested even further. He has suffered three torn ACL injuries in the last five years. One of those injuries kept him out of his final game at Penn St., and there were talks that he would still be physically unable to perform entering camp last week. However, Mauti has participated fully in all practices thus far, and maintains that his knee feels good.

“I’m getting more confident each day. Right now it’s not an issue-I’m not thinking about it when I’m out on the field.”

“He’s a guy that loves football,” head coach Leslie Frazier said, “and it’ll be good for him and good for us.”

Hodges also seems to be one of those guys who will do anything to play. At Penn St. he wasn’t getting much playing time at Safety so volunteered to switch to the Linebacker Position. Hodges is undersized, so he will have his work cut out for him if he is to earn a starting spot. But if Hodges is ever discouraged, it is safe to assume that Mauti will be supporting him every step of the way. On playing with his former teammate, Mauti said “I couldn’t be happier to be playing with Gerald. We had a lot of fun playing together last season and the season before that,” Mauti said.

“He’s a great support structure there and you kind of have a familiar face to go through the process with and I couldn’t be happier in any situation. It’s a great opportunity we both have ahead of us.”

If Mauti is to stay healthy and Hodges to prove his size isn’t a

Brian Denton • special to the reporter

problem, both of these players will have to do something

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Look who Ponder gets to throw to Everybody in the league knows this will be a run first team, but with some new additions to the receiving staff, the team can add plays besides Peterson to the left and Peterson to the right.

JOHN HECKT staff writer After trading Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks this season, the Vikings seemed destined to remain one of the bottom ranked teams in total passing. But the front office was quick to recover, making some strong additions to Christian Ponder’s receiving corps.

Signing Greg Jennings was easily the biggest move the Vikings made this off-season.

Jennings brings to the table

seven years of experience and 53 career TD’s, two of which were caught in a Super Bowl victory with the Green Bay Packers. As an already established superstar, Jennings gives Christian Ponder the confidence of having a dependable number one receiver in the huddle. As Jerome Simpson noted, he has already been sharing his expertise with the other WR’s.

“He’s got great leadership out here. He knows this game, he can tell us about the little details to help our game out.”

With the drafting of WR Cordarrelle Patterson in the first round of this year’s draft, Jennings veteran experience couldn’t have arrived at a better time. He will be expected to help the highly anticipated Patterson adjust to life as an NFL receiver. Patterson, who the Vikings selected late in the first round of the 2013 draft, brings some much-needed size and athleticism to Bill Musgrave’s offense.

“He’s got great athletic ability and he has been able

to dominate at every level in which he has played,” said Musgrave. But according to Jennings, Patterson’s physical ability isn’t the only thing he brings to the team.

“He has a confidence about himself that is beyond a rookie level, which you have to have in this league. He knows that he can make plays, he is confident in his ability, but at the same time he knows he can improve.

Anytime you have a guy who is confident, but at the same time knows he can improve, bring

him on my side,” Jennings said.

Patterson will not be the only receiver with a lot to learn, as Joe Webb makes the switch from QB this year. Webb, who played WR in college for Alabama-Birmingham, says his experience under center last year will help him make the transition.

“It’s helped me a lot. When I’m out there lining up at receiver, I’m reading the coverage just like a QB is doing,” Webb

Receivers / page 17

david Bassey • msu reporter Last years receiving staff was below average to say the least, but with the new added talent in Greg Jennings and rookie Cordarrelle Patterson, Ponder has a good number of guys to feed the ball to.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Lead the way Chad

LUKE RYAN staff writer

Chad Greenway has been a major leader of the Vikings defense for more than half a decade.

Greenway is coming off one of his best seasons of his career, but he has been putting up great numbers for a long time. Last year Greenway accounted for a career high 121 solo tackles.

Greenway has not missed a game since 2009 and for the fifth consecutive year he has led the defense in tackles.

Greenway is not the “quarterback” of the defense,” but he is clearly a leader and well respected on both sides of the ball.

Last season the Vikings’ players voted him as the team’s defensive MVP. “It’s a lot of fun to go out there and play with Chad (Greenway),” said Erin Henderson. “Just Going around and play like a wild man and hit anything moving. You love being out there with a kid that has got that type of attitude.”

Greenway is not only a leader on the field; he is also a veteran off the field. In his eighth year, Greenway has been through it all.

He has not had off the field issues and is instead a leader in the

community.

Greenway has been through adversity early in his NFL career.

Most forget that after the Vikings took Greenway with pick 17 in the 2006 draft, he suffered an injury in the first preseason game that kept him on the sidelines for his entire rookie season.

However Greenway worked hard to come back and has become one of the best at his position since the injury. Now being one of the oldest Vikings and most experienced on the team, Greenway has embraced his role as one of the team’s leaders.

In the 2013 season he will be playing next to a relatively inexperienced linebacker core and will be an important part of their success. Henderson played at the middle linebacker in the past, but is now on track to earn the starting spot. Having Greenway playing next to Henderson should make the transition easier for a linebacker core that is going to be mixed up from last year.

“Chad (Greenway) is the one constant. He’s been a cornerstone for us at the outside linebacker spot,” Leslie Frazier said.

Greenway is confident that the linebackers will make up for their lack of experience by putting in the hard work now to be ready for the Vikings regular

season.

“In our room we are going to work as hard as any group out here. We lack some experience as far as starts go but we will make up for it with work. We will get ready for game time and then pick that up. So we are going to do all we can do down here,” said Greenway.

Greenway underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in June, but it has not slowed him down in training camp. He has been participating in his normal spot with the first team defense on the outside. Even with the pads on and contact starting to rev up, everything is still going well.

“Obviously a physical day today, short yards, goal line. Get the pads cracking a little bit. Everyone responded real well. You just got to be smart in a couple situations,” Greenway said. “ I’ve been out there trying to do as much as I can do, but it feels good.”

One of the defensive goals last season as well as this season is creating turnovers. The Vikings created a total of 22 turnovers a year ago and a take-away, giveaway ratio of minus one, which ranked tied for 11th in the NFC with only four teams worse than the Vikings. This is an area that needs to improve next year and

losing Antoine Winfield who accounted for three interceptions last year will only put more pressure on the young secondary.

“I think that we did a better job last year creating turnovers.

Obliviously with Harry’s turnovers and scores and Everson (Griffen), I think that we need to continue to push on, Greenway

Welcome to

MSU Reporter • 7

said. “That has got to be something that we need to emphasize everyday get the ball out, stripping the ball, tipping the ball, getting to it. Just every day you got to be cautious of it. We are defiantly doing that.”

david Bassey • msu reporter

VIKINGS Training Camp

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8 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Fond Farewell: Looking Back at the Vikings’ 30-Plus Years In the Metrodome

REECE HEMMESCH editor in chief With the Vikings officially moving the squad to a new and improved stadium on the site of the old, this season marks the last time the Vikings will run out of the tunnel and into the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the place they have called home since its opening at the start of the 1982 season.

The new stadium, costing in the ballpark of $975 million and complete with a translucent roof which gives fans a view of downtown Minneapolis, has the possibility to join some of the other new stadiums in the NFL as one of the premier places to watch football in America.

The dome was our home, and a good one at that, giving the Vikings the home field advantage in every game they played in. Sure there were some things that we could have gone without, but the Metrodome posed as a place of chaotic, uncontrollable volumes that fit in tremendously with the art of football.

It got the job done with baseball, but the Metrodome shall always be remembered as Vikings territory.

With 2013 being the last season inside the “Thunderdome,” the Vikings embrace their move to the outdoor facility of TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota until the dome is torn down to make way for Vikings Stadium,

web photo A staple in the heart of downtown Minneapolis has for years been the H.H.H. Metrodome, set to be torn down at the end of this season.

a working title.

We will always remember the dome for the good, and the bad, the high points and the low, summing it all up with the things we will miss and culminating in the some of the top moments that have occurred there, whether they be good or bad.

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Things we will miss Dome Sweet Dome To anyone who has ever seen a Vikings game inside the Metrodome, you know what I am talking about: the loud, crazed noise of 64,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs ricocheting off the roof and making its way to the field, where the Vikings knew calling

it a home field advantage was an understatement.

“You knew the Dome was going to be rocking, music was going to be playing, the cannon was going to off and Ragnor was going to come down on his motorcycle,” former Viking John Randle said in an interview for the NFL Network documentary, “Missing Rings.”

Randle had it pegged, as the

words reckoning, ear shattering and blistering were commonly used by anyone walking out of the dome clenching their ears.

Part of the noise came from the presence of no club level seating inside the Metrodome, forcing upper and lower level fans to work as one unit inside the stadium. From midfield seats in the 10th row to the nosebleeds in the end zone corner, all noise from the stands came as one while the gap between levels vanished in the pregame warm-up.

Another word not commonly used in the answer to why the dome was so loud: affordability. Regular Joe’s could afford the luxury of a lower level seat, where suits and ties cleared out for Helga horns, face paint and pain-staking noise from every corner of the field. Though the Vikings will still have the same fan base at Vikings Stadium, many agree the noise level that brought in a high amount of wins to the twin cities might not be as clear at the new site, even with an improved stadium.

No weather It’s Minnesota; the months of September through January can bring in heavy amounts of rain, snow and cold that are shoved aside on Sundays inside the dome where it is 68 and sunny every game day. As a Gopher season ticket holder in the final two years of their tenure in the Metrodome and an avid attender

Metrodome / page 47

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 9

New addition to the Vikings wall As Jared Allen and Kevin Williams are still two of the most productive guys on the defensive line, the Vikings reached out to some young talent to join them on the line of scrimmage.

LUKE RYAN staff writer The Vikings had to tackle several glaring holes in their team this offseason. Instead of using their first pick of the draft to select a cornerback or a wide receiver, which were thought of as the two of the biggest holes, they drafted an interior defensive tackle that was projected in some mock drafts to be taken in the top five.

The 23rd pick of the 2013 draft, Sharrif Floyd, is a second year player from Florida.

Floyd accounted for 13 tackles for loss in 2012, which led the Gators and was also responsible for 46 tackles.

He ended his two-year career at Florida with 115 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and three field goal blocks.

The Vikings drafted Floyd to likely replace the oldest Viking on the roster, Kevin Williams, but Floyd will have this year to take notes from one of the best. Floyd comes into his first year likely splitting time with the five-time all-pro (Williams).

Williams is now an 11year veteran and would be an ideal mentor for the rookie.

Floyd has an opportunity to learn what it takes to be a pro from one of the best players at their positions over the

course of their career.

Williams’ production has started to trend downward the last two years and coming off one of the worst years statistically in his career.

Frazier has decided to cut down Williams’ snaps, which will give Floyd a chance to get some reps, which Frazier thinks will be a positive for the team.

“You know we kind of have to see how the other guys come along, but if you had 30 to 35 good snaps out of Kevin that would be terrific,” said Head Coach Leslie Frazier. “And that means that someone else is getting 20 to 25 snaps that we are splitting between one or two other guys.”

So Floyd will likely get ample opportunity to take snaps at Williams’ position, but Frazier has not yet anointed him as the player to receive all of those opportunities. Floyd will have to earn it on the field.

The Vikings second year Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams has said that it is not likely for Floyd and Williams to play at the same time, but he is not going to commit to doing anything yet.

“The one thing about those two spots, they are different spots. Just because you’re a great three-tech-

nique doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to come in and play nose and be as effective,” Alan Williams said. “I don’t think so but I’m not going to rule anything out.”

Floyd has some rare abilities for a guy of his size. Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer has said Floyd has a chance to become a part of the field goal block and field goal protection teams and even a possibility to play on the punt return.

“I think we can use him in the wedge. I think he can be a guy that can help in field goal block and field goal protection. I know that he blocked some kicks in the past,” said Priefer. “Maybe he could play punt return depending upon who we match up against because he has such great feet.”

Even with Floyd likely not starting the year on defense, he will get plenty of opportunities to get on the field.

Coming in as a highly touted first round pick can be humbling to not be a starter to begin his career in the NFL, but one thing Frazier, Williams and Priefer all praised was Floyd’s attitude.

“You know what, he is a high character guy, he comes into the meeting rooms ready

Floyd / page 18

Brian Denton • special to the reporter With their first pick of three in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Vikings took Shariff Floyd from Florida. In his senior season, he led the squad with 13.0 tackles for loss with his 46 tackles.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Round 2 for these two

Defensive backs Harrison Smith and Josh Robinson proved as rookies they were not only able to compete in the NFL but lead this Vikings secondary.

TIGE HUTCHESON staff writer After ending the 2012 season pleasantly surprised with the progress of its rookie crop of defensive backs, the Minnesota Vikings made a somewhat unpopular, yet also undeniably bold and confident move by releasing aging veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield. Winfield, a perennial Pro Bowler and fan favorite, had been the lone savior of the Vikings secondary for years.

“We are having to replace a very good player that was here for a very long time and had a lot of success,” Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier said. “We like the guys that we have. They did a lot of good things for us a year ago, but there’s still a hole there that we have to fill.”

Considering the Vikings recent pass defense issues, including statistically one of the worst secondaries in the league prior to the 2012 season, by just glancing at the roster, it might have been hard to understand where the optimism is coming from.

Enter Harrison Smith and Josh Robinson.

After drafting offensive tackle Matt Kalil with the third overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Vikings executed a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to get back into the first round and grab Smith at 29. At the time, many scouts had Smith falling into the second round and thought

the Vikings reached for Smith, a safety from Notre Dame, overreacting to the skepticism surrounding its weak secondary.

After surrendering its second and fourth round picks to the Ravens, the Vikings struck again in the third round, grabbing Robinson, a cornerback from Central Florida tabbed as the “speediest player in the draft”. Both players had plenty of question marks, but at the very least, the Vikings seemed determined to at least try to make a difference in its pass coverage.

One year later, the picks appear to be gold. Smith took the league by storm, becoming an immediate fan favorite and gaining notoriety as one of the hardest hitting defensive backs in the NFC North, and Robinson showed enough promise to convince the coaching staff that he has the tools and attitude to become the Vikings starting nickel cornerback of the future.

Both players stayed healthy and played all 16 games of 2012.

The Vikings front office and coaching staff must have seen enough. Winfield was released Tuesday, March 12, just before the beginning of free agency, with questions surrounding the motivation for the move. Perhaps it was as simple as Winfield refusing to take a necessary pay cut, but according to the general consensus around training camp, the team really does believe that the youth movement is underway, and that enough quality

pieces are there to make Winfield’s contract unnecessary.

But does the move effect the development of Smith and Robinson?

“It doesn’t change my job at all.

I think we have a lot of young talent that’s going to step up,” Smith said. “I’m excited to see who it’s going to be that steps up and we’re just going to keep doing what we do.”

While he’ll definitely be expected to play at the same high level he did in 2012 again this season, perhaps more than any other area, Smith will be asked to assume the leadership role vacated by Winfield. But that’s not something Smith seems too worried about.

“I felt like a leader last year,” said Smith. “This year I’d just like to take the next step and find a way to give even more to this team.”

Robinson, on the other hand, seems to be the bigger gamble.

Robinson started five games for the Vikings last year, and has demonstrated all of the physical skills necessary to be an NFLcaliber nickel cornerback for many years. For Robinson to improve, however, it’s all about developing the intangibles.

“With Josh [Robinson], it’s all about showing greater instincts and awareness more so than any other improvement he can make,” Frazier said. “With Robinson, it could just come down to getting more reps and exposure to more situations.”

david Bassey • msu reporter In his first season in the NFL, Smith showed he can hit with the best of them. He concluded the 2012 season with 104 total tackles.

