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Vikings sign TE Nick Vannett

2025-08-04T15:13:50-05:00

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The former Ohio State standout has played for seven NFL teams since entering the NFL in 2016.

On Monday afternoon, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Minnesota Vikings are signing veteran tight end Nick Vannett. In a corresponding move, the team is waiving offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson.

Vikings have signed veteran TE Nick Vannett and waived T Marcellus Johnson.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2025

Vannett starred at Ohio State before entering the NFL as a third-round pick by the Seahawks in 2016. He has since played for seven different teams, including most recently spending the 2024 season with the Tennessee Titans.

In nine professional seasons, Vannett has career totals of 108 receptions for 1,012 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His best season came in 2018 when he posted a career-high 269 yards to go with three receiving touchdowns. He tied that total this past season with the Titans while 17 passes for 135 yards.

Vannett now joins a Vikings tight end room that includes standout TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver, and rookie Gavin Bartholomew. As it stands, it’s not likely Vannett makes the team unless Kevin O’Connell chooses to keep more than three tight ends.

Purple Pulse: McCarthy Grows, Allen Honored

2025-08-04T12:02:55-05:00

Two Old Bloggers celebrated Allen’s August 2, 2025, HOF enshrinement, recalling his 2008 trade (first-rounder + picks for 85.5 sacks over six years with the Vikings), transforming the pass rush with double-digit sacks annually, and aiding playoff runs. Praised his “relentless motor,” overlooked Idaho State rise, and turnaround from alcohol issues to family man. Memories: 4.5 sacks vs. Packers, Orlovsky safety, horseback retirement as a Viking. | Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

In this episode of Two Old Bloggers, Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano explore Minnesota Vikings training camp 2025 updates, J.J. McCarthy’s challenges, Brian Flores’ dominant defense, offensive line long-term stability, camp standouts, and Jared Allen’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

Vikings training camp 2025: Defense dominates pads-on drills, McCarthy rebounds, OL outlook bright, Jared Allen HOF honored—could this be Minnesota’s Super Bowl blueprint? In the latest episode of Two Old Bloggers, hosts Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano dive deep into the Minnesota Vikings’ evolving storylines, blending veteran insights with fan passion on this Vikings 1st & SKOL production. With over 25 years of Vikings commentary between them, Darren and Dave hook listeners with unfiltered takes on preseason drama, making this a must-listen for anyone tracking the purple and gold’s path to contention.

What makes this episode viral-worthy? It’s the perfect storm of optimism and realism: From early camp jitters where the offense “could barely get out of its own way” to celebrations of a Vikings legend’s immortality in Canton. Darren and Dave’s chemistry shines as they unpack how Brian Flores’ defense is forging a “kick-ass” unit, while QB J.J. McCarthy shows resilience amid growing pains. Whether you’re a die-hard SKOL chanter or a casual NFL observer, their banter—peppered with shouts to fans and whiskey-fueled anecdotes—feels like eavesdropping on a tailgate debate, complete with historical nods and forward-looking predictions.

As the Vikings gear up for joint practices and preseason action, this show captures the raw excitement of a team reloading after a strong 2024 finish. Darren’s Canadian flair and Dave’s “big round bellies” affection for the offensive line add personality, turning analysis into entertainment. It’s not just recap; it’s a roadmap for fans navigating the hype, reminding us why Minnesota’s 2025 aspirations hinge on balance, development, and honoring the past.

Key points from the episode:

