Day 1: http://blog.vikings.com/2012/05/29/anto ... ervations/

Below is a partial list. Check out the link for the full notes. Good stuff during the offseason lull.



(No, Jim, this wasn't a PFF blogger )

Do the rookies who signed their contracts participate in OTAs?

Thanks for the link, but it was kind of an annoying article. It read much more like a PR report that someone with a sharp eye for what was going on. I don't really believe much of what I read there. I'll wait to see someone outside the Vikings write about the team. And I am hungry for some Vikings news!

I have to agree, Wobschall is more a PR blogger than anything. And that's fine, but it is what it is. Would have liked to have known what "issues" Ponder needed to work out in practice.

Actually, the Vikings page bugs me a bit. The pics are fine, but would rather like to have some captions with them to give us an idea of what is happening. No names (especially the rookies and undrafted signees) and no context makes the whole thing pretty ho-hum. The whole site could be SO much more!

To answer my own question, it looks like they can. I saw Childs and Ellison catching passes in the "highlight" video.

I get that and totally understand. Most of his stuff is overly rosy, and it's probably his job to put stuff out there like that. However, I think the stuff has some merit and worth mentioning. There are some guys that are passing the "eye test" and since we're not there to see it, it's nice to have SOME kind of word on the matter and give us fans some things/guys to key in on when we CAN see for ourselves. I mean, it doesn't really serve a purpose to report that, say, Brian Walters was impressive. He's not going to put people in the seats. But now he might be a name to track or guy to follow during training camp and preseason.

I agree that I trust the reports by guys not paid by the Vikings, but at this point I'll take what I can get.

According to Zulgad, unsigned players can participate too.

Video of the above-mentioned racing (and some of Peterson's rehab): http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/vide ... 56ba995373

I wonder if that's one of the the same injuries that he battled all through the 2010 season.

Not sure yet, though I think Frazier said it was minor. Hopefully it's more precautionary.

Don't we get the EXACT same thing every year in OTAs. Always seems to be a receiver too. Sometimes a safety. And you never hear about them again after OTAs.

You're thinking of training camp. I don't recall anyone getting terribly excited about players running around in shorts in May.

Probably. But Giants fans got this before the breakout of Victor Cruz too. You never know. It's still fun to track guys. There are always players that come out of nowhere. Doesn't hurt anything.

Sometimes those guys make the team and ride the inactive list and ST units all year (Dean, Onatolu, Sherels) but there's always 1 or 2 guys who are camp "standouts" never do anything more than make the PS.

For example everyone always loved Jaymar Johnson and I remember Martin Nance had a really good camp one year only to be on the PS all year and activated for week 17 that year and then never heard from again.


I do however enjoy the battles for the final few spots on the roster no matter how insignificant, for some reason. It's one of the reason why I love Hard Knocks.

Tom Pelissero on Twitter

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If memory serves, Sullivan had problems with a calf, not thigh. Doesn't sound serious.

Jerome Simpson - WR - Vikings

Vikings GM Rick Spielman is the latest to sing the praises of WR Jerome Simpson, who has been "outstanding" since OTAs began.

"You can see that he's at a different speed," said Spielman. Added QB Christian Ponder, "Jerome was running a dig, which is 20-yard in-route and the cushion was unbelievable because everyone's afraid he's going to run right by them he's so fast. That just adds a whole other dimension to our offense."
Source: NFL.com

I'm expecting big things from Jerome Simpson for two reasons. First, he's talented. Second, his NFL career is on the line.

I'm optimistic too. The point about his NFL career being on the line, though, I expect to hinge on his off-field performance more so than his on-field.

But I worry about what may happen toward the end of the season if Simpson does tear it up and the Vikings don't have him under contract for next season. I suspect they'd try to get a contract done before the season ends, but also expect Simpson and his agent to be looking to score big on the free agent market. If that happens, then all the Vikings will have accomplished is to relaunch the guy's career. He's certainly not the missing piece to a Super Bowl bid, not this year anyway. I'd hate to see him clearly become their #1 receiver for all of twelve games.

I agree with those points as well. If Simpson proves to be the real deal and lights it up, I sure hope the Vikings can get him back.

Regarding his "off-field" performances, you're exactly right. Unless Simpson is an idiot (and as we know there are some idiots playing ball in the NFL), he'll keep his nose clean and not do anything to make the Vikings regret signing him.

I'll believe it when I see it.

I found this interesting:



http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/156521245.html

Jared Allen was the only one who did not attend this year. Yeah this is only voluntary workouts in shorts but hopefully this is the first step in getting back on track, playing as a team.

In 2010 everyone expected them to come back like it was 2009 and walk their way into the Super Bowl. I expect that had there been OTAs in 2011, the level of participation would have been very good. At this point they've had two years of getting seriously #### slapped, so I don't find it too surprising. What I do find kinda surprising is that someone given so much credit for being a team leader is the one guy not participating in these workouts.

The defender was Chris Cook. Is that a half full or half empty?

In Cook's defense, it was pretty tight coverage. SImpson just made a better play on the ball.

Simpson jumped over his back and plucked it right out from in front of his face. That was just a good catch. Any other WR on the team and that might have been an INT. If Simpson wouldn't have caught the ball it appears that it would have dropped right into Cook's chest.

Wow, tough crowd .
You made an excellent point. Cook had great coverage and Simpson made a great atheletic catch. Lets look at it for what it was, a drill where a ball was thrown well, the coverage was spot on and the receiver made a great catch. Revis probably would not have covered that play any better. Kudos to Simpson and I love the fact that he and Ponder seem to be deveoping a good relationship and chemistry.