While only time will tell, the Vikings seem to feel comfortable entering 2013 with Smith and Robinson at the wheel.

“We think we have the players on the roster to go get that done, but now we have to go out on the field and actually do it,” Frazier said.

“I think [Winfield] taught us all how to act on the field and off of it,” said Smith. “There are definitely a lot of things we’ve all learned from him, but I think now this is our chance to take this secondary and make it our own.”

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 11

Linebackers play mix and match

With the addition of Desmond Bishop and the possibility of moving Erin Henderson to middle linebacker, the Vikings play around with alignments in Mankato.

JOEY DENTON sports editor

For the purple and gold linebackers, there will be a lot of mixing and matching this training camp, trying to find out puzzle pieces that fit in to their 4-3 defense. Last season, this linebacker squad could fly to the ball and had made some big plays in their 10-6 record.

With three spots to fill, all of Viking nation knows one of the outside backer spots is filled with the eight-year vet in Chad Greenway.

“Chad is the one constant.

He’s been a cornerstone for us at the outside linebacker spot,” Head Coach Leslie Frazier said.

As for the other two spots, the Vikings plan on experimenting here on the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus, putting some players in new positions. One of the experiments will be moving last year’s will backer, Erin Henderson, to the middle.

“It’s a little bit in flux with what we’re trying to find out with Erin [Henderson] at the Mike linebacker and trying to identify who’s going to be our starting Will linebacker,” Frazier said.

Every year, the staff could see a rise in production at the will backer in Henderson, but maybe sitting in the middle would be a better suit for the 6’ 3” backer. In 2011, he made 70

tackles, 44 solo, in 15 games, and in his second year of starting, the Maryland alum recorded 80 tackles, 50 solo, and earned three sacks.

As he starts his fifth season in the NFL, Henderson has proven he belongs in this league and his teammates know that.

“He’s been around now for so long. He knows and understands what his role is and what he’s got to do,” Greenway said.

If you try to put a puzzle together, you would figure out pretty quick that for it to work, not only do two pieces have to fit together, but they also have to connect to a third. That is what will give the staff headaches for the next three weeks. The other experiment happening on the practice fields is Desmond Bishop. Most Viking fans should recognize the name, because it seemed to be announced after every defensive stop when the team played the Green Bay Packers.

Before Bishop missed all of last season due to injury, he was a tackle-collector for the Packers, hauling in 218 total tackles in ’10 and ’11 combined. Just like when he was playing for the Packers, he bounced around from playing outside and inside linebacker and Frazier would like to figure out which combination is best between him and Henderson.

“It’s hard to project that at this point. We’re hoping that

Erin is going to do a great job for us at the Mike linebacker position and that Desmond will do a good job as an outside linebacker for us and we’ll go through this process and see how it plays out,” Frazier said.

These next three weeks are crucial for the California alum as not only is he trying to get back to NFL speed, he also needs to learn a new system and meet a whole new group of

football players by the time they kick off in Detroit.

A lot of questions have been flying around campus about which linebacker role he was going to fill, but as soon as he put on the purple and white practice jersey on, he knew he was getting to play football again.

“You know at this point, playing football is the best fit for me. It’s been a long time for me so I’m just anxious to get out

there and show what I can do,” Bishop said.

After those three players, the Vikings have stacked up some young talent in this year’s draft and they too can find themselves penciled in as starters.

Both from Penn State, rookies Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti bring in some strength and a hard work ethic to training

Linebackers / page 19

david Bassey • msu reporter The Vikings have a nice mix of veterans such as Chad Greenway, Erin Henderson, Desmond Bishop and Marvin Mitchell and some young guys such as Gerald Hodge, Michael Mauti and Audie Cole.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Special teams continue to improve Special teams for the Vikings were usually some old guys with just one bar on their helmet, now they have some young guns who are looking to get old in Minnesota SAM WILMES news editor While much of the Vikings improvements in 2012 were based on Adrian Peterson’s contributions, one unit also played a major role in the team’s marked improvement: Special Teams.

Rookie sixth-round pick Blair Walsh, nicknamed the “Athens Assassin,” due to his propensity for long field goals at the University of Georgia, lived up to his reputation by converting a record 10/10 field goals from over 50 yards.

Walsh, who tied a rookie record by converting 35/38 field goals in 2013, is seeking to have another outstanding season like in 2012, a year that saw the Vikings improve their special teams ranking from 29th in 2011 to 1st. Walsh is more comfortable in his second training camp.

“Everything was just so new.

I had never been to an off-site training camp, I’d never done it obviously in the pros and it was just a totally new experience for me,” Walsh said about his rookie camp. “This year I’ll know a little bit more about what’s going

on and the schedule, and how to pace myself and it should be good.”

Walsh is not feeling the pressure of performing to the level he did last year. “You kind of wipe clean what you did last year, you learn from it and you reflect on it in the off-season and you start new,” Walsh said.

“We haven’t proven anything so far this year, our team is 0-0 and we need to win games and as long as we can help win games, that is what we are here for.”

Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer said. Priefer is expecting Walsh to suffer through the proverbial sophomore slump.

“He’s very receptive to what we were talking about. Like last year I told you guys, he’s such a coachable kid and he always wants to get better which is very, very important to him and I think he’s put that in strides and says ‘roger that, here we go.’

Next year we have to continue to get better.”

The unit will also feature a new rookie punter, after Vet-

Special Teams / page 20

Brian Denton • special to the reporter Special teams played an important part in the Vikings 10-6 campaign in 2012. Now with the addition of Locke, the Vikings could possess the best special teams staff for years to come.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter MSU Reporter • Page • 13

14 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Let’s keep moving the chains

After almost breaking the single season rushing record, the offensive line took that as motivation to help AP reach that goal. Also with some weapons at wide receiver, the line wants to give as much time Ponder needs to find them.

LUKE RYAN staff writer Adrian Peterson is regarded as the best running back in the NFL and coming off a record season, but he would give a lot of that credit of his success to the big men blocking in front of him.

The offensive line is not as glorious a position as the guys scoring on offense or making big plays on the defense, but the O-line is one of the most important areas a football team needs to be effective.

The starting offensive line from a year ago is intact from last year. The starting five include (from left tackle to right tackle) Matt Kalil, Charlie Johnson, John Sullivan, Brandon Fusco and Phil Loadholt.

Drafting Matt Kalil with the third pick of the 2012 draft and resigning Phil Loadholt this offseason, the Vikings staff is making an effort to solidify the line for the future and are clearly confident in what the group did last year.

“It would be hard to ask them to be much better in the running game. They did a nice job pass protecting last year. We do want to minimize our sacks and stay out of those long yardage situations,” Head Coach Leslie Frazier said. “It’s a terrific group.

It is fun to have John Sullivan back, he is really the stabilizer, Matt Kalil has fewer unknowns than 12 months ago so we are excited about that crew.”

One of the worries this offseason was that the chemistry that was developed last year on the offensive line would not continue to grow in training camp due to the quarterback of the line, John Sullivan, needing to recover from offseason knee surgery. Sullivan did not practice in OTA’s this offseason, but has come into camp off the PUP (players unable to perform) list and has participated during training camp.

“John is one of our leaders and a good player for our football team. The fact that he can participate and not just

stand on the sidelines and watch, it’s good for our young players and our entire offensive line, so we can continue that continuity that we need, that cohesiveness that’s necessary to have a good offensive line,” Frazier said.

Phil Loadholt was unsigned going into the offseason, but the Vikings made it a priority to bring him back and signed the 6-8, 343-pound right tackle.

Loadholt is the biggest Viking on the team and is taking a big role as a leader the last few years as well.

“Phil is one of our stalwarts there on the front line. He’s a

leader, he leads by example rather than being overly vocal,” said Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave. “Phil is the same every day, he is intense, serious and detailed and that is what a leader has got to be.”

Matt Kalil is going into his second year and after proving he was one of the best at his position in the NFL last year and going to the Pro Bowl his rookie season. There is not a question mark as to how he will fare against the top completion this year.

The only concerns were due to Kalil’s weight loss over the

offseason, but that is a better problem then Bryant McKinnie’s weight gaining issues of the past. Kalil has been working to put the weight back on and is already near his weight from a year ago.

“I think I am strong and fast as I have ever been. I am about 312 right now so I got that weight back up and all that,” Kalil said. “I feel great it is just a matter of staying healthy, getting my plays down, technique, getting myself better, stuff like that.”

After a full season together

As Peterson gets ready for the 2013 season, ESPN wanted to see what the MVP sees every day from his point of view.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

The milestone monster

MSU Reporter • 15

It’s going to be hard to top 2,097 rushing yards in a season, but if there was a man on earth who could do so, it’s Adrian Peterson.

SAM WILMES news editor Following one of the greatest seasons ever by an NFL running back, in which NFL MVP Adrian Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards, Peterson has set a couple of goals publicly for the 2013 season.

One was announced soon after the conclusion of last year’s 10-6 finish and loss to the Green Bay Packers: rush for 2,500 yards, a feat never accomplished in the NFL. The other goal Peterson has pegged for this season is one that all Vikings share, that the whole state of Minnesota has been waiting for since the franchise’s arrival in 1961: an NFL championship.

“That’s my number 1 goal,” Peterson said.

Touching on his first goal, Peterson reiterated last Friday that it would be awesome to achieve such a lofty goal. While it’s impossible to say if he will crack the exclusive 2,000-yard club, a club that only six other NFL running backs have joined, there is a definite chance that the fate of the Vikings rests on Peterson’s massive shoulders.

r

While Peterson claims his main priority is to win a super bowl, it will be a difficult task if the rest of the offense can’t produce more this year. Winning a championship will have to involve the Vikings maintaining a more balanced offense: in 2012 the Vikings had a 31st ranked passing unit with 171.9 yards a game, while the ground game racked up 164.6 yards a game, good for 2nd in the league.

Peterson’s outstanding efforts were often wasted. In a week 13 game at Green Bay, Peterson rushed for 210 yards on 24 carries. Despite his efforts, Minnesota lost 24-13. In a 30-20 defeat at Seattle on Week 10, Peterson scampered for 182 yards on 17 carries.

Defenses may be a little scared when they hear how Peterson is feeling.

“I feel great physically,” Peterson said, a frightening thought for defenses who couldn’t stop him when he not only was dealing with the remnants of a torn ACL and MCL but also an abdomen injury in the last part of last year.

Peterson carried the Vikings to the playoffs in 2012 and certainly saw the rewards pay

out this summer. In addition to being named the league MVP, Peterson also was awarded a couple of ESPY’s: the comeback player of the year and the best NFL player.

Peterson expects more variety on offense. He contends that the best kind of offense is the one that can be multi-dimensional, one that may not involve him running for 2,500 yards, but could possibly end with the Vince Lombardi trophy coming to the Twin Cities.

Peterson says that with the roster as assembled the Vikings can go far.

“The sky’s the limit,” Peterson continued.

Peterson has also set longterm goals that involve breaking one of football’s most hallowed records.

According to a Bleacher Report article, Peterson contends that he can break Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record in 2017.

“I’ve been in the league seven years. I’m already right around 9,000. Calculate it out, let’s think. Maybe get a couple 2,000 yard seasons. I’ve got - Hmmm 2017,” Peterson said.

Peterson even has the week

David Bassey • msu reporter As Peterson gets ready for the 2013 season, ESPN wanted to see what the MVP sees every day from his point of view.

calculated out.

“I’ll say Week 16. There it is.

Week 16 in 2017. That’s pushing it. But hey, pushing it is the

only way to do it.,” Peterson concluded.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Young, deep and talented

The defensive backfield for the Vikings is exactly that. With the addition of Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith becoming a positional leader, the D-backs are finally ready to snap out of the lowpoint of the defense and turn some heads.

JOHN HECKT staff writer The releasing of veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield this offseason has left the Vikings with a considerable void of veteran experience and leadership in their secondary. The team will rely on three corners; Chris Cook, rookie Xavier Rhodes and Josh Robinson, to defend some of the best receivers in a passing league. One thing is clear-they will need some guidance. But where will it come from? The answer is most likely Jamarca Sanford, a five-year veteran who had 61 tackles last season.

“I think Jamarca (Sanford) feels comfortable in his skin,” said Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams.”He’s always been a leader.”

Head Coach Leslie Frazier was also pleased with Sanford’s assumed leadership role.

“He has become a verbal David Bassey • msu reporter

leader for us and we kind of need that on defense,” Frazier said. “Sometimes you need a guy who can get after people a little bit too and then be able to back it up with his play and Jamarca to me has really begun to step up in that area.”

Considering how stellar is rookie season was, Harrison Smith may also be asked to play a leadership role. He tallied 104 tackles and three interceptions, two of which were returned for TD’s. Because of those numbers, he may already be considered the most established player in the secondary.

“Harrison’s picked up the system a lot faster than we expected as a rookie last year,” Williams said. “He’s come in and said ‘you know what coach, it’s slowed down for me probably around the last fourth of the season last year. I feel confident about what’s going on now.”

Chris Cook could very well

be an established corner if he hadn’t been slowed down by injuries throughout most of his career. In three years, he has only been able to play in 22 games. He has great speed and is certainly big enough to cover guys like Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, and Jordy Nelson. But he needs to stay healthy and prove he has the defensive awareness to make it in this league.

Even if Cook steps up and delivers, the Vikings will still need Xavier Rhodes to adjust to the NFL quicker than most rookies are expected to. The rookie out of Florida State, who recorded 140 tackles and eight interceptions in his three-year college career, will be battling for a starting spot with Josh Robinson, the third year man out of Central Florida. Robinson had a decent year last season but, again, still hasn’t established

D-Backs / page 18

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 17

Receivers “Patterson will not be the only receiver with a lot to learn, as Joe Webb makes the switch from QB this year.” continued from 6 said. Webb certainly isn’t a lock to make the team, but considering the frequent praise he receives from coaches and staff, his chances seem good. Bill Musgrave noted that Webb’s experience as a QB has helped the younger receivers grow alongside him.

“He can add perspective from the quarterback room, so it’s a good dynamic,” Musgrave said.

Hoping to be apart of that dynamic are two former MSU Mavericks: Adam Thielen and LaMark Brown, who are both fighting for a spot on the Vikings 53-man roster. Brown graduated from MSU in 2011 and has since played for the practice squads of the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills.

Thielen graduated this spring, and has been impressive thus far.

“We have seen some flashes from Adam,” said Musgrave, “He makes some spectacular catches, he made one [Friday] where he took it off of the top shelf, really elevated and made a great catch and he has done that consistently. We have seen good things.”

Thielen and Brown are two of twelve WR’s that have been invited to camp. The team is expected to have six WR’s on its 53-man roster, so they definitely have their work cut out for them.

Thielen is one of the WR’s that have been seen getting lots of work on Special Teams so far. It is also likely that Patterson will get most of the return opportunities.

Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer reported that he was “very excited” when Patterson was drafted. He and his staff ranked him as one of their top two returners in last year’s draft. When asked if Patterson was the main returner as of now, Priefer declared it so.

“I would think so. I would think and see how he develops this training camp.”

Joe Webb is another receiver who is likely to be tried out on Special Teams. Priefer was optimistic of his potential as well.

“He can play some gunner, punt return, and kickoff return for us. There are a number of things he can do and we are going to try him out in preseason and see what he can do for us.”

Greg Childs is one of two players on the Vikings roster who has been placed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.

“It’s a little too early now to pin point what the final outcome is going to be or when we might take him off of PUP,” head coach Leslie Frazier said, “ but we just have to kind of check back periodically with him.”