Defense Dominates Early Pads-On Practices: The Vikings defense overwhelmed the offense Monday-Wednesday, with Darren noting, “The Vikings defense was eating the Vikings offense lunch badly.” Absences like Justin Jefferson and limited reps for Christian Darrisaw contributed, but Dave explained defenses lead early due to reaction vs. coordination. Standouts include Jonathan Greenard (“unblockable”), Dallas Turner, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave, validating Flores’ scheme as potentially elite.
J.J. McCarthy’s Adaptation and Growth: McCarthy struggled with accuracy and decisions initially but rebounded Friday-Saturday, showing maturity: “This is learning... 2% better every day.” Hosts drew parallels to Sam Darnold’s 2024 turnaround and Bo Nix’s Broncos, emphasizing the defense could carry early while McCarthy develops. Joint practices with the Patriots are a key test, but Darren advised, “Don’t freak out if things don’t go perfectly.”
Offensive Line Long-Term Outlook: Dubbed the “big round bellies,” the unit looks stable with young talent under contract: Christian Darrisaw (through 2029), Will Fries (through 2029), and rookie Donovan Jackson (through 2028+). Darren praised, “Three starting dudes... locked up at least until 2029,” with depth like Blake Brandel, Walter Rouse, and Michael Jurgens. Cap flexibility and rising salaries could retain Brian O’Neill and Ryan Kelly, marking a shift from historical weaknesses.
This Week in Vikingsland – Camp Standouts and Concerns: Lucky Jackson impressed with first-team reps amid Jefferson’s absence; Dwight McGlothern had “intercepted passes in three consecutive practices”; Theo Jackson, the “closer,” demands snaps. Jordan Mason’s explosive runs suggest a 50-50 split with Aaron Jones. Concerns: Backup QB Sam Howell’s “effing brutal” performances and kicker Will Reichard’s misses post-quad injury, with Darren warning Vikings fans have “seen this movie” too often.
Honoring Jared Allen’s Hall of Fame Induction: Celebrating Allen’s August 2 enshrinement, hosts recalled his 2008 trade impact (85.5 sacks in six years, including a robbed 23-sack 2011 season). Darren highlighted his “relentless motor” and transformation of the pass rush; Dave shared a personal scoop story and praised Allen’s character, from safeties to horseback retirement as a Viking.

Listen:

Watch:

Dive into this episode for the ultimate Vikings fix—Darren and Dave’s blend of humor, history, and hard-hitting analysis will have you chanting SKOL and refreshing your feed for more. Whether it’s McCarthy’s upside or Allen’s legacy, Two Old Bloggers on Vikings 1st & SKOL delivers the passion that keeps Minnesota Vikings fans hooked. Subscribe now on Fans First Sports Network and don’t miss the next breakdown as preseason heats up!

Fan With Us!

We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, Darren @KickassblogVike, and Dave @Luft_Krigare. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and with our podcast partner Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN and the network’s NFL feed @FFSN_NFL where you get sports takes for the fan, from the fan!

Question:

What’s your take on J.J. McCarthy’s camp progress—future star or cause for concern? Share in the comments!

The Vikings Shouldn’t Have to Wait Long For Their Next Hall of Famer

2025-08-04T09:13:19-05:00

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

And yes, he should be a first-ballot lock

With Jared Allen’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend, the Minnesota Vikings now have 22 members of its franchise in Canton. The wait for #23 should be a relatively short one.

The Class of 2027 should feature several players who will make the Hall of Fame on their first attempt, including former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. The one that fans of the purple will care about, however, is running back Adrian Peterson, who spent the bulk of his career carrying the ball for the Vikings.

The Vikings drafted Peterson with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and he immediately made a huge impact on the Vikings and the NFL. He picked up Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 and is still the last non-quarterback in the league to be named Most Valuable Player, winning the award in 2012 when he came up just short of setting a new single-season rushing record.

Peterson still holds the single-game rushing record with his 297-yard performance against the San Diego Chargers in 2007 and his six 200-yard rushing games in his career is tied for the most in league history. In his ten seasons with Minnesota, he went over the 1,000-yard mark eight times and found the end zone for 102 touchdowns, 97 of which came on the ground.

Though Peterson has not officially retired from the National Football League yet, he’s been out of the league since 2021, having last played for the Seattle Seahawks. He also had stops with the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins. . .yes, they were the Redskins when Peterson played there. . .Detroit Lions, and Tennessee Titans. But, obviously, the team that everyone is going to identify Peterson with is the Vikings.

Peterson currently has the fifth-most rushing yards in the history of the NFL with 14,918. He trails only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore, and Barry Sanders in that category. His 120 career rushing touchdowns currently puts him in fourth in NFL history, behind only Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Marcus Allen. If there was a guy at the running back position who should be a lock first ballot Hall of Famer, it’s Peterson.

The Class of 2026 likely isn’t going to feature anyone with a real, solid connection to the Vikings, but purple fans can gear up for the Class of 2027. . .a class that should feature Adrian Peterson among its members.

Can you guess this Vikings guard in today’s in-5 trivia game?

2025-08-04T07:00:00-05:00

Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Minnesota Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game

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The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Training Camp Thoughts

2025-08-04T06:36:40-05:00

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

What I’m Seeing, Feeling, and Fearing So Far…

First, a personal note. We sadly had to put down our beloved 16-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel this week. My little buddy was not only the kindest and most loyal dog a guy could ask for, but also my constant companion watching Vikings games. He was there for the highs, the lows, the really lows, and the “this sh*t can only happen to the Minnesota Vikings” moments. Taking him for walks to gleefully chase squirrels and rabbits was the go-to distraction following each Vikings letdown. Win or lose, he was always the same cheerful presence, reminding me that, in the scheme of things, it’s just a game. This is the correct mindset.

From Favre’s first regular season game in 2009 (the famous Adrian Peterson stiff-arm against the Browns!) to the Darnold/o-line playoff implosion against the Rams in January. It was quite the run. He never saw the Vikings win that elusive Super Bowl. When that does happen (and it will, dammit!), I’ll look over to the empty spot on the couch and say, “We did it, little buddy. We finally did it.”

On with the show…

Listen, the DN staff are the best around. To say the coverage here is “comprehensive” would be an understatement. I won’t offer any insights that haven’t already been made (and far better). But as we’re now well into training camp, these storylines have grabbed my attention as Mr. Average Joe fan:

J.J. McCarthy: Uneven but Unconcerned. This was not unexpected. McCarthy is not only carrying the weight of being a 22-year-old, first-time starter, but is also working his way through the Flores-led Vikings defense (without the best WR in football on the field). I’m not usually into hyperbole, but, health permitting, this could be the best Vikings defense I’ve experienced in all my decades as a fan. Peak Zimmer was good, but this could be of a different order. The formula is coming together: third year under Flores and an influx of high-profile and under-the-radar, schematically centered talent. It’s all there. Given these dynamics, McCarthy’s hiccups are not surprising.

Kevin Seifert of ESPN (and others) have noted that McCarthy’s understanding of the playbook and its nuances, decision-making, confidence in the huddle, and WR chemistry are all there. Indeed, far more than is to be expected from someone in his position. It’s more about translating that into game-like conditions, with Flores assuming the role of a Category 5 hurricane. Indeed, reading the encouraging recaps from practice #9, it appears improvements are already on the horizon. Nothing to date has shaken my optimism that KOC and company will have McCarthy poised to excel come September 8^th. They better, because….

QB2 Quandary. Sam Howell is not inspiring confidence out there. I loved the trade during the draft. Granted, some of that had to do with it seemingly closing the door on the Cousins reunion talk (more on that momentarily). However, I did like the potential of Howell and how it could be realized under the guidance of KOC and Josh McCown. So far, this has not been the case. Now things can change, and KOC turning Howell into the backup version of Steve Young for the late 80s 49ers would only be like the 4th (?) most impressive QB magic trick he’s achieved to date. But the record so far is what it is. If Howell were forced into the starter role, no one could honestly say the feeling would be anything other than dread. Brett Rypien has promise, but c’mon, are we going into Week 1 with a potential McCarthy/Rypien combo? If Howell stinks against the Houston Texans in a few days, yeah, the clock starts ticking. KAM would be in a bit of a bind, and the pressure to make a move considerable. It will be approaching mid-August, and any new QB needs time to familiarize themselves with the playbook, the scheme, and build chemistry with the WRs.

This team is stacked. We saw what Case Keenum did for us in a similar situation. And we saw what Nick Foles did for the Eagles that same year in humbling the Belichick/Brady juggernaut in Super Bowl LII (at U.S. Bank Stadium). It should have been us. Whatever. The point is that we need someone who can be that guy – i.e., someone you can hand the keys of the Ferrari to and trust not to promptly drive it into a ditch. Get Ryan Tannehill off the couch? Would Teddy Bridgewater come out of retirement again!? Kenny Pickett or Jameis Winston? I dunno man. Not feeling either. And, of course, if Howell doesn’t turn things around soon, you know damn well who’ll be forced down our collective throat (again) by the national sports media. Two hints: Creed and Kohl’s. Turn things around, Sam Howell.

Secondary Concerns Unwarranted? As a Vikings fan, you worry. Nah, you panic. You assume the other shoe will drop; it’s just a matter of detail: the who, what, when stuff. I’m on record as saying that uncertainties in the secondary were the primary causes of my agita heading into the 2025 season. I’m not quite there to admit an overreaction, but the collective performances early on give me hope.

Yes, this may be grading on a curve; it’s an accepted fact that the defense has the advantage early in camp. But, damn, from the clips I’ve seen, is that Jeff Okudah or prime Darrelle Revis out there? Okudah has had issues with man coverage in his career; specifically, issues with overcommitment and biting on routes, in addition to problematic mechanics. Flores is saying, “Yeah, keep using the past tense with that stuff. Thanks.” Granted, it’s a short sample size, but it seems a focus has been made to correct these problems, and it’s paying dividends. Right now, Okudah is your CB3.