Brian Denton • special to the reporter If the Vikings are going to have the same or even more success this season they are going to need their veterans like Greg Jennings teaching the young guys about routes and technique.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

D-Backs “Considering how stellar his rookie season was, Harrison Smith may also be asked to play a leadership role. He tallied 104 tackles and three interceptions, two of which were returned for TD’s.” continued from 16

David Bassey • msu reporter

himself as a dependable corner in this league.

“I just come here just to work hard and get better each day. I’m not expecting to start or anything,” Rhodes said. “I’m just coming here to get better and help the team by any means necessary. I mean, corner, special teams, or anything. I’m just ready to help the team win.”

There is certainly reason to be optimistic towards this year’s defense. Again, Cook has amazing potential with his size and speed. If Rhodes can have anywhere near the type of rookie season that Harrison Smith had, then the Vikings suddenly have a solid pass defense.

The team’s front seven defended the run better than anyone else in the league last year. If the pass defense does a solid job and the front seven proceeds with business as usual, then the Vikings could have one of the more effective Defense’s in the league. But again, it will come down to the speed by which the young corners can adjust to their new roles.

Floyd “Floyd seems to be ok with what his role will be and is happy to just be playing football.” continued from 9 to go, ready to study, so the things that we saw on tape at Florida, he’s bringing those things here in terms of preparation,” said Williams.

Floyd seems to be ok with what his role will be and is happy to just be playing football at this level.

“I don’t think I have any challenges ahead of me. I feel as though I’m here to help the Vikings get better and play hard. That is all I’m focusing on, playing hard

and doing the best that I can, everything else will take care of itself,” said Floyd. “Again, growing up this was a dream for me, me signing the contract was a great moment, but at the end of the day my life goal is to play football as long as possible, so I’m just blessed to still be able to play ball.”

David Bassey • msu reporter

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 19

Linebackers “As for the other two spots, the Vikings plan on experimenting here on the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus, putting some players in new positions” continued from 11

camp.

Last season, Hodges led the Nittany Lions with 109 tackles and intercepted two passes as his fellow linebacker Mauti fell second in the tackles stat with 95 as he also compiled 2.5 sacks and three interceptions.

Mauti has already been fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster as he has been rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered in the second to last game of his collegiate career. He’s so far won that battle as he got to join his teammates on day one.

“Pleased about it for sure because we want to be able to take a look at him and evaluate him, and now we get a chance to do that,” Frazier said. “I know he’s anxious to get out there. He’s a guy that loves football, and it’ll be good for him and good for us.”

The rest of the linebacker corps is made up of guys with some experience, mostly on special teams. As we know from Henderson’s experience, making plays on special teams can get you a job in the NFL and maybe

even win a starting job like he did. Seven-year vet Marvin Mitchell has made a living on special teams so far in his career with some starts sprinkled in.

In his seven seasons, the Tennessee graduate has tallied 129 total tackles, 106 solo and has caused four fumbles, including one against the St. Louis Rams in week 15 as the Vikings were trying to close in on the wildcard spot.

Three other linebackers put some skills on display in special teams last season, such as Audie Cole, Larry Dean and Tyrone McKenzie. These three have put in the work this offseason and are ready to show their teammates they can fit into the Vikings puzzle.

The Vikings also brought in Nathan Williams as an undrafted free agent from Ohio State. Unfortunately, Williams will be started training camp on the PUP (Physically unable to Perform) list but will hopefully get an opportunity to show what he can do.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Special Teams

continued from page 12 eran Chris Kluwe was released and signed with the Oakland Raiders. Jeff Locke, a product of UCLA, was selected in the 5th round. Locke ranks 2nd in UCLA history in yards per punt with 44.23 and was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter.

Locke has also earned the praise of Walsh. In reference to Locke becoming the new placeholder, Walsh contends that Locke’s potential and work ethic are there. “Obviously it’s an adjustment in the beginning going from Chris to Jeff. Jeff works hard and he’s going to be a good holder and with the help of Priefer, and doing the drills you see us doing on the sideline everyday, with him holding, it’s going to make him one of the best holders in the league.”

Walsh admitted that Locke’s transition to placeholder has not been easy.

“He just had to get used to the way I liked it, the way I like the ball tilted, how fast I get to the ball compared to somebody else because you know, even though it’s a couple of milliseconds off, it’s still different. It’s also getting used to the way of Cullen snapping, so there’s just a bunch of little parts that you don’t necessarily see right away. ” Marcus Sherels was the main punt returner in 2012. The Rochester John Marshall and University of Minnesota graduate averaged 9.0 yards a punt return, and returned a punt 77 yards for a Touchdown in a 34-24 victory

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in Detroit. Percy Harvin, now injured with the Seattle Seahawks, returned a kick for a TD in the same game, making it the first time that feat had been accomplished in Viking history.

Rookie Cordorelle Patterson is the presumptive favorite to win the kick return job. A 6-2, 216 lb Wide Receiver from the University of Tennessee, Patterson certainly has the speed to fill the position- he has run a 4.33 40-yard dash.

There is also a possibility that Joe Webb will get a chance to contribute.

“There are some things he can do. He can play some gunner, punt return, and kickoff return fro us. There are a number of things he can do and we are going to try him out in preseason and see what he can do for us,” Priefer said.

Cullen Loeffler will be the long snapper. Loeffler, an undrafted free agent from the University of Texas, has handled every special teams snap since he signed with the Vikings in 2004.

Priefer is impressed with the special teams as a whole.

“They are mature, professionals, intelligent; understand their craft, which is very important to me, and very hard workers.

They are always trying to get better and they get along great.

They tease each other and mess around with the old man Loeffler. I think I have a good group.

I am really excited about those three.”

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O-Line “Matt Kalil is going into his second year and after proving he was one of the best at his position in the NFL last year and goint to the Pro Bowl his rookie season.” continued from 14 the line is familiar with each other and believes this will only help them improve. An offensive line needs to work together extremely well and a familiarity with each other can being a major factor to the success of the entire line.

“That definitely helps. You know, playing next to someone

you can trust and can expect what they are going to do and working with them all the time makes all the difference,” Kalil said.

Frazier has admitted it will be for this group to do better run blocking than last year, but there are always places to improve.

Ponder must prove this year that

he belongs and he will need his line to protect him to succeed.

One thing that we should be able to expect is with Peterson running behind a very solid and young line the Vikings should remain dominant running the ball for a long time.

Bishop “Coach Frazier is excited to see him back on the football field and wearing purple and gold.” continued from 3 thesixth round in the 2007 NFL Draft, the 29-year-old has spent his whole career in Green Bay where he came up from playing on special teams from his first three seasons.

As a starter in 2010 and 2011, the California alum turned in to one of the more popular players at Lambeau, with 103 total tack-

les and a 38-yard interception for a touchdown in 2010. The next year he raised his tackle total to 115 with five sacks and two forced fumbles.

His previous years as a Packer has given him the respect from the other linebackers for the Vikings, even before he showed up here.

“He’s a good player. Obviously we knew that. Very talented, very good in coverage, very good against the run,” Greenway said. “As he gets comfortable on defense, he’s going to continue to get better and better, so he’s doing well.”

r

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 21

22 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

KYLE RATKE special to the reporter

Minnesota Vikings: Coaching Staff: Leslie Frazier (Head Coach), Bill Musgrave (Offensive Coordinator), Alan Williams (Defensive Coordinator), Mike Priefer (Special Teams Coordinator) Key Additions: QB Matt Cassel (FA), DE Lawrence Jackson (FA), WR Greg Jennings (FA), LB Desmond Bishop (FA), DT Sharrif Floyd (DP), DB Xavier Rhodes (DP), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (DP), P Jeff Locke (DP) Key Departures: P Chris Kluwe (OAK), CB Antoine Winfield (SEA), WR Percy Harvin (SEA), OL Geoff Schwartz (KC), LB Jasper Brinkley (ARI) Offense: There isn’t a team in the NFL that was more one-dimensional than the Minnesota Vikings were in 2012. And oddly enough, it brought them all the way to the playoffs. First off, the odds are Adrian Peterson won’t rush for 2,000 yards again (don’t bet against him, though, he’s stronger than you). To depend on 140 rushing yards from him every game is something that will get your team into trouble. It’s as important as ever for quarterback Christian Ponder to take a tremendous leap. He doesn’t need to be Drew Brees, but he needs to be able to keep the defenders from putting eight defenders in the box. With the addition of Jennings and Patterson, he will have all of the tools needed to succeed and if he doesn’t, Vikings fans could see Matt Cassel soon and a new quarterback under center in 2014. Needless to say, nobody in Purple Pride Nation wants that. The offensive line looks sound. The only position with a question mark on it is the right guard spot. Brandon Fusco had an up-and-down 2012 campaign, but the Vikings didn’t attempt to bring back Schwartz. For better or worse, that tells us that Vikings have confidence in the lineman from Slippery Rock.

Defense: This defense should excite fans more than anything else, besides

NFC North Preview

AP busting off 80-yard runs. For the first time in a while, the team looks like it has a solid secondary. Sure, the Vikings lost Winfield and despite being in his late 30s, the corner had one of his best seasons as a pro. Still, Winfield was a slot corner and it looks like Josh Robinson could fit that spot. With Harrison Smith, Chris Cook and Rhodes, Minnesota might be able to counter the pass-heavy NFC North. The linebacking corps needs some work. Chad Greenway is as solid as they come, but there are still question marks on who will play middle linebacker. Erin Henderson is good, but not great and who knows how healthy Bishop is after tearing his hamstring last season. It’s a huge season for Minnesota’s defensive line.

Jared Allen, Brian Robison and Everson Griffin are all in contract seasons. This is good and bad. The good is that most players tend to have big seasons during their contract years. The bad is that it’s unlikely that the team will be able to keep all three players past this season.

Tackle Kevin Williams isn’t getting any younger, but he should be a solid influence for Floyd who fell all the way to the Vikings during the draft. This is a young unit, led by Smith, Floyd, Cook and Rhodes that has a chance to be very good for quite some time.

Special Teams: As a rookie, Blair Walsh was straight cash. There were question marks as he came out of Georgia. As a senior, he hit just 50 percent of his kicks, but he quickly answered the call last season. There’s no reason to believe he’ll drop off. In a somewhat surprising move, the Vikings drafted Locke in the fifth round this season¬¬¬.

That led to the release of outspoken punter Chris Kluwe. Locke should transition well and won’t be the off-the-field distraction that Kluwe was. As far as the return game goes, the chances are that Marcus Sherels will return both punts and kickoffs. Patterson will be given a

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shot, as well. The loss of Harvin hurts both the receiving and return game, but his injury history and attitude problems ultimately led to the team trading him.

As we’ve seen already in Seattle, injuries have once again become a problem.

Web Photo Detroit’s Calvin Johnson has already solified himself as one of the top receivers in the NFC north and the NFL as a whole.

Detroit Lions: Coaching Staff: Jim Schwartz (Head Coach), Scott Linehan (Offensive Coordinator), Gunther Cunningham (Defensive Coordinator), John Bonamego (Special Teams Coordinator) Key Additions: RB Reggie Bush (FA), DE Jason Jones (FA), S Glover Quin (FA), DE Ezekiel Ansah (DE), CB Darius Slay (DP), G Larry Warford (DP), DE Devin Taylor (DP), K David Akers (FA) Key Departures: DE Cliff Avril (SEA), RT Gosder Cherilus (IND), LT Jeff Backus (RET), K Jason Hanson (RET), DE Lawrence Jackson (MN), DE Stephen Peterman (NYJ), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (FA), WR Titus Young (FA) Offense: The Vikings were onedimensional in 2012, but so were the

Lions. Quarterback Matt Stafford threw the ball 727 times last season. No, that isn’t a typo. His 17 interceptions might be alarming, but when you consider his attempts, it’s not all that startling. The addition of Bush should help and will give the Lions what they hoped they would have when they drafted Jahvid Best two seasons ago. Besides Calvin Johnson, the Lions don’t have much at the receiver position. Young has proved to be a headcase, while former-Vikings receiver Nate Burleson is recovering from a broken leg. The team would love Ryan Broyles to stay healthy and make a leap.

Otherwise Mike Thomas could be an option. Johnson can’t catch every pass, right? Tight end Brandon Pettigrew has the tools to be a top- 5 tight end, but he drops too many passes. The offensive line should be better. Riley Reiff looks ready to start at left tackle in year two.

Defense: This is the part of the team that hindered them last season. With Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh, this defensive line should have been better than it was last season. That’s likely why the team went after defensive ends Jones (FA) and took a flyer on Ansah (Draft) this offseason. Ansah is a raw player who has just three seasons of football under his belt, but he has all of the tools to be a Jason Pierre-Paul type of player. The linebacking corps has a few question marks. Stephen Tulloch is a bit undersized, but has proved to be consistent.

DeAndre Levy is also a player to watch.

The secondary is the defense’s biggest eye sore. The addition of Quin and Slay can do nothing but improve a secondary that had just 11 interceptions last season.

Special Teams: For the first time since 1948 (okay, maybe not), Jason Hanson will not be kicking for the Lions.

Instead, we’ll see veteran David Akers kicking. His fall off in San Francisco was

NFC North Preview / page 27

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 23

2013 VIKINGS NUMERIC ROSTER # NAME POS. HT. WT. BIRTH. YEAR 3 Blair Walsh K 5-10 192 1/8/90 2 4 McLeod Bethel-Thompson QB 6-3 230 7/3/88 2 6 James Vandenberg QB 6-3 220 11/23/89 R 7 Christian Ponder QB 6-2 229 2/25/88 3 8 Erik Highsmith WR 6-1 190 11/20/90 R 11 Stephen Burton WR 6-1 224 12/11/89 3 12 Jeff Locke P 6-0 203 9/27/89 R 14 Joe Webb WR 6-4 220 11/14/86 4 15 Greg Jennings WR 6-0 195 9/21/83 8 16 Matt Cassel QB 6-4 228 5/17/82 9 17 Jarius Wright WR 5-10 180 11/25/89 2 18 Chris Summers WR 6-5 215 7/10/89 1 19 Adam Thielen WR 6-2 195 8/22/90 R 20 Chris Cook CB 6-2 212 2/15/87 4 21 Josh Robinson CB 5-10 199 1/8/91 2 22 Harrison Smith S 6-2 214 2/2/89 2 23 Joe Banyard RB 5-10 205 11/12/88 1 24 A.J. Jefferson CB 6-1 190 4/4/88 4 25 Roderick Williams CB 5-10 180 5/27/86 1 26 Jacob Lacey CB 5-10 183 5/28/87 5 27 Brandon Burton CB 5-11 190 7/31/89 3 28 Adrian Peterson RB 6-1 217 3/21/85 7 29 Xavier Rhodes CB 6-1 210 6/19/90 R 30 Greg McCoy CB 5-9 187 9/8/88 1 31 Bobby Felder CB 5-11 200 9/23/90 1 32 Toby Gerhart RB 6-0 231 3/28/87 4 33 Jamarca Sanford S 5-10 200 8/27/85 5 34 Andrew Sendejo S 6-1 200 9/9/87 3 35 Marcus Sherels CB 5-10 175 9/30/87 3 36 Robert Blanton S 6-1 200 9/7/89 2 37 Brandan Bishop S 6-1 208 1/23/91 R 38 Bradley Randle RB 5-7 193 9/17/90 R 40 Rhett Ellison FB 6-5 250 10/3/88 2 41 Mistral Raymond S 6-1 202 9/7/87 3 42 Jerome Felton FB 6-0 248 7/3/86 6 43 Jerodis Williams RB 5-10 203 3/30/91 R 44 Matt Asiata RB 6-0 234 7/24/87 2 45 Colin Anderson TE 6-4 240 11/21/89 R 46 Cullen Loeffler LS 6-5 241 1/27/81 10 48 Zach Line FB 6-1 233 4/26/90 R 49 Darius Eubanks S 6-1 215 7/12/91 R 50 Erin Henderson LB 6-3 244 7/1/86 6 51 Larry Dean LB 6-0 226 8/7/88 3 52 Chad Greenway LB 6-2 242 1/12/83 8 54 Gerald Hodges LB 6-2 243 1/17/91 R