Elsewhere, Dwight McGlothern is turning heads, and Mekhi Blackmon’s hold on the CB4 spot is officially in jeopardy. The good news? The Vikings look to have some strong insurance policies on the bench, which serve to ease anxiety. New starters Isaiah Rodgers and Theo Jackson are doing just fine. The former was limited by a minor injury, but is back out there making plays. The latter has benefited from familiarity with Flores’s scheme to ease the transition, which appears seamless. Of course, everything is connected, so the emergence of possibly the most dominant Front 7 in the NFL will help everyone in the secondary tremendously, from first-time starters to a grizzled, seasoned vet like Harrison Smith. We’ll need to see this translate into a regular-season reality, but so far, so good.

The Thrill is Gone? On the other hand, we have Will Reichard. I like to have some fun with our hero, but there’s nothing funny about his current struggles. Given the agonizing history, Vikings fans are (justifiably) more sensitive to a kicker’s ups and downs than fans of other franchises, but this is disconcerting to say the least. So far, he looks more like the hesitant, inconsistent guy who came back after the injury rather than Mr. Automatic, who just so happened to be the envy of men the world over. In all seriousness, the Vikings are tied for the 5^th hardest strength of schedule this year. We play a lot of good (and established) teams. Where there are good teams, there are close games. Where there are close games, there are very small margins of victory (or defeat). You get the point. We can’t be messing around with this. Here’s hoping Will “The Thrill” lives up to his nickname in the next few weeks. If not? To quote The Godfather, “It’s not personal, my well-coiffed friend. It’s strictly business.” Wait, is that correct?

Watch Jared Allen’s Hall of Fame Induction Speech

2025-08-03T13:10:27-05:00

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

It was great, as you’d expect

On Saturday, Minnesota Vikings’ legend Jared Allen finally got the call to immortality as he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As you’d expect, Allen gave an outstanding speech for his induction, and you can see the whole thing below.

(Yes, I’m pretty sure you can actually watch it here and not have to go to YouTube to see it.)

Allen touches on a lot of things in his speech, including what he thought made him a Hall of Famer and the respect he has for the game of football. He also talks a great deal about his family and his faith, and in typical Allen style, mixes in a nice dose of humor as well.

It’s great to finally see Jared Allen get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even though Allen played for four different teams in his Hall of Fame career, it’s pretty clear that he identifies as a Viking most of all.

Congratulations to Jared Allen on finally. . .after a ridiculous six tries. . .being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame!

Can you guess this Vikings receiver in today’s in-5 trivia game?

2025-08-03T07:00:00-05:00

Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game

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Notes From Vikings Training Camp 8/2/25

2025-08-02T21:45:47-05:00

Observations from today’s practice

The Minnesota Vikings held another practice this afternoon at TCO Performance Center with lots of fans in attendance.

Brian Flores gave a press conference today talking about Mekhi Blackmon’s and Dwight McGlothern’s development, what he’s seen from Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen since the pads came on, Jonathan Greenard’s improvement, Isaiah Rodgers and his potential role as a kick returner, and Jeff Okudah’s development.

Flores said Okudah is strong in getting his hands on people in press coverage, but it’s about consistency with that, his ability in off coverage and different zone coverages that is a part of his evaluation.

Flores also mentioned that with Hargrave and Allen, he’s learning which alignments they like and overall building chemistry together and along the entire defensive front including linebackers and their ability to change the call and being able to adjust and adapt to that.

Position Drills

Practice opened up again with special teams drills and once again Silas Bolden led the group of punt returners, followed by Rondale Moore and Myles Price. That’s been the order since the start of training camp and so it looks like those are the top contenders for the punt returner job.

Tai Felton was out there as kick returner in the first kick return drills I’ve seen. He muffed his first return but was given another shot and caught the second. Those were the only two kick return reps. It would seem that Felton is the leading candidate for kick returner at the moment, but it’s early and I’m sure there will be others that get opportunities.

In QB-WR individual drills, there was a stretch when Howell, Rypien, and Brosmer all had inaccurate throws in a row in what are normally pretty return completions.

The two big #Vikings free agency signings: Will Fries vs Jonathan Allen.

: @Dust_Vikings pic.twitter.com/f6RBhmMNDM
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 2, 2025

Quarterback Depth Chart

I point out the above because it ties in with a theme so far in training camp that all the backups have been under whelming. It’s not all bad all the time by any means, but worrisome in that there doesn’t seem like the Vikings have a backup at the moment that could bridge the gap reasonably well should McCarthy go down.

Howell has had his share of inaccuracies and picks so far in training camp- along with a few nice throws too- but I don’t come away with the impression that he’d hold up well if called upon. Still a bit tentative at times- although that seemed to improve a bit today- and trying to find his rhythm.

Max Brosmer has been disappointing. He’s thrown several interceptions and is often late processing or getting the ball out on time.

Brett Rypien hasn’t played as much but doesn’t seem in danger of losing his QB3 spot at this point. He’s looked better than Brosmer when he’s been out there but that isn’t saying much.

J.J. McCarthy

The good news is that J.J. McCarthy looked sharp today with a number of nice throws in team drills - including some fairly difficult ones as well. He’s developed a nice connection with Jordan Addison in Justin Jefferson’s absence that’s led to most of J.J.’s highlight throws this past week.

#Vikings QB JJ McCarthy lofts it to Jordan Addison for the big gain:

(@Dust_Vikings)pic.twitter.com/Quitp0ipiP
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 2, 2025

pic.twitter.com/F9oOkg2w5s
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 3, 2025

It was mostly 1s vs. 2s today in team drills and Javon Hargrave wasn’t participating today so that helped give McCarthy the time for a couple deeper balls today.

Team Drills

The first-team offense did pretty well overall today- again mostly going against either the 2s or 1s without Javon Hargrave (Harrison Phillips replaced him). In particular they were able to generate some nice runs on multiple occasions with a few good passes mixed in too.

At one point after a longish run by Jordan Mason, rookie Donovan Jackson who had been blocking downfield let out a big roar at the end of the play that was a crowd pleaser.

Christian Darrisaw did not participate in team drills today- Justin Skule replaced him as has been the norm.

T.J. Hockenson was also sidelined with appeared to be a groin injury during team drills. It didn’t appear to be anything major, but he remained on the sideline for the rest of practice. Josh Oliver was out there most of the time in Hockenson’s absence, but Ben Yurosek and Giovanni Ricci got a few reps with the 1s as well.

It seemed like the second and third units got more reps in team drills today, and I’m sure that wasn’t by chance. We might be getting to the point where giving 2s and 3s more reps to see what they have to offer is becoming more important than giving the first team reps- although both remain important as it’s still early.

With the second unit offensive line, Walter Rouse was getting most reps at right tackle and it looked like Henry Byrd was getting a lot at right guard. Jurgens at center, Brandel at left guard, and it looked like mostly Leroy Watson IV at left tackle today, which was a little surprising.

The second unit defensive line it looked like Levi Drake-Rodriquez, Jalen Redmond and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins inside most of the time and Gabe Murphy and Bo Richter on the edges.

Dallas Turner got a lot of reps with the 1s as Andrew Van Ginkel had a lot of reps at off-ball linebacker.

First Fracas

Toward the end of the 11-on-11 period Brian Asamoah gave a pretty good lick to Aaron Jones, knocking straight back to the ground, which prompted a push from Will Fries, which in turn led to a punch from Brian Asamoah. A fracas ensued as the sidelines cleared but things were broken up without too much further incident. However, only a couple plays later Tyler Batty appeared to tackle a running back in the backfield to the ground- he immediately pulled back but too late. That cleared the sidelines again in another fracas and led to an impromptu team huddle on the field led by the coaches to settle things down.

It looked like that may have been the end of practice, but redzone drills followed along with a couple more nice throws by McCarthy and a couple nice PBUs by Rodgers and Okudah.

#Vikings CB Isaiah Rodgers with the end zone PBU.

(@VikesVV)pic.twitter.com/LQ8OfaE4AY
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 2, 2025

Reichard Misses a Couple Field Goals

The last period of team drills was basically positioning for a last second field goal. The offense would run a half speed play then the field goal unit would race out there to get the attempt off in time. But Reichard missed two field goals around 40 yards or just under. One held by Wright and one held by Chapman. He made three others but that’s hardly a good field goal percentage- especially from that range.

I’m not sure if Reichard has had a perfect day yet making field goals in team drills. So, a bit of a disappointing start to training camp for Reichard, but hopefully he’ll straighten things out going forward.