COLLEGE Georgia Sacramento State Iowa Florida State North Carolina West Texas A&M UCLA Alabama-Birmingham Western Michigan Southern California Arkansas Liberty Minn. State-Mankato Virginia Central Florida Notre Dame Texas-El Paso Fresno State Alcorn State Oklahoma State Utah Oklahoma Florida State Texas Christian Nicholls State Stanford Mississippi Rice Minnesota Notre Dame NC State UNLV Southern California South Florida Furman Furman Utah Furman Texas SMU Georgia Southern Maryland Valdosta State Iowa Penn State

# NAME POS. HT. WT. BIRTH. YEAR 55 Marvin Mitchell LB 6-3 249 10/21/84 7 56 Michael Mauti LB 6-2 243 1/19/90 R 57 Audie Cole LB 6-5 239 6/1/89 2 58 Tyrone McKenzie LB 6-2 245 12/11/85 3 59 Desmond Bishop LB 6-2 238 7/24/84 7 60 Jeff Baca G 6-3 302 1/10/90 R 60 Nathan Williams LB 6-3 245 10/16/89 R 61 Joe Berger C 6-5 305 5/25/82 9 62 Chase Baker DT 6-2 300 5/21/88 1 63 Brandon Fusco G 6-4 306 7/26/88 3 64 Marquis Jackson DE 6-4 280 1/11/90 R 64 Camden Wentz C 6-3 305 11/27/90 R 65 John Sullivan C 6-4 301 8/8/85 6 66 Tyler Holmes G 6-4 312 7/24/88 1 67 Collins Ukwu DE 6-4 260 1/6/90 R 68 Kevin Murphy T 6-7 305 2/16/90 1 69 Jared Allen DE 6-6 270 4/3/82 10 71 Phil Loadholt T 6-8 343 1/21/86 5 72 Seth Olsen G 6-5 305 12/17/85 4 73 DeMarcus Love T 6-4 315 3/7/88 2 74 Charlie Johnson G 6-4 305 5/2/84 8 75 Matt Kalil T 6-7 308 7/6/89 2 76 Travis Bond G 6-7 330 12/10/90 R 76 Anthony McCloud DT 6-2 313 8/6/89 R 78 Troy Kropog G 6-6 295 7/31/86 4 79 Everett Dawkins DT 6-2 300 6/13/90 R 79 Brandon Keith T 6-5 325 11/21/84 4 81 Jerome Simpson WR 6-2 190 2/4/86 6 82 Kyle Rudolph TE 6-6 259 11/9/89 3 83 Rodney Smith WR 6-5 220 3/11/90 R 84 Cordarrelle Patterson WR 6-2 220 3/17/91 R 85 Greg Childs WR 6-3 217 3/10/90 1 86 Chase Ford TE 6-6 255 7/19/90 1 87 LaMark Brown WR 6-4 221 7/5/89 1 89 John Carlson TE 6-5 248 5/12/84 6 90 Fred Evans DT 6-4 305 11/6/83 7 91 D’Aundre Reed DE 6-4 260 1/1/88 3 92 George Johnson DE 6-4 270 12/11/87 3 93 Kevin Williams DT 6-5 311 8/16/80 11 94 Lawrence Jackson DE 6-4 278 8/30/85 6 95 Sharrif Floyd DT 6-3 305 5/28/91 R 96 Brian Robison DE 6-3 259 4/27/83 7 97 Everson Griffen DE 6-3 273 12/22/87 4 98 Letroy Guion DT 6-4 303 6/21/87 6 99 Christian Ballard DT 6-4 283 1/3/89 3

COLLEGE Tennessee Penn State NC State South Florida California UCLA Ohio State Michigan Tech Boise State Slippery Rock Portland State NC State Notre Dame Tulsa Kentucky Harvard Idaho State Oklahoma Iowa Arkansas Oklahoma State Southern California North Carolina Florida State Tulane Florida State Northern Iowa Coastal Carolina Notre Dame Florida State Tennessee Arkansas Miami Minn. State-Mankato Notre Dame Texas State Arizona Rutgers Oklahoma State Southern California Florida Texas Southern California Florida State Iowa

2013 VIKINGS DEPTH CHART free safety 22 H. Smith 36 R. Blanton

cornerback 20 C. Cook 21 J. Robinson

4 2

strong safety 2 2

50 E. Henderson 59 D. Bishop

weakside linebacker 59 D. Bishop 54 G. Hodges

7 R

tackle 75 M. Kalil 73 D. Love

7 6

8 R

65 J. Sullivan 61 J. Berger

guard 2 2

wide receiver 15 G. Jennings 81 J. Simpson

8 6

B. Walsh

42 J. Felton 48 Z. Line

12 R. Loche

69 J. Allen 97 E. Griffen

6 9

63 B. Fusco 72 S. Olson

6 R

R

running back 28 A.Peterson 32 T. Gerhart

defensive end 10 4

tackle 3 4

tight end 3 9

7 4

R 4

8 2

guard

7 C. Ponder 16 M. Cassel

cornerback 29 X. Rhodes 24 A.J. Jefferson

strongside linebacker

11 6 R 7

quarterback

punter 2

K. Williams L. Guion S. Floyd F. Evans

5 3

52 C. Greenway 57 A. Cole

center

FULLBACK

kicker 3

74 C. Johnson 60 J. Baca

6 7

defensive tackle 93 98 95 90

defensive end 96 B. Robison 94 L. Jackson

33 J. Sanford 41 M. Raymond

middle linebacker

82 K. Rudolpgh 89 J. Carlson

5 4

wide receiver 3 6

kick returner 35 M. Sherels

71 P. Loadholt 79 B. Keith

84 C. Patterson 17 J. Wright

R 2

punt returner 3

35 M. Sherels

3

24 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 25

26 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

2013 NFC NORTH SCHEDULES

C H I C AGO B EA R S PRESEASON Friday Aug. Thursday Aug. Friday Aug. Thursday Aug.

9 15 23 29

REGULAR SEASON Sunday Sept. 8 Sunday Sept. 15 Sunday Sept. 22 Sunday Sept. 29 Sunday Oct. 6 Thursday Oct. 10 Sunday Oct. 20 Sunday Oct. 27 Monday Nov. 4 Sunday Nov. 10 Sunday Nov. 17 Sunday Nov. 24 Sunday Dec. 1 Monday Dec. 9 Sunday Dec. 15 Sunday Dec. 22 Sunday Dec. 29

D ETROIT L ION S

7:00pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 7:00pm

@ Carolina San Diego @ Oakland Cleveland

Noon Noon 7:30pm Noon Noon 7:30pm Noon BYE WEEK 7:30pm Noon Noon Noon Noon 7:30pm Noon Noon Noon

Cincinnati Minnesota @ Pittsburgh @ Detroit New Orleans NY Giants @ Washington @ Green Bay Detroit Baltimore @ St. Louis @ Minnesota Dallas @ Cleveland @ Philadelphia Green Bay

PRESEASON WEEK 2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 Atlanta at Baltimore Detroit at Cleveland Carolina at Philadelphia San Diego at Chicago FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 Minnesota at Buffalo Tampa Bay at New England San Francisco at Kansas City Oakland at New Orleans SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 Dallas at Arizona Tennessee at Cincinnati Jacksonville at NY Jets Miami at Houston Green Bay at St. Louis Denver at Seattle SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 Indianapolis at NY Giants MONDAY, AUGUST 19 Pittsburgh at Washington PRESEASON WEEK 3 THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 New England at Detroit Carolina at Baltimore FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 Seattle at Green Bay Chicago at Oakland SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 Buffalo at Washington Cleveland at Indianapolis NY Jets at NY Giants Philadelphia at Jacksonville Tampa Bay at Miami Kansas City at Pittsburgh St. Louis at Denver Cincinnati at Dallas Atlanta at Tennessee San Diego at Arizona SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 New Orleans at Houston Minnesota at San Francisco PRESEASON WEEK 4 THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 Detroit at Buffalo Indianapolis at Cincinnati Philadelphia at NY Jets Jacksonville at Atlanta Pittsburgh at Carolina New Orleans at Miami NY Giants at New England Washington at Tampa Bay Tennessee at Minnesota Cleveland at Chicago Houston at Dallas Green Bay at Kansas City Baltimore at St. Louis Arizona at Denver San Francisco at San Diego Oakland at Seattle

9 15 22 29

REGULAR SEASON Sunday Sept. 8 Sunday Sept. 15 Sunday Sept. 22 Sunday Sept. 29 Sunday Oct. 6 Sunday Oct. 13 Sunday Oct. 20 Sunday Oct. 27 Monday Nov. 4 Sunday Nov. 10 Sunday Nov. 17 Sunday Nov. 24 Thursday Nov. 28 Sunday Dec. 8 Monday Dec. 16 Sunday Dec. 22 Sunday Dec. 29

6:30pm 6:30pm 6:30pm 6:00pm

NY Jets @ Cleveland New England @ Buffalo

Noon 3:00pm Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon BYE WEEK Noon Noon Noon 12:30pm Noon 7:30pm 3:00pm Noon

Minnesota @ Arizona @ Washington Chicago @ Green Bay @ Cleveland Cincinnati Dallas @ Chicago @ Pittsburgh Tampa Bay Green Bay @ Philadelphia Baltimore NY Giants @ Minnesota

PRESEASON Friday Aug. Saturday Aug. Friday Aug. Thursday Aug.

9 17 23 29

REGULAR SEASON Sunday Sept. 8 Sunday Sept. 15 Sunday Sept. 22 Sunday Sept. 29 Sunday Oct. 6 Sunday Oct. 13 Sunday Oct. 20 Sunday Oct. 27 Monday Nov. 4 Sunday Nov. 10 Sunday Nov. 17 Sunday Nov. 24 Thursday Nov. 28 Sunday Dec. 8 Sunday Dec. 15 Sunday Dec. 22 Sunday Dec. 29

7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm

M INNES OTA V IKINGS

Arizona @ St. Louis Seattle @ Kansas City

3:30pm @ San Fransisco Noon Washington Noon @ Cincinnati BYE WEEK Noon Detroit Noon @ Baltimore 3:30pm Cleveland 7:30pm @ Minnesota 7:30pm Chicago Noon Philadelphia 7:30pm @ NY Giants Noon Minnesota 12:30pm @ Detroit 7:30pm Atlanta 3:30pm @ Dallas 3:30pm Pittsburgh Noon @ Chicago

PRESEASON Friday Aug. Friday Aug. Sunday Aug. Thursday Aug.

9 16 25 29

REGULAR SEASON Sunday Sept. 8 Sunday Sept. 15 Sunday Sept. 22 Sunday Sept. 29 Sunday Oct. 6 Sunday Oct. 13 Monday Oct. 21 Sunday Oct. 27 Sunday Nov. 3 Thursday Nov. 7 Sunday Nov. 17 Sunday Nov. 24 Sunday Dec. 1 Sunday Dec. 8 Sunday Dec. 15 Sunday Dec. 22 Sunday Dec. 29

7:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm

Houston @ Buffalo @ San Francisco Tennessee

Noon @ Detroit Noon @ Chicago Noon Cleveland Noon Pittsburgh (London) BYE WEEK Noon Carolina 7:30pm @ NY Giants 7:30pm Green Bay Noon @ Dallas 7:30pm Washington 3:30pm @ Seattle Noon @ Green Bay Noon Chicago Noon @ Baltimore Noon Philadelphia Noon @ Cincinnati Noon Detroit

2013 NFL SEASON SCHEDULE PRESEASON SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 HALL OF FAME GAME (Canton, OH) Miami vs. Dallas 7:00p PRESEASON WEEK 1 THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 Baltimore at Tampa Bay Cincinnati at Atlanta St. Louis at Cleveland Washington at Tennessee Denver at San Francisco Seattle at San Diego FRIDAY, AUGUST 9 NY Jets at Detroit Miami at Jacksonville New England at Philadelphia Houston at Minnesota Chicago at Carolina Arizona at Green Bay Kansas City at New Orleans Dallas at Oakland SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 NY Giants at Pittsburgh SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 Buffalo at Indianapolis

PRESEASON Friday Aug. Thursday Aug. Thursday Aug. Thursday Aug.

G R EEN BAY PAC KE R S

6:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 9:00 6:30 12:30

6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 6:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 3:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:00 9:00 6:00 7:00

6:30 7:00 7:00 9:00 3:30 6:00 6:00 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 9:00 3:00 7:00

6:00 6:00 6:00 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 9:00

REGULAR SEASON WEEK #1 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Baltimore at Denver SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Minnesota at Detroit New England at Buffalo Seattle at Carolina Cincinnati at Chicago Miami at Cleveland Oakland at Indianapolis Kansas City at Jacksonville Atlanta at New Orleans Tampa Bay at NY Jets Tennessee at Pittsburgh Arizona at St. Louis Green Bay at San Francisco NY Giants at Dallas MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Philadelphia at Washington Houston at San Diego WEEK #2 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 NY Jets at New England SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Minnesota at Chicago St. Louis at Atlanta Cleveland at Baltimore Carolina at Buffalo Washington at Green Bay Tennessee at Houston Miami at Indianapolis Dallas at Kansas City San Diego at Philadelphia Detroit at Arizona New Orleans at Tampa Bay Denver at NY Giants Jacksonville at Oakland San Francisco at Seattle MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Pittsburgh at Cincinnati WEEK #3 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Kansas City at Philadelphia SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 Cleveland at Minnesota Houston at Baltimore Green Bay at Cincinnati NY Giants at Carolina St. Louis at Dallas Tampa Bay at New England Arizona at New Orleans San Diego at Tennessee Detroit at Washington Atlanta at Miami Buffalo at NY Jets Indianapolis at San Francisco Jacksonville at Seattle Chicago at Pittsburgh MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Oakland at Denver

7:30 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:25 3:25 7:30 6:10 9:20

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:25 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #4

(BYE: Carolina, Green Bay)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 San Francisco at St. Louis 7:25 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Pittsburgh at Minnesota (LONDON) Noon Baltimore at Buffalo Noon Cincinnati at Cleveland Noon Chicago at Detroit Noon Seattle at Houston Noon Indianapolis at Jacksonville Noon NY Giants at Kansas City Noon Arizona at Tampa Bay Noon NY Jets at Tennessee 3:05 Philadelphia at Denver 3:25 Washington at Oakland 3:25 Dallas at San Diego 3:25 New England at Atlanta 7:30 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Miami at New Orleans 7:40 WEEK #5

(BYE: Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 Buffalo at Cleveland SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6

7:25

New Orleans at Chicago New England at Cincinnati Detroit at Green Bay Seattle at Indianapolis Baltimore at Miami Philadelphia at NY Giants Jacksonville at St. Louis Kansas City at Tennessee Carolina at Arizona Denver at Dallas San Diego at Oakland Houston at San Francisco MONDAY, OCTOBER 7 NY Jets at Atlanta

Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #6

(BYE: Atlanta, Miami)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 NY Giants at Chicago SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 Carolina at Minnesota Green Bay at Baltimore Cincinnati at Buffalo Detroit at Cleveland St. Louis at Houston Oakland at Kansas City Pittsburgh at NY Jets Philadelphia at Tampa Bay Jacksonville at Denver Tennessee at Seattle New Orleans at New England Arizona at San Francisco Washington at Dallas MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 Indianapolis at San Diego

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #7

(BYE: New Orleans, Oakland)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 Seattle at Arizona SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 Tampa Bay at Atlanta St. Louis at Carolina Cincinnati at Detroit San Diego at Jacksonville Houston at Kansas City Buffalo at Miami New England at NY Jets Dallas at Philadelphia Chicago at Washington San Francisco at Tennessee Cleveland at Green Bay Baltimore at Pittsburgh Denver at Indianapolis MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 Minnesota at NY Giants

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #8

(BYE: Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, San Diego, Tennessee)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 Carolina at Tampa Bay SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 Dallas at Detroit San Fran. at Jacksonville (London) Cleveland at Kansas City Miami at New England Buffalo at New Orleans NY Giants at Philadelphia Pittsburgh at Oakland NY Jets at Cincinnati Atlanta at Arizona Washington at Denver Green Bay at Minnesota MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 Seattle at St. Louis

7:20 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #9

(BYE: Arizona, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, NY Giants, San Francisco)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31 Cincinnati at Miami SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Minnesota at Dallas Kansas City at Buffalo Atlanta at Carolina New Orleans at NY Jets Tennessee at St. Louis San Diego at Washington Philadelphia at Oakland Tampa Bay at Seattle

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05

Baltimore at Cleveland Pittsburgh at New England Indianapolis at Houston MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4 Chicago at Green Bay

3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #10 (BYE: Cleveland, Kansas City, New England, NY Jets) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Washington at Minnesota 7:25 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Seattle at Atlanta Noon Cincinnati at Baltimore Noon Detroit at Chicago Noon Philadelphia at Green Bay Noon St. Louis at Indianapolis Noon Oakland at NY Giants Noon Buffalo at Pittsburgh Noon Jacksonville at Tennessee Noon Carolina at San Francisco 3:05 Houston at Arizona 3:25 Denver at San Diego 3:25 Dallas at New Orleans 7:30 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Miami at Tampa Bay 7:40 WEEK #11 (BYE: Dallas, St. Louis) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Indianapolis at Tennessee SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 NY Jets at Buffalo Baltimore at Chicago Cleveland at Cincinnati Oakland at Houston Arizona at Jacksonville San Diego at Miami Washington at Philadelphia Detroit at Pittsburgh Atlanta at Tampa Bay Kansas City at Denver San Francisco at New Orleans Minnesota at Seattle Green Bay at NY Giants * MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18 New England at Carolina

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #12

(BYE: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Seattle)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 New Orleans at Atlanta SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Minnesota at Green Bay NY Jets at Baltimore Pittsburgh at Cleveland Tampa Bay at Detroit Jacksonville at Houston San Diego at Kansas City Carolina at Miami Chicago at St. Louis Indianapolis at Arizona Tennessee at Oakland Dallas at NY Giants Denver at New England * MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25 San Francisco at Washington WEEK #13 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28 Green Bay at Detroit Oakland at Dallas Pittsburgh at Baltimore SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 Chicago at Minnesota Tampa Bay at Carolina Jacksonville at Cleveland Tennessee at Indianapolis Denver at Kansas City Miami at NY Jets Arizona at Philadelphia Atlanta at Buffalo (Toronto) St. Louis at San Francisco New England at Houston Cincinnati at San Diego NY Giants at Washington * MONDAY, DECEMBER 2 New Orleans at Seattle

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05 3:25 7:30 7:40

12:30p 4:30p 7:30 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

WEEK #14 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5 Houston at Jacksonville SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8 Minnesota at Baltimore Indianapolis at Cincinnati Cleveland at New England Oakland at NY Jets Carolina at New Orleans Detroit at Philadelphia Miami at Pittsburgh Buffalo at Tampa Bay Kansas City at Washington Tennessee at Denver St. Louis at Arizona NY Giants at San Diego Seattle at San Francisco Atlanta at Green Bay * MONDAY, DECEMBER 9 Dallas at Chicago WEEK #15 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 San Diego at Denver SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 Philadelphia at Minnesota Washington at Atlanta Chicago at Cleveland Houston at Indianapolis Buffalo at Jacksonville New England at Miami Seattle at NY Giants New Orleans at St. Louis San Francisco at Tampa Bay Arizona at Tennessee NY Jets at Carolina Kansas City at Oakland Green Bay at Dallas Cincinnati at Pittsburgh * MONDAY, DECEMBER 16 Baltimore at Detroit WEEK #16 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22 Minnesota at Cincinnati Miami at Buffalo New Orleans at Carolina Denver at Houston Tennessee at Jacksonville Indianapolis at Kansas City Cleveland at NY Jets Chicago at Philadelphia Tampa Bay at St. Louis Dallas at Washington NY Giants at Detroit Arizona at Seattle Pittsburgh at Green Bay Oakland at San Diego New England at Baltimore * MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 Atlanta at San Francisco WEEK #17 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 Detroit at Minnesota Carolina at Atlanta Green Bay at Chicago Baltimore at Cincinnati Philadelphia at Dallas Jacksonville at Indianapolis NY Jets at Miami Buffalo at New England Tampa Bay at New Orleans Washington at NY Giants Cleveland at Pittsburgh Houston at Tennessee San Francisco at Arizona Denver at Oakland Kansas City at San Diego St. Louis at Seattle ALL TIMES CENTRAL * Subject to flex scheduling

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:25 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:30

7:25 Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05 3:25 7:30 7:40

Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:05 3:05 3:25 3:25 7:30 7:40

Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:25 3:25 3:25 3:25

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

NFC North Preview

continued from page 22 tough to watch, but we’ll see if he can bounce back. Rookie Sam Martin will likely be the team’s punter after being drafted in the fifth round in this year’s draft. As far as the return game goes, we’ll probably see Micheal Spurlock return kicks and there’s an outside chance Bush could return punts. We might not see that often, though. The injuries that Best sustained might have the Lions pumping the brakes a bit with their utilization of Bush.

Web Photo Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers sits on top with Adrian Peterson as the most valuable players in the NFC North Division.

Green Bay Packers: Coaching Staff: Mike McCarthy (Head Coach), Tom Clements (Offensive Coordinator), Dom Capers (Defensive Coordinator), Shawn Slocum (Special Teams Coordinator) Key Additions: TE Matthew Mulligan (FA), DE Datone Jones (DP), RB Eddie Lacy (DP), OT David Bakhiarti (DP), RB Johnathan Franklin (DP) Key Departures: LB Desmond Bishop (MN), WR Greg Jennings (MN), TE Tom Crabtree (TB), S Charles Woodson (OAK), LB Erik Walden (IND)

Offense: The loss of Jennings won’t hurt them as much as the stats tell us.

Randall Cobb is ready to be a big-time, Percy Harvin-like weapon for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Cobb, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Jermichael Finley will give Rodgers more than enough options.

The one area that Green Bay struggled offensively was at the running back position. Drafting both Lacy and Franklin shows that Green Bay is serious about having at least a fraction of a running game. I expect Lacy to get most of the carries, but they drafted Franklin for a reason. There’s no reason why Rodgers shouldn’t be a front-runner to win the MVP. The offensive line is somewhat of a question mark. The center position will be fought over between Garth Gerhart, rookie Patrick Lewis and Evan DietrichSmith. The team hopes that Bryan Baluga continues to improve at the tackle position. The team also drafted Bakhtiari, a player the Packers expect to be a rotational guy at the very least.

Defense: The front seven for Green Bay isn’t bad. Defensive tackle B.J. Raji hasn’t reached his potential, but he’s still above average at his position. Defensive end Jerel Worthy wasn’t what the team thought he would be in year one, but he’ll get every opportunity to improve. The linebacking corps is impressive, which explains why the team was able to release Bishop. Clay Matthews remains one of the best blitzing backers in the league, while A.J. Hawk is still rock-solid.

The question mark comes down to the defensive backfield. Tramon Williams is one of the best corners in the division, but there’s more to be had from guys like Jarrett Bush, Casey Hayward and Sam Shields. The loss of Charles Woodson could hurt more than the Packers think.

While he’s not in his prime, he’s only three years out from being the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Special teams: Most Packer fans

MSU Reporter • 27

will tell you that watching kicker Mason Crosby last season was a painful, painful process. Crosby missed 12 kicks last season, but was 4-of-4 in his final two games. Green Bay brought in Giorgio Tavecchio to compete, but it’s unlikely that he’ll get the job. Tim Masthay will continue to punt for the team. Kickoff return and punt return duties could be tricky. Cobb is the natural choice, but the team might limit his reps depending on how much he’s utilized on offense.

Jeremy Ross is someone who could see some time returning punts and kicks as well.

Web Photo Chicago’s Brandon Marshall ended last season second in the NFC North in receiving yards with 1,508 yards.

Chicago Bears: Coaching Staff: Marc Trestman (Head Coach), Aaron Kromer (Offensive Coordinator), Mel Tucker (Defensive Coordinator), Joe DeCamillis (Special Teams Coordinator) Key Additions: TE Martellus Bennett (FA), LT Jermon Bushrod (FA), LB D.J. Williams (FA), G Kyle Long (DP), LB Jonathan Bostic (DP), LB Khaseem Greene (DP), LB Cornelius Washington (DP) Key Departures: LB Geno Hayes (JAX), LB Nick Roach (OAK), TE Matt

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Spaeth (PIT), LB Brian Urlacher (RET) Offense: This is a big year for quarterback Jay Cutler. It’s a contract year and it finally looks like this offense will let Cutler run the show as offensive-minded Trestman takes over. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Cutler didn’t miss a beat when the two reunited last season.

Bennett should give Cutler another target.

After him, though, Cutler doesn’t really have many options. Alshon Jeffery was injured much of his rookie season, but he appears to be the No. 2 receiver with Earl Bennett and Devin Hester suiting up after that. Running back Matt Forte is still a top-10 running back. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits in the new scheme.

He’ll likely be able to catch more passes out of the backfield. The team’s biggest weakness was the offensive line. Signing Bushrod and drafting Long certainly help and really, Chicago couldn’t have really gotten worse on the offensive line.

Defense: Chicago’s defense was Turnover Nation last season. They return Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings who are one of the best cornerback duos in the league. Major Wright and Tom Zbikowski lead the safety unit. Urlacher did retire, but he was on his last legs last season and was bad in coverage. Lance Briggs, Williams and one of the rookie linebackers should be able to upgrade that unit. As far as the defensive line goes, Julius Peppers still has gas left in the tank. Shea McClellin will get the opportunity to start opposite of him, but don’t be surprised if Corey Wootton steals some snaps. He is in a contract year as well.

Special Teams: Kicker Robbie Gould appears to be healthy after missing the end of last season with a leg injury. He’s also in a contract year. Adam Podlesh will be back as punter. Hester will be the primary return man and remains one of the most dangerous returners in the league.

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28 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

No towers in 2013

Training camp this season might be a little different due to the construction projects going on around campus, but as fans look west from the practice fields, the thing they don’t see is Gage Towers, inexistent for the first time in Mankato training camp history.

JOHN HECKT staff writer The Vikings Training Camp began this year with some great news. The University and the Vikings have agreed to a deal that will ensure MSU to be the host of Training Camp for the next three years. The Vikings are one of only 13 teams that hold their training camp away from their regular team facilities. By singing the contract, they Vikings have displayed an appreciation not only for tradition, but the city of Mankato.

This season marks the 48th year that the Minnesota Vikings have held their training camp at MSU. Not much has changed, the practice fields are still looking great and the city is filled with die-hard Vikings fans hoping to get autographs and a fresh new look at the team. But there is one thing about this year’s camp that is very different.

Besides a one-year hiatus, this year marks the first year that the players will not have stayed at Gage Hall. Due to the implosion of both of the 12 story towers taking place this past June, the Vikings have bunked up in Julia A. Sears.

When asked about his experiences at Gage Towers, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen didn’t have a whole lot of praise to offer.

“They should have been blown up it about six years ago.”

Considering the fact that Allen was signed about six years ago, it is probably safe to say he never enjoyed staying there.

Christian Ponder acknowledged the new living situation during his address to the media on the eve of the first day of camp.

“The new dorms look great, a little better than old Gage Hall. I think Gage looks better as rubble over there than it did standing up.”

After having his fair share of seasons at Gage Towers, linebacker Chad Greenway also seemed to be excited about the new dorms.

“Everything is more modern, more new. Having the small amenities [at Sears] is nice,” said Greenway, who didn’t entirely dismiss the memory of Gage Hall. In fact, he even had complimented it when he told reporters, “It was convenient.” That compliment alone was probably the nicest thing a Minnesota Viking has ever said about the towers.

If you have an interest in very nice cars, check out the parking lot directly in front of Julia Sears. It is full of Escalades, BMW’s, and Corvettes. Speculation around campus is that these cars probably belong to the players. At this point, it would appear that the award for “biggest

truck” would go to Jared Allen.

When they aren’t cruising around in their flashy cars, the players can be seen riding around campus on their own personal bicycles provided for them by the Vikings organization. Some players have suggested that next year, the team make the switch to long boards so that the players can blend in more with a college campus.

Newly acquired LB Des-

mond Bishop was seen shooting hoops at the Otto Rec Center on Wednesday. He was not challenged to a game of one-on-one by any MSU students, possibly due to the fact that his 6”2 and 242-pound frame might be difficult to defend in the low-post.

Adrian Peterson was spotted at the local movie theatre earlier this week purchasing tickets for Wolverine. Adrian himself may have inspired the movie, which

is about a vicious, beast-like superhero that has the ability to heal quickly.

The Vikings will continue to stay in Sears until camp ends on August 14th. Until then, the hardworking chefs at Carkoski Commons will continue to work overtime in order to make a sufficient amount of food for the Offensive Line.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

david Bassey • msu reporter Part of Adrian Peterson’s success last year came from his blocking, especially fullback Jerome Felton, whose ability to lead the way through a hole earned him a spot on the All-pro team.

MSU Reporter • 29

Leading the way for AP

One year ago, fullback Jerome Felton was making the league minimum and heading to yet another training camp in another city, but now Felton is a Pro Bowler and ready to lead.

JOEY DENTON sports editor Ever since the great Michael Alstott retired in 2008, the fullback position seems to have gone unnoticed from the fans point of view, but not to the Minnesota Vikings.

Jerome Felton made quite an impression this time last season when he was brought in to camp as an unrestricted free agent and that impression turned him into a starting pro-bowler after leading Adrian Peterson to 2,097 yards.

After spending his first five seasons with the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, the Furman graduate was looking for a chance to prove himself, and the Vikings gave him that chance.

“I finally got a good opportunity to show what I can do and they put me in a good position, blocking for a great

running back, and I was able to capitalize on that,” Felton said.

“Our line did a great job last year, which enabled us to run the football and I just tried to do my part.”

It’s hard to improve on 2,000 yards rushing, but being that close to the record and having the best running back in the NFL behind you, it can get your juices flowing.

“When you have somebody like that in the backfield that you know could take it house anytime, it makes you want to do your job each and every play.

It definitely motivates you,” Felton said.

Felton spent this offseason beefing up his wallet and keeping his body fit. After the pro bowl, he signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract, a big jump from his one-year, $700,000 league minimum.

Felton has used his pay raise as motivation to prove his worth to the team, and if he and Pe-

terson get remotely close to the regular season record, it’s safe to say he’s worth every penny.

“Me personally having that success, making the pro-bowl and getting rewarded with a contract, it motivates me to prove what I am worth that and I’ll be a perennial pro-bowler,” Felton said.

Even though it’s only been a week in camp, Felton has noticed a talented group behind the two big guns in Peterson and Gerhart.

“I think we have a solid group all the way around. The young guys they brought in here are competing, they’re taking some good reps and showing what they got, so I think a solid group in the running back room, some good people, some good football players and I am excited to see in preseason how everyone develops,” Felton said.

During the regular season Peterson and Felton just couldn’t

Felton / page 33

30 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Life on the opposite side of the field Greg Jennings cringed every time the horn blew at the Metrodome signaling a good play from the Vikings, now he is one, and trying to get on the same page with Ponder and provide a passing game to go with the run.

LUKE RYAN staff writer

The Vikings big offseason free agent acquisition for the 2013 season came March 15, when Minnesota signed Greg Jennings from the division rival Green Bay Packers. Jennings signed a five-year contract that has a maximum value of $47.5 mlllion, with $18 million guaranteed.

With Percy Harvin getting traded to the Seattle Seahawks, the Vikings needed to restock a receiving core that was one of the worst in the NFL last year.

The Vikings filled the glaring hole in their offense with Jennings and then continued to improve at that position when they traded into the first round to draft Cordarrelle Patterson.

With Jennings, the Vikings will get a veteran no. 1 receiver and Pro-Bowl player that has become well-respected on and off the field. The Vikings are bringing in a player that is known for his locker room presence which has been speculated to be one of the biggest reasons the Vikings traded Harvin.

Jennings is currently the

active leader in touchdowns of more than 80 yards and is tied with Calvin Johnson for the most touchdown receptions in the NFC. Jennings is in his eighth year in the NFL and has won a Super Bowl in which he scored twice. Jennings made two consecutive Pro-Bowls in 2010 and 2011.

Jennings, who spent his first seven seasons with the Packers will follow a trend set by several other Packers the last few years and will cross the border to Minnesota and get a fresh start.

The Vikings over the years have been successful at signing veteran Packers players that came in and helped the team. Darren Sharper, Ryan Longwell and Brett Farve are all ex-Packers that came to Minnesota were they continued to play at a high level against their old team.

“Like I said, it’s a new start and new look for myself as well as a new team, new environment and I’m excited about the fresh start,” Jennings said.

Injuries have been an issue the last couple years for Jennings who will be 30 years-old in September. He missed three games with a sprained left knee

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in 2011 and in 2012, he played eight games in the regular season due to a lower abdominal injury, but finished the year strong. In his last two regular season games he recorded 15 receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

Signing a receiver like Jennings, the Vikings are bringing in a true professional. He is a guy that is not ok with being an average wide receiver. Having a veteran like Jennings to help show the younger receivers what it takes to be successful for a long time in the NFL could help the receivers develop more quickly.

“I am not about mediocrity at all. that is just not in my MO. I am all about being great so our group is going to do great,” Jennings said.

Greg Jennings, who was catching passes from one of the most highly regarded quarterbacks in the NFL will now be getting thrown the ball from a quarterback who still has a lot to prove. There is a lot of potential in Christian Ponder, Jennings said, but the two still have to develop the chemistry

Jennings / page 33

david Bassey • msu reporter Jennings has 425 receptions, 6,537 receiving yards and 53 touchdowns in a Packer uniform. 2013 brings in a new team for Jennings, but hopefully, the same result.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 31

Local boys back home to roost Receivers Adam Thielen and LaMark Brown know the area of Mankato well, considering the two played their college ball for the MSU Mavericks. But now the two are back in town for another reason: a roster spot.

JOEY DENTON sports editor One of the great phrases thrown around Minnesota State University, Mankato is once you’re a Maverick, you will always be a Maverick and two Maverick receivers are living up to that motto as they pursue their dreams of playing for an NFL team.

Two years ago, both receivers Adam Thielen and LaMark Brown were both on the practice fields behind Blakeslee Stadium – as Mavericks. From going as teammates competing for a starting spot at a Division II college football team to now fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster for an NFL organization.

A lot has happened in the last two years for these guys, but they have never lost their Maverick bond.

These two got split up for one year, as Brown was a year older and started his journey to the NFL in 2011. After MSU, Brown made his first stop in Atlanta as the Falcons signed him to play on the practice

squad. Standing at nearly 6’ 4”, weighing 230 lbs., the Falcons moved him to tight end. He was released in late August, but then was signed to practice with the Buffalo Bills. He made it through the whole season but then was cut shortly after.

Once spring of 2013 came around the Vikings organization saw a big, very athletic receiver sitting in the free agent pool and signed Brown to come back to Mankato for camp.

“I am more than thrilled about being back in Mankato and I’m really looking forward to this camp and getting better,” Brown said after their first walk through on July 26.

Thielen’s trail to training camp was a little easier, considering it’s on the same practice fields he’s been on the last four years. After he and the Mavericks’ miraculous 13-1 season, Thielen started to attend combines for scouts to get a look at him. He first headed out to Chicago for a regional combine, where he excelled. He opened up

Kato duo / page 34

david Bassey • msu reporter Adam Thielen was a big factor in the Mavericks historic 13-1 season. He finished his four year career second in career receiving yards (2,674), second in receptions (192) and third in receiving touchdowns (19). In his one season a Maverick, LaMark Brown caught 31 passes for 405 receiving yards with five touchdowns. After graduating, he spent some time with the Falcons and Bills before coming back to Minnesota.

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32 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Judgement time for Frazier

Head coach Leslie Frazier had a miserable season in his first year at the helms in 2011. 2012 brought in a playoffberth for the first time, so the question arising in 2013, whats next for the Vikings head coach?

TIGE HUTCHESON staff writer After finishing fourth in “Coach of the Year” voting following the Minnesota Vikings surprising season in 2012, undoubtedly the best season of his career as a head coach, Leslie Frazier has a lot on his plate, but he seems to be much the same as he has been the rest of his career.

“He’s the same old guy. He’s a laid back guy and you know what you’re going to get from him,” said veteran defensive end Kevin Williams. “Coach is going to be an even keel guy, he’s seen it from both sides and he’s going to do what’s best for the team.”

Fans know Frazier as a guy that rarely shows his emotion.

He’s gained a reputation as a guy that doesn’t speak often, but that you don’t dare ignore when he does. His players respect him for many reasons, including his history in the league. But after coming off of a promising, yet also somehow disappointing season (10-6 yet ducking out of the playoffs in the first round), Frazier, at least to some of the new guys, may have come to camp with a little more of an edge.

“He really calls out people in a good way to build leadership and he’s not afraid to call about anybody, whether it’s a top guy to a guy [fighting for a spot],” said new Vikings’ middle linebacker Desmond Bishop. Bishop led the Green Bay Packers with

115 tackles in 2011 before a season-ending injury cost him his spot in Green Bay. “He makes it feel like a real team when he does that and that’s something I noticed right off the bat.”

Frazier, who has been head coach of the Vikings since Brad Childress’ exodus in the middle of the 2010 season, had his best season as a head coach in 2012 and was rewarded when the Vikings exercised his fourthyear option following the 2012 season. He is contracted to be with the Vikings through 2014, but faces the biggest season of his career in 2013.

One of the Frazier’s “hot phrases” throughout training camp has been the theme of great expectations. He has mentioned it in many interviews, including specifically mentioning it with all three rookie first-round picks (Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson), in addition to players facing more stress such as thirdyear quarterback Christian Ponder and often-injured cornerback Chris Cook.

With the Vikings facing more pressure than ever to perform, perhaps Frazier’s quiet confidence is more fitting than ever.

The Vikings finished 2012 10-6 despite entering the season with low expectations and a relatively unglamorous roster, likely due to players reaching the heights Frazier expected of them. The 2012 season saw a number of unexpected players

overstep their own expectations, from running back Adrian Peterson to rookie kicker Blair Walsh and for the first time in a long time, the Vikings seem to have enough young pieces in place to be a threat for a long time. That’s a lot to be confident about.

But Frazier’s coaching style and personality are special, mostly because of the quiet nature in which he operates.

Football is a game of emotion, and the fact that Frazier is so effective despite his unwillingness to give in to this trend is rare and very special. But after playing against him, and now for him, Bishop makes it seem as if Frazier is breaking new ground “He’s just real calm and seems like he never panics, which is good,” Bishop said. “A leader always needs to be under control and I’m looking forward to being here and playing under him ever more.”

As he stares down the barrel of so many question marks and likely one of the biggest seasons of his entire career, Frazier’s quiet dignity should give him a leg up on other coaches in the same position. He clearly knows what he’s doing and he has assembled a roster of players that know what they’re doing too. And the best part is that he doesn’t seem to care if you believe him. Frazier seems genuinely excited to prove it to you with his team’s play and without muttering a single useless word.

david Bassey • msu reporter Leslie Frazier is 16-22 in his tenure at the helms of the Vikings. With one bad season and one good through two, many are wondering where the next step lies for the third-year head coach.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 33

Jennings “Jennings is currently the actice Felton “Jerome Felton made leader in touchdowns of more than 80 yards quite an impression this and is tied with Calvin Johnson for the time last season when he most touchdown receptions in the NFC.” was brought in to camp as continued from 30 an unrestricted free agent and that impression turned and trimming that you need to have effective passing attack in him into a starting prothe NFL. “Trust, we have to trust one bowler after leading Adrian another.

That’s number one,” Jennings said. “This is a position Peterson to 2,097 yards.” where we don’t have the ball continued from 29

get away from each other, being in the same backfield for 17 games, but during the offseason they rarely saw each other in person. Between his offseason workouts and Peterson’s MVP offseason consisting of two ESPYs and talk shows, the two rarely crossed paths. But that’s okay, because these guys are arguably the hardest working backfield tandem in the NFL. “We never really got to link up, except for offseason workouts. I know he was training hard and I was, and we are both ready to roll,” Felton said.

Before turning in to a fullback in to the NFL, Felton got a lot of carries as a running back at Furman. In 2005, He rushed for a career high 940 yards on 182 carries with 18 rushing touchdowns as a sophomore. His next season in 2006, the Duren, Tenn. native raised his career touchdown high to 23 touchdowns with 707 rushing yards on 162 carries. As a senior, he went on rushing for 705 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

in our hands. We don’t dictate anything.”

“We have to learn how to operate within that chemistry, within that timing no matter what they (the defense) throw at us,” Jennings said.

If Jennings professionalism and experience can rub off on the rest of the Vikings receivers, the group could take the next step to becoming elite in the NFL. Jennings is coming to a team with a young receiver core that has a lot to learn, but has no problem being a leader and sees a lot of potential in the receivers, especially in Patterson.

“I am impressed. He (Patterson) still has some work to do, but so do I. So I can’t talk about him. We are all here to help each other out.”

david Bassey • msu reporter

34 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Kato duo “From going as teammates competing for a starting spot at a Division II college football team to now fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster for an NFL organization. A lot has happened in the last two years for these guys, but they have never lost their Maverick bond.” continued from 31 so many eyes that he was invited to the Super Regional Combine down in Dallas.

And his trail to camp still isn’t over. His performance at the combine sent waves back to Minneapolis and the Vikings wanted to bring him in for their mini-camp, where once again, Thielen excelled.

“It was one of those things where I just had to go out there and prove that I was good enough to play in the NFL and I thought I did some good things, and I obviously have a lot to work on from there and I’m trying to improve on those things,” Thielen said.

After the three days of minicamp, the Vikings knew they had to sign him and bring him to camp. Once Thielen signed, guess who was the first to congratulate him? Brown.

“He’s been awesome. From the first day I signed, he was the first one to congratulate me,” Thielen said. “He’s been a great help to me through that whole process to get in to the NFL and stuff like that. He’s a great friend and great leader.”

Now they are here, back in purple and gold. They know this is a business and they are fighting for a job, but they aren’t going to lose their Maverick bond over it.

“We are pulling for each other to do the best we possibly can at all times. There’s no hard feelings if one of us stays and the other is released,” Brown said.

From years of watching these two jump above defenders and scoring touchdowns, all of Maverick nation believes these guys possess the talent to be in the NFL, and they know each other can make it as well.

“Adam is like a little brother to me. When I came here, he would ask me, with me coming from a bigger school, what I thought about his skill set and what he brought and I told him ‘you have a lot of tools that a lot of guys don’t have and you’re going to get a shot,’” Brown said.

After only seeing him in mini-camp and the first few days of practice, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave knows the guy from Detroit Lakes, Minn. can catch the football.

“We have seen some flashes from Adam. He makes some spectacular catches, he made one yesterday where he took it off of the top shelf, really elevated and made a great catch and he has done that consistently,” Musgrave said. “We have seen

good things.”

As mentioned before, these guys are back on their “home turf” and that may give them an advantage over guys who haven’t played in Mankato.

Since the first day of training camp, Thielen has come with a “It’s just another football training camp” mentality, and anybody

can tell you that’s the kind of football player he is. As well as mixing in with some sets on offense during scrimmage, he has been getting a lot of time on the field in special teams. On his first day he was the safety in punt return, punt gunner, on kickoff and the front line on kickoff return.

david Bassey • msu reporter

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

david Bassey • msu reporter Webb may have only achieved marginal success during his tenure under center, but the freak-athlete is back in at the receiver spot and ready to make an impact down the field.

MSU Reporter • 35

Back in the slot

After a brief tenure at the quarterback position, Joe Webb will do whatever it takes to help the squad at wide out.

SAM WILMES news editor After a 2012 season that saw Joe Webb start the seasonending loss at Green Bay at Quarterback, 2013 offers Webb a new beginning to showcase himself at a position that may be more tailored to his talents: Wide Receiver.

Webb, a 6-4, 220-lb freak of an athlete, now has the chance to show his 42.5 inch vertical leap.

Webb also has run a 4.43 40, a combination of skills not many NFL wide receivers have.

Although this is a new opportunity for Webb, it may not be a better one. There is no guarantee Webb will see extensive playing time and he had a chance to really make a name out of himself in last year’s playoffs, but faltered.

In a 24-10 divisional round loss that really didn’t seem to be that close, Webb really struggled, the University of Alabama-Birmingham product completed only 11 of 30 passes for 180 yards with a Touchdown and an Interception. While the stats may be ordinary, the play was far worse. Webb was under pressure from the get go, and

showed the nervousness and inexperience expected for someone who hadn’t started a game in a couple of years.

The first day of practice saw Webb show off his raw talent at Wide Receiver. Webb made a spectacular catch down the sideline- if he can translate that and his 4.43 speed during the season, the Vikings may have the downfield threat they lacked last year.

According to Webb, the transition to wide out has been tough, but his past experience has helped. Webb was a wideout at UAB, where he caught 30 passes for 459 yards and three TD’s. Despite the experience, Webb knows what the key to his future success will be.

“You put the work in, good things will come,” Webb said.

“I’ve been working on my craft.

In the end it’s all about making plays.” Webb contends that playing QB has helped, but that there are still adjustments to be made.

“The hardest part of the switch is not indicating the routes I am running,” Webb said.

Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave still sees some room for improvement with Webb’s acclimation to a new position.

“He has got some details to iron out. I smile when you ask about Joe because there is another team player. We just talked about John Carlson and we are chock full with those types of guys and it’s great,” Musgrave said.

Musgrave, who drew some interest from teams in need of a head coach in the offseason, is being patient with the fourthyear player.

“Joe is working on his trade, which is now as a wide receiver and getting him in and out of breaks, the depth of routes, being dynamic, being explosive, getting off the line of scrimmage when the corners are up there in his kitchen. He’s working at it,” Musgrave said.

Musgrave is impressed with the selflessness Webb has shown in his transition. “Not one time did I ever get the indication that Joe was thinking about himself before the team, not one time.”

Musgrave is also impressed with the dynamic Webb brings to the locker room. “He is the same guy everyday, a little bit like Phil Loadholt,” Musgrave said. “Joe has an aura about him, he is very positive, he is willing to work and he is willing to study.”

36 • MSU Reporter

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

2013 Vikings fantasy preview

It’s quite obvious after last season that even if A.P. gets hit by a truck, you should still take him with the no. 1 overall pick, but where do the rest of the Vikings line up heading into the 2013 fantasy season?

LEE HANDEL

special to the Reporter

David Bassey • msu reporter Many were projecting Adrian Peterson in the second to third rounds last year on the fantasy big boards, but Adrian proved once again that you never count him out, even for fantasy football.

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For all of you Minnesota Vikings fans hoping to have Adrian Peterson lead you to a fantasy championship this season, you better be crossing your fingers for the first overall pick in your fantasy draft. This is because that’s where “All Day” will be taken in nearly all formats.

It’s hard to believe that last year at this time there were question marks aplenty about Peterson’s health and he was going in the second and third rounds of drafts. Even the owners who selected Peterson were handcuffing him with Toby Gerhart because of his uncertain status for week one and beyond.

Boy, was that Gerhart pick a waste.

Not only did Peterson start week one and rush for two touchdowns against Jacksonville, but he went on to produce one of the most historic fantasy campaigns of all-time en route to being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.

All Day rushed for an unfathomable 2,097 yards in 2012, coming just nine yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season rushing record. Peterson added 12 touchdowns on the ground and one through the air to easily make him the top-ranked running

back in all fantasy formats.

The big question heading into 2013: Can A.P. duplicate or exceed last season’s fantasy success?

Vikings fans especially know that with Adrian all things are possible, but in order for a replica of 2012 to take place, it would mean starting quarterback Christian Ponder would have to show almost no improvement and possibly even lose his starting gig to Matt Cassel.

The signing of former Green Bay All-Pro Greg Jennings and the drafting of explosive wide out Cordarrelle Patterson gives Ponder two more weapons in the passing game and may lead to more of a vertical passing attack for the Vikings, which will in turn hurt Peterson’s yardage totals.

That being said, an improved passing game likely wouldn’t hurt A.P.’s touchdown totals, as 12 scores or more for Peterson on the ground should be a lock if he plays all 16 games.

Bottom line, if you get the top pick in your draft, you can select Peterson with confidence and rest assured he will wind up being one of the top three running backs in fantasy, worst case scenario.

Peterson Prediction: 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns After “Purple Jesus” goes number one, Purple fans will have to wait awhile before the

next Viking appears on the fantasy draft board, as the aforementioned Jennings is ranked about 8oth overall on draft boards.

Although the Jennings signing was great for the Purple in reality, do not reach for him at 80 in fantasy.

Even though the former Packers star is the clear-cut top option at receiver for the Vikings, there are numerous red flags for the wide out in terms of fantasy.

The biggest key to a productive receiver in fantasy is an elite quarterback throwing him the ball. Even if he improves immensely, Ponder isn’t even a top-15 fantasy quarterback, and the Vikings are one of the few teams left in the NFL that feature a balanced running and passing attack.

While many NFL teams put up “video game numbers” in the passing game nowadays, the Vikings are not one of those teams and Jennings’ numbers will be harmed by it. After catching passes from future Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Jennings might be in for a rude awakening in purple.

His 366 yards receiving from last season will likely double if he stays healthy in 2013, but there is no guarantee his four touchdowns will increase at all with Peterson and red-zone

Fantasy / page 46

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 39

Linemen providing consistency heading into season

Though the Minnesota Vikings defense has been rock-solid for a long time, the names and faces have changed over the past few years. The two constants: Jared Allen and Kevin Williams, still remain on the line.

JOEY DENTON

sports editor

Since 2008, the Minnesota Vikings defensive line has had two constants, Jared Allen and Kevin Williams. The two have brought back some glimpses of the “purple people eaters” and have become fan favorites here in Mankato.

Overall this is a young squad, but these two pro-bowlers sit at the top of the roster when it comes to age. It’s not fair to say these guys are declining in productivity, but this is a business, and it could be time for the Vikings to prepare for the day that 69 and 93 won’t be in their three-point stance.

With both of the guys on their last year on their contracts, the Vikings went out and drafted defensive tackle Shariff Floyd with their first of three firstround picks. To the coaches, they’re looking for some depth at the defensive tackle spot so Williams doesn’t have to take every defensive snap.

“I’m sure he is more than capable of playing 50-60 snaps, but I think it will be better for our football team if we can get those snaps between 30-40 for our team and better for us overall,”

Head Coach Leslie Frazier said.

Kevin Williams has taken in the challenge of a young gun joining the roster, and being the professional he is, has also been a good mentor for Floyd.

“He understands the business of professional football. He has been great, great for the young guys throughout the OTA’s, and as we started training his leadership has been terrific,” Frazier said.

With the 2013 season being his 11th season in purple and gold, Williams has taken it upon himself to teach these young guys how to play Vikings football.

“Just trying to get the young guys going, teaching them how we play ball,” Williams said.

“Just trying to get them to move and understand how we do things.”

According to Floyd, Williams has been helping him out with a lot of the aspects of being an NFL defensive tackle from which step should he take to when he should start running towards the ball.

With Williams hitting 32 years of age and the end of the 2013 season ends his one-year deal he signed in April, there has been speculation that Floyd

was brought in to replace Williams when it’s his turn. Floyd stated this is a team game and he knows he doesn’t have the right to replace a long time fan favorite.

“He’s been there. He’s done it himself,” Floyd said. “They know what they are getting from Kevin Williams and I’m not here to take that from him.”

Before arriving in Mankato,

Williams has taken Floyd under his wing with the rest of the defensive lineman.

“I didn’t talk to the guy till mini camp and OTAs, but we

Allen and Williams / page 41

David Bassey • msu reporter The life blood of the defense has been Williams and Allen for the longest time. Whethey they are on their way out or sticking around for a few more years, these two will always be remembered as the heart and soul of the squad.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Competition under center

Christian Ponder had big success at the quarterback position last year, solidifying his place as the QB of the team, but with the offseason acquisition of Matt Cassel, many are wondering, is there a quarterback competition in the making?

REECE HEMMESCH

editor in chief

The seasons of 2009 and 2010 had Brett Favre under center for the Vikings. Since then, besides Donovan McNabb making a visit to the starting role, the Vikings have relied on Christian Ponder the last two seasons to carry the offense and

be the field general when the team has the ball.

The only time in recent memory their has been any recollection of a quarterback battle in training camp came in 2008 when Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson each waged their own to become the starting quarterback. Frerotte started 11 games that season while Jackson started five.

Though young, Ponder has shown improvements the last couple seasons from the kid we took from Florida State. Those two years under center have matured Ponder and help him feel “more established.”

“Playing in the NFL is a tough gig,” Ponder said. “But I think just having an awareness of everything that’s going on and knowing my teammates and

David Bassey • msu reporter Newcomer Matt Cassel will have to play the waiting game until his time is called for the Vikings, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help develop Ponder as he heads into his third season.

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everything. Knowing the ropes makes it a little easier but again, I don’t think anything is easy about it.”

Though Ponder struggled at times last season, head coach Leslie Frazier believes he learned a lot about Ponder towards the end of the year and move into a leadership position.

“It was encouraging, just to see the moment where our team could have gone either way at that 6-6 juncture,” Frazier said.

“For him to step up and really begin to make some crucial plays for us and take more of the reins from a leadership position for us.”

The fact of the matter is that even though Ponder brought this team to the playoffs last season, one cannot help but think there is a possibility of another quarterback battle brewing this training camp. Enter Matt Cassel, who signed with the Minnesota after four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He brings some experience,” offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said. “He is a proven guy and helps the quarterbacks throughout. He will help the entire offense really with his experience and skills.”

Don’t get me wrong, Ponder is the starting quarterback of this team until an injury prevents him from doing his job or his game goes to hell, but the addition of Cassel provides a

strong backup candidate that just may be able to crack a lineup for a lot of teams in the NFL. Before joining the Chiefs, Cassel enjoyed a standout season in 2008 with the New England Patriots. It was in week one of 2008 when Patriot quarterback Tom Brady went down with two torn ligaments in his knee. From there it was Cassel’s team, as he had one of his best seasons statistically filling the big shoes of Tom Brady.

Cassel went 10-5 in the starting role in 2008, throwing for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing the season with a passer rating of 89.4 while proving to the world he was not just a backup.

Despite a very successful season in 2010 where Cassel led the Chiefs back to the playoffs, winning 10 games, throwing for 3,116 yards, 27 touchdowns and earning his first career Pro Bowl appearance, the last two seasons were not his best, starting in just nine games apiece and winning a total of four. His final two years in Kansas City were similar to that of 80’s quarterback Todd Blackledge, who like Cassel, was hyped up as a good fit under center in K.C. before being benched and never really getting the rhythm down.

All things aside, the Chiefs did not give Cassel too many

QB’s / page 43

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 41

Allen and Williams “Overall this is a young squad, but these two probowlers sit at the top of the roster when it comes to age. It’s not fair to say these guys are declining productivity, but this is a business, and it could be time for the Vikings to prepare for the day that 69 and 93 won’t be in their three-point stance.” continued from 39 have been rollin’ ever since. Just trying to get him in and get him used to what we are doing and how we are playing,” Williams said. “If people are going to have to count on him, he needs to know what’s going on.”

During the offseason, Allen did some tweaking to get him close to 100 percent for his last season on his six-year, $73.2 million deal. The past season he was laboring some knee and shoulder problems. During the spring,

Kevin Williams

Allen had multiple surgeries on his knee and torn labrum in his shoulder and Frazier thinks he ready to go full boar.

“He feels as healthy as he’s felt in a long time, so there’s no question in my mind that he should be a better player based on the fact that he’s playing without that shoulder nagging him throughout the year like it did a season ago and the work we did on his knee as well,” Frazier said.

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QB’s “Don’t get me wrong, Ponder is the starting quarterback on this team until an injury prevents him from doing his job or his game goes to hell, but the addition of Cassel provides a strong backup candidate that just may be able to crack a lineup for a lot of teams in the NFL” continued from 40 weapons on offense and watched him perish. As K.C. traded with the 49ers and brought in Alex Smith, it seemed quite evident that there would be no place for Cassel in Kansas City as he was dealt to another Midwest team out of Minnesota.

When Cassel reached success in New England, the talk around pro football was that it was “inherited success,” that without a strong receiving core, a good offensive line and a solid defense, Cassel would crumble. After his last two marginal seasons in Kansas City, again the talks were that without even a bit of a

supporting role, Matt Cassel was not an NFL quarterback.

Minnesota has used their offseason to not just sign Cassel, but get two big receivers in the mix with Greg Jennings and Cordarelle Patterson. Top that off with the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson, a concrete offensive line and that same-old bear down Viking defense. So why couldn’t Matt Cassel become the quarterback of this squad if something were to happen to Ponder?

He has shown in the past that if you give him a little bit, he can take you a mile. Many in

New England doubted whether the ’08 squad would even get out of the AFC east cellar. They did, and Cassel almost took them to a playoff appearance, falling just short of making it to the wild card round.

Cassel has backed up the likes of Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart in his days at USC and more recently behind one of the better quarterbacks of a generation in Brady, but until his name is called in Minnesota, he will need to play backup to a younger Christian Ponder and help teach the third-year QB a thing or two.

By the Numbers

Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder’s statistics in the last two seasons

Matt Cassel

GS

Christian Ponder

Att. Comp. TDs Ints

GS

Att. Comp. TDs Ints

9

10

291

158

13

13

12

16

483

300

18

12

2010

9

269

160

10

2011

8

277

161

6

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Grading the Rookies

With three players taken in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Vikings continue to attempt to build the franchise through the draft, but how will these rookies stack up in their first year?

REECE HEMMESCH

editor in chief

The 2012 draft of the Minnesota Vikings brought in two first-round picks that started the majority of games at their respective positions. In 2013, the Vikings attempted to top that by taking three players in the final 10 picks to finish day one of the draft.

After that, Minnesota used six more late-round picks to round out their 2013 campaign in hopes that they can continue to build strong talent coming off the draft. After one week of training camp, it is safe to say the Vikings did well. This year’s rookie class shows a lot of intelligence on the field and a few should be sinking into starting roles by the time the season rolls around.

Xavier Rhodes – Cornerback Rd. 1 – Pick 25

Shariff Floyd – Defensive Tackle Rd. 1 – Pick 23

David Bassey • msu reporter Rookie Sharrif Floyd was the first person to be chosen in the Vikings’ 2013 NFL Draft. Floyd, like others, hopes to make an immediate impact on this year’s squad.

be a legitimate threat to block a kick or a punt for the purple and gold this season.

Though he is not a Williams, it is safe to say Floyd’s name will be uttered numerous times in the near future of his career and no. 95 will be seen ball-hawking on a regular basis.

Role: backup, with prominent playing time Coach’s quote –defensive coordinator Alan Williams “He’s a big-bodied guy, he is an explosive guy.

The thing that we do like about Sharrif is he picks up things quickly and when the coaches have to correct him he takes that correction, he does the right thing the next time and whatever it was that was wrong is out the window, he is doing that correction correctly from then on.”

Floyd joins the Vikings defensive line with the hopes of cracking a starting role somewhere in the near future. The Vikings locked up their first overall pick in the draft by signing him to a fouryear, $8 million deal at the start of training camp, making Floyd a Viking for good.

“I’m officially a part of the team now. There is no, ‘hey you might be a Viking’ or anything,” Floyd said. “Hurry up and sign and all of that. I’m a Viking now, officially.”

Let’s not understate the obvious: Floyd is a big boy. At 6’3’’, 297-pounds, the Florida alum looks perfectly capable of being an every day guy at the tackle position. Unfortunately for Floyd, he will have to spend a year or so under the tutelage of starting D-tackle Kevin Williams. That’s not to say he will not get his fair share of reps this season, as Viking coaches predict the two might be splitting time somewhere during the season.

It has also been laid out as a possibility of Floyd getting some special teams looks as well, with his quick feet and mobile ability, Floyd could

With Floyd seeing a lot of ink as a big-time player on defense and Cordarelle Patterson getting the same treatment on offense, little is being said about the pick between the two in cornerback Xavier Rhodes out of Florida State.

Out of college, scouts were impressed with Rhodes’ 4.39 40-yard dash time, helping him to become the first Florida State defensive back selected in the first round since Patrick Robinson in 2010 and the highest selected defensive back from FSU since Antonio Cromartie in 2006. Though he was the fourth cornerback taken in the draft, experts project Rhodes to be in a starting role in no time.

With the Vikings looking to use second-year corner Josh Robinson in a mainly-nickel approach on defense, the door is wide open for Rhodes to come in and grab the starter spot, lining up opposite of Chris Cook and in front of fourth-year d-back A.J. Jefferson, something Rhodes describes as “being ready for.”

“I mean if it happens, it happens and I

Rookies / page 45

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 45

Rookies “In 2013, the Vikings attempted to top 2012 by taking three players in the final 10 picks to finish day one of the draft. After that, Minnesota used six more late-round picks to round out their 2013 campaign.” continued from 44 have to be ready for it no matter what. If they put me in the position to start I have to man up and just play my role and do my job.”

Role: starter Coach’s quote – defensive coordinator Alan Williams “He’s big, he’s long, and he has a great attitude. We talk about here about being a smart football player. We always talk about being physical, and we put the pads on yesterday (Monday), and every indicator showed that he is going to be physical. We talked about hustle, all those things that we’ve talked about with team characteristics he’s displayed.”

Cordarelle Patterson – Wide Receiver Rd. 1 – Pick 27 Tennessee-alum Cordarelle Patterson has been turning heads ever since his arrival on campus last week, first with his new four-year $7.2 million contract, and then with his performance. Patterson was the talk of day one of training camp when he pulled in a one-handed grab from quarterback Christian Ponder over the opposing defensive back that got purple pride going in the stands more than Red McCombs could have ever imagined.

After spending two years at Hutchinson Community College, Patterson shook up the Tennessee offense in his first year in Knoxville, Tenn., hauling in 46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns. Patterson, like Rhodes, will be thrown into a starting role immediately, lining up opposite of Greg Jennings at the receiver spot.

Patterson is fast, that could be attributed already in the combine with a 4.33 40yard dash, but Patterson is not some Troy Williamson-like speedster with no build to him and brick hands. He is 6’2’’, 216-pounds and shows tremendous skill at hauling passes in early in training camp. If Patterson can become another downfield threat alongside Jennings, only time will tell how much him and Ponder will be hooking up come September.

Patterson is also slated to become a possible kick and punt returner for the Vikings, as he brought back one apiece for touchdowns as a Volunteer and is a permanent hazard for kickoff teams everywhere with his blazing speed.

Role: starter Coach’s quote – offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave on the thought of Patterson coming in “raw” “Well, when we say raw we talk about not entirely detailed. He’s got great athletic ability and he has been able to dominate at every level in which he has played so we are looking for more attention to detail, being more specific with the jobs we ask him to do.”

Gerald Hodges – Linebacker Rd. 4 – Pick 120 Gerald Hodges is one of two Nittany Lion linebackers to be drafted in the later rounds of the 2013 NFL draft by the Vikings. The second-team All-Big Ten selection had a big year for Penn State, even after most of his teammates decided to take their talents elsewhere in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky case. In his senior season, Hodges made the most ground with 10-plus tackle performances against Northwestern and Indiana to solidify his prowess at the linebacker position.

At 243-pounds, Hodges is a well-sized linebacker with tremendous speed for his position. With the addition of Desmond Bishop to the linebacker core, Hodges will most likely serve as his backup at weak side linebacker for the time being. Though his status will be a backup, this is another clutch performer who could definitely see a lot of reps, especially if he puts in a good training camp and preseason, where his stock could move up even further.

Role: backup Jeff Locke – Punter Rd. 5 – Pick 155 Locke becomes the second consecutive Viking punter out of the sunshine state as his predecessor; Chris Kluwe was also a UCLA Bruin. Locke held the punting duties in Los Angeles for all four years in college, being named a semifinalist in his senior season for the Ray Guy Award, given to the top punter in college football.

Locke’s 44-yard average throughout his career at UCLA ranks him second among Bruin punters and he also led Pac-12 punters last season with 34 punts inside the 20yard line.

Kluwe did well as a punter for this squad, but the one thing he could not do well was punting outdoors. With the Vikings moving to TCF Bank Stadium for the next two years and newly-planned Vikings Stadium afterwards, Locke will need to be able to drive the ball at home as well as on the road. It will be tough when the Vikings head for frigid, Green Bay, Baltimore and Cincinnati towards the end of the season, but if Locke’s collegiate career has offered any indication, he will rise to the challenge.

Role: starter Coach’s quote: special teams coordinator Mike Priefer “He has a strong leg, he has the ability to directional punt, he has great focus and mental toughness. I know I said it before the draft and in some of our meetings about how to mature he is. He is a very mature young man.”

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David or Brian • msu reporter Cordarelle Patterson amazed all the first day of camp with a one-hand grab from Christian Ponder. Though the Vikes’ were impressed with the catch, week in and week out performances at a high level will be the key for Patterson to present himself as a starter come week one.

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Fantasy “It’s hard to believe that last year at this time there were question marks aplenty about Peterson’s health and he was going in the second and third rounds of drafts.” continued from 38

magnet Kyle Rudolph around.

With proven wideouts in better situations like Stevie Johnson, Miles Austin, Mike Williams, Lance Moore and Anquan Boldin all ranked below him, you are well-served to buy very low on Jennings and only select him if he falls a ton in your draft.

Jennings Prediction: 55 receptions, 850 yards and five touchdowns Despite Jennings being ranked above him, Rudolph is a better fantasy option both overall and at his position.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s play sheet is littered with passing plays for the tight ends, especially in the all-important red zone. Rudolph is also a rising star at the position on the national fantasy landscape in the wake of the Aaron Hernandez scandal and the season-ending injury to Dennis Pitta of the Ravens.

All this means Vikings fans will likely have to buy high or reach for Rudolph, as he is likely to be gone when his 84 ADP (average draft position) comes around.

Rudolph is the seventh-highest ranked tight end in drafts, but only Rob Gronkowski of the Patriots caught more touchdown passes (11) last season than the Notre Dame alum (9).

The biggest knock on Rudolph from last season was his paltry 493 yards receiving, but the middle of the field should be more open with Jennings and Patterson in town. If Ponder shows any improvement, Rudolph should easily exceed last season’s production and might become a top-three tight end best-case scenario.

Rudolph Prediction: 65 receptions, 675 yards and 10 touchdowns The fantasy pickings get pretty slim on the offensive side of the ball for the Vikings once Peterson, Jennings and Rudolph are off the board, with ubertalented but raw rookie Patterson checking in next on the draft board with an overall ranking of 166.

At this point of your fantasy draft, there are still tons of impact players available, but it is very important to draft players based on their current situation with their team as opposed to how impressive they look individually.

Patterson is a perfect example of this. Sure, he may look like the next Randy Moss, but even if that lofty expectation comes true it likely won’t pay fantasy dividends this season.

Vikings fans that follow the team have an edge on the na-

tional observers because we saw how many short passing plays that were run for Percy Harvin.

We also saw second-year wideout Jarius Wright get plugged into all of those patterns once Harvin got injured, with Ponder throwing his direction regularly.

Patterson also figures to split time with Jerome Simpson opposite Jennings, while Wright should have the slot position all to himself at least early on.

Until Ponder shows the ability to throw the ball down-field effectively and regularly, Patterson’s strengths will be hidden.

That is why Wright, ranked 214 overall, is far more likely to have a better fantasy campaign than Patterson on this season’s edition of the Viking offense.

Simpson, on the other hand, shouldn’t be drafted barring an injury to the others.

Wide Receiver Predictions: Patterson- 30 catches, 475 yards, four touchdowns Wright- 45 catches, 500 yards, three touchdowns - Simpson20 catches, 275 yards, one touchdown When it comes to Ponder, it’s simple. No matter how much he improves, he should go undrafted and used only as a bye-week fill-in for your regular quarterback and ONLY when the Purple are going up against a feeble defense.

Ponder Prediction: 3,333 yards passing, 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions As far as drafting Gerhart as a handcuff to Peterson goes, the

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decision is up to you. Obviously, he is irrelevant as long as A.P. is active and starting.

The Vikings do have a fantasy asset on special teams, as second-year kicker Blair Walsh wrapped up last season as the top-ranked kicker in fantasy thanks in large part to a whopping 10 field goals made from 50-plus yards.

Similar to every other player on the Vikings, Walsh’s fantasy prospects hinge on the play of Ponder. If Ponder improves and leads the squad on more touchdown-scoring drives, Walsh’s fantasy numbers will be worse this season than last.

However, he still possesses perhaps the strongest and most accurate leg in the league and the ability to make 50-plus yard field goals with ease makes him a top-three kicker.

Walsh may not lead all kickers in total fantasy points this season, but he is the most likely to produce a few monster weeks that help decide a fantasy matchup. Such a trait is rare for a kicker, so reach for the sophomore sniper with confidence.

Walsh Prediction: 30 field goals made, eight from 50+, 46 extra points When it comes to team defenses, the Vikings should improve slightly this season after finishing last season ranked 12th overall in fantasy.

With DT Sharrif Floyd, CB Xavier Rhodes and former Packer MLB Desmond Bishop on board and Harrison Smith

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a year older, the Purple should force more turnovers (22) and record more sacks (44) than last season.

They are going to allow a lot of points with six games against the potent Packers, Bears and Lions offenses, but have an outside shot at a top-10 season. Draft the Vikings as your alternate defense at best and use them only if they have a juicy matchup.

Individually, Jared Allen remains a very desirable defensive lineman due to his ability to lead the league in sacks. Linebacker Chad Greenway and Smith were

also elite individual fantasy defensive players last season and Bishop should have his fair share of tackles this season as well.

The team did lose former fantasy asset Antoine Winfield, so keep an eye on Chris Cook, Josh Robinson and Rhodes to see who picks up the majority of tackles at corner in Winfield’s stead.

There’s your Purple fantasy preview, with one last bit of motivation. If you are lucky enough to get the reigning NFL MVP, you better at least make your league’s playoffs.

David Bassey • msu reporter

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Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

MSU Reporter • 47

Metrodome “The dome was our home, and a good one at that, giving the Vikings the home field advantage in every game they played in.” continued from 8 of Twins and Vikings games, I can’t even beginning to say how many times the unkind trek to the twin cities was overcome with the thought that sleet and 30 degrees would be irrelevant by the time we were inside the stadium.

Though the new venue will have easier snow removal than most and a partial roof to keep temperatures reasonable, it will not do the same justice as the dome did for blocking out harsh, mother nature as she comes to Minnesota in the final quarter of the year.

Top Moments Tony Dorsett’s record breaking run It’s tough to start out this list with an achievement made by the opposing team, but Tony Dorsett’s 99-yard touchdown run on Monday Night Football in Minnesota culminated the first year in the dome as it is still the record for longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. The Vikings would ultimately defeat the Cowboys 31-27, but Dorsett’s run is still spoken as one of the single-greatest plays in NFL history, even if the Cowboys only had 10 men on the field.

The roof: part 1 Three times in the first three years of existence the Metrodome roof fell to the ground, one occurring just four days before Dorsett’s record run.

Heavy amounts of snow on the roof in the early 80’s caused it to deflate, calling for re-inflation every time as it appeared early on that the air-supported roof surely could not withstand the harsh, Minnesota winters. More on the roof will be coming shortly. ’98 season Cue the tear-jerking highlights and a montage of Vikes’ fans slamming their fists in rage, because we have to talk about it.

Minnesotans have been bottling up emotion ever since Gary Anderson’s game-clinching kick slowly faded away from the uprights as the Vikings tragically fell to the Atlanta Falcons in the 1999 NFC championship. All championships aside, it was still one of the best seasons in Vikings history, brought together by the raucous dome crowd that was behind them for so many wins.

It began week one, where receivers Chris Carter and Randy Moss each hauled in two touchdown passes as the Vikes destroyed Tampa Bay 31-7 to open up the new season. With

Randall Cunningham under center, the dome population grew each week as more fans piled in to see just how many points the Vikings could score.

By the final home game of the season in week 16, the Vikings were 14-1 and putting up massive amounts of offense as their 50-point barrage of the Jaguars put them within inches of setting the single-season NFL record for points scored. Eight home games during the regular season, eight wins.

The Vikings crushed outside opponents handedly, scoring under 30 points just three times in those eight home appearances.

Though we all know how the playoffs ended, that season was magical every week and domegoers fondly remember it as a milestone of achievement and a benchmark for future seasons to come.

Daunte’s Rolling Minnesota was 8-8 in 2004 and barely nudged their way into the playoffs, but that is not what is remembered from that season, it was Daunte Culpepper. Daunte threw for more yards than anyone else in pro football that season and broke Dan Marino’s record of combined passing and rushing yards, ultimately gaining 5,123 total yards of offense while throwing 39 touchdowns.

The obvious first target of Culpepper would have been Viking-legend Randy Moss, but Minnesota had four recievers in 2004 gain over 600 receiving yards, once again instilling the thought in purple and gold fans everywhere, just how much can this team score?

The Greg Lewis play Though the 2009 season boasted many accomplishments and another well-rounded squad, no play better exemplifies “dome cooking” then week three. Vikings quarterback Brett Favre had 12 seconds to find a touchdown from the 32-yard line when his last-second prayer toss to the corner of the end zone was hauled in by little-known receiver Greg Lewis, giving the Vikings the lead, placing new decibel levels in the dome and almost sending play-by-play announcer Paul Allen into cardiac arrest.

The result: a touchdown and third-straight win for the Vikings on their way to the playoffs once again, revisioning hope from the fans that once again, things were going to get crazy every time the dome began rocking.

Quotes about the Metrodome “I’ve played in some big stadiums - Ohio State, Penne State, Wisconsin - But I think the fact that it’s a dome and we’re the Packers, it’s probably going to be a little bit louder than what I’ve (experienced).”

-Former Green Bay tackle Bryan Bulaga “When your center can’t hear your QB, that’s pretty loud.”

-Green Bay tight end Mark Chmura “I have been on the sidelines of a Viking game as an opposing coach and I think Mall of America Field is the loudest place to play in the league.”

-Pat Kirwan, CBS Sports “No question this is a much more difficult task because the crowd is really into it. When the visiting team’s offense is out there, it’s deafening. But when Minnesota’s on offense, you can hear a pin drop.

That’s a pretty smart crowd.”

-Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Reeves “I hate it. I absolutely hate it.”

-Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings while with the Green Bay Packers on the subject of the horn made after good plays.

“It’s very tough to play here and I can say that from being on the other side of the fence. It’s just a tough place to come in and function with the noise as loud as it is.”

-Former Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell.

“The toughest thing for me is losing my voice, screaming from the first quarter on. The toughest stretches are first quarter and drives after a (Vikings) score because the crowd is obviously into it.”

-Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers 2009 NFC Divisional Round The Vikings amassed an early lead over the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs and never looked back, dismantling Dallas by a score of 34-3. Fans present at that game can only describe it as a “party atmosphere,” where the game turned into a stadium-wide blowout with every Vikings triumph that occurred.

The fans cannot be attributed to Minnesota’s 323 total yards in the game and Favre’s four touchdown passes, but the atmosphere of that game is what every NFL team should strive for when Sunday rolls around: one big party.

The Roof: Part 2 The roof deflated numerous times in the 80’s, but none was worse than December in 2010, when 17 inches of snow and heavy winds tore open three panels and sent snow and ice onto the playing surface, cancelling all of Minnesota’s home games for the season and forcing a new roof to be installed in the dome. The roof collapse stole national attention as Fox Sports cameras filmed the downfall in its entirety, permanently getting Minnesota fans thinking about a new stadium until its beginnings in 2013.

Though it has been mostly a love-hate relationship between the Metrodome and its occu-

pants, it was still a great place to watch football for the time it stood up and personally speaking, this reporter is sad to see it go. But as the Vikings are slated to move on-campus for

two years before heading into a hopefully long-tenure inside a new stadium, Minnesota fans of this generation will always see the Metrodome as the place to watch Vikings football.

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48 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Issue 2013

Main Roadways and Streets to Minnesota State University, Mankato