Player Standouts

Here are a few players that have stood out, good or bad, during today’s practice and more generally this week.

Jeff Okudah

Okudah may not be winning every rep but he is playing with a lot of confidence and swagger even. He’s had some PBUs and looks to be pushing the limit in terms of contact at times, but he seems comfortable in the scheme and I’m guessing he senses he’s got an opportunity to be CB3 if he plays well.

Dwight McGlothern

McGlothern is another cornerback that is growing in confidence by the day and you can see it on the field. I’m guessing he’s got a chance to pass Mekhi Blackmon and maybe even Okudah on the depth chart, depending on how things play out. Blackmon has not played badly, but he doesn’t appear to have the same confidence/swagger as Okudah and McGlothern at the moment. McGlothern has had some good reps in man coverage as well.

Dallas Turner

Turner is another player who you can see the growing confidence on the field. He looks a little bigger but a lot more aggressive than he was last season. He’s more of a threat as a bull rusher this season but can still get around the edge. Last season, he’d take a couple steps and kinda look at where the play was going and pursue. This season he charges forward and either sets the edge or rushes the passer. Just a lot more to his game.

Chaz Chambliss

Chambliss missed the first several days of training camp but has been getting some notable reps since his return. Today he got a couple first team reps in 7-on-7 drills in coverage. He definitely seems to be a player they want to get a full evaluation on. He’s generally been on the third team at edge rusher, but he’s been getting reps. I dont’ know that he’s stood out so far in the performance, but he’s getting the opportunities.

Max Brosmer

Brosmer has stood out for the wrong reasons. He’s had a few good throws, but those are often between several not-so-good ones. His main problem is that he’s slow. Slow to process and slow to get the ball out. He doesn’t have a ton of zip on out routes, from either near or far hash, and so he’s had at least a few of them picked.

At this point Brosmer is not proving to be a challenge to Brett Rypien for QB3, so that is disappointing.

Sam Howell

Howell looked a little better today- less tentative- so maybe he’ll improve over the coming weeks. But he’s also had inaccuracy issues at times and some picks- although not as many as Brosmer. Howell could get to where he could be a competent backup, but he’ll need the rest of training camp and preseason at least before he gets there.

I’m sure it’s difficult for the new backups learning a new system and/or being new to the league, and then facing Brian Flores’ scheme on top of that, so there are excuses. But there are also clean pocket inaccuracies and picks too.

#Vikings QB Sam Howell finding Thayer Thomas in the end zone:

: Vikings Instagram pic.twitter.com/Q1papkWQbQ
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 2, 2025

Donovan Jackson

I can’t claim to have seen every one of Donovan Jackson’s reps, but the ones I have seen he’s looked pretty good. He got blown back by Javon Hargrave, but then again so did Ryan Kelly and probably dozens of other interior linemen over the years. But outside of that, he seems to be holding his own.

Javon Hargrave

Jonathan Allen may be an upgrade, but Hargrave is a beast. He is going to be a problem every week for opposing offensive interior linemen. He wins in very simple and predictable fashion. He’s the low man, gets under the offensive lineman’s pads and drives him back with his tremendous core and lower body power. He really needs to be double-teamed to be stopped and doing so will open up a big hole for a blitzer to run right through.

Hargrave didn’t participate in team drills today but was virtually unstoppable when he played earlier this week. One wonders if they kept him out so the offense could function better.

Backend of Wide Receiver Depth Chart

After Jefferson, Addison, Nailor, and Felton there is a big competition for probably only one more permanent roster spot and maybe one temporary one if Addison is suspended.

Who gets the permanent spot is almost certainly the winner of the punt returner competition. My guess is that will be either Silas Bolden or Rondale Moore, with Myles Price as more of a long shot.

But there are a total of nine wide receivers competing for the one permanent and maybe one temporary spot. Those include Moore, Bolden, Price, Lucky Jackson, Dontae Fleming, Jeshaun Jones, Tim Jones, Thayer Thomas, and Robert Lewis.

Of those, Moore, Bolden, Price, and Fleming have exceeded my expectations. Jackson and Jones have roughly met expectations, while Jones has been a bit below expectations. Thomas just got some noticeable reps today but stands no chance to make the roster. The same is true of Lewis who has hardly had any reps.

That’s it for today’s coverage. I’m getting late word that tomorrow’s practice has been changed to a walk-through so no media access and this one isn’t open to the public either so next report will be from the night practice on August 4th.

Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford