2023 | FAN or MANkato: Offseason with the Minnesota Vikings [Volume 1]

[Bundy]

FAN or MANkato 2023

Offseason with the Minnesota Vikings

The early morning sun shone over the practice fields of Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota. A whistle rang out from midfield, tearing through the still, crisp morning aura, signaling for the team to group up. For the slew of rookies in attendance, this was the start of their NFL careers. Several vets were in attendance as well, as the Vikings aligned their rookie minicamp to coincide with the voluntary portion of their OTAs. 

One newly added veteran was not in attendance on the field, but up inside the management level of the facilities. For Marvin Scott, his Vikings career spanned just weeks, as the free agent-signee from the Carolina Panthers turned his playbook in. After signing a two year deal, Scott walks away from the Vikings with $440k in cash, and the Vikings end the relationship with a clear message to the rest of the roster: if you don't want to compete, hit the streets. Following the draft, Scott found himself needing to be in rotation behind entrenched starter Neil Henry, and 1st round selectee Marcus Sirles, and with the Vikings adding 2nd-year Michael Fumagalli in a trade from Washington, and rookie Brent Lopez in the 6th round, the Vikings defensive interior became crowded. Scott took to instagram for some release - and the Vikings granted it with release.

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With minicamp out of the way, the Vikings head to their second annual year of hosting training camp at Minnesota State's campus in Mankato, where they'll reside through the preseason portion of their schedule. Last year, through a miniseries, the Vikings highlighted a few players on the cusp of making the roster, with the ultimate "winner", wide receiver Oswaldo Urrutia, being named the inaugural "Mr. Mankato", having secured himself a spot on the Minnesota Vikings roster. This year, through a more dedicated series, we follow the status of the Vikings roster, looking for Mr. Mankato 2023. As the Vikings head to camp, we take a look at the breakdown of the roster.

On the eve of training camp, we look at the Vikings training camp depth chart:

DEFENSE

The Vikings defensive depth chart is littered with rookie candidates for Mr. Mankato. 

Heading into the Preseason Week 1 game at Vegas this weekend, the Vikings open camp with three drafted rookies looking to make immediate impacts as penciled-in starters: 1st Round DT Marcus Sirles, 2nd Round DE Kyle Wilson, and 3rd Round LB Ryan Hicks, who the Vikings are looking to line up in their rushing down defense at OLB. Vikings returning veteran starters (Marcos Maldonado, Paul Munford, Jeffrey Kersting, Wade Hires, and Paul Wade) seem to be relatively locked into their starting roles. The Vikings projected starters at MLB (Beckmann), SS (Chapman), and nickel corner (Cornelius) are all FA signings, who are expected to be pushed by their rookie understudies for roles.

We likely won't see much for defensive storylines in week one, although the defensive tackle position is a clustered jumble of competition. Henry and Sirles are the starters - that much is true. Beneath them, rookie draftee Brent Lopez and UDFA Paul Reed appear to be favorites for Week 2 and 3 playing time. Michael Fumagalli, a 2022 3rd round selection by Washington who was brought over in the Mathew Madden trade, is shockingly low on the depth chart, competing for reps with Reed, UDFA Cayson Rodgers, and UDFA Mike Brantly.

At defensive end, we see 2022 UDFA Elieser Blake slightly edging out UDFA DEs Dallas Dobbs and Black Kuechly, while former Baylor OLB Ashaad Anderson looks to transition to DE in an attempt to even have an NFL career.

The defensive secondary is relatively thin, with the Vikings relying on Day Two picks to fill out the bulk of their early-projected 55 man roster. Alfredo-Nix Jones was the top drafted strong safety of the class, and finds himself in a training camp battle with Christopher Chapman, though the FA vet has the early edge. LaDarius Lockett and Darnell Hale terrorized the Big Ten quarterbacks the last two years, finding themselves as part of the Vikings mass draft class. James Davison and Anthony Shelton did much of the same in the Big 12, but as lesser draft prospects, come to the Vikings as UDFAs. And Brogan Teague, a unicorn of a rarity as a white cornerback, looks to cling to the roster, doing everything he can to harass the special teams coaches in hopes of making a name for himself.

Linebacker has been a revolving door since the inception of the Vikings, with only Jeffrey Kersting remaining of the Vikings initial pool players. Anthony Williams battled into special teams reps last year and managed 8 ST tackles, and was poised to start at ILB for a hot minute during the initial off season stages this year. The Vikings, however, opted to bring in Narinder Beckmann as their projected starting MLB, and signed B.J. Geathers and Ziggy Sands to compete for the backup role. Austin Armstead was someone the Vikings thought very highly of throughout the draft process, but in looking to convert the former Penn State ILB to OLB at the pro level, waited until priority UDFA to sign the prospect. Spencer Lacombe, at 6'2", 255, adds a thick frame to potential running down formations. And Adrian Nicholson spent 2022 on the Vikings practice squad, one of the rare holdover 2022 rookies to survive the offseason on the Vikings roster. 

OFFENSE

Where the Vikings competition seems to be focused comes at some of the flashier offensive positions. 

Through early media availability sessions, the Vikings have been focused on involving a 2nd running back even more, although not as a traditional fullback so much as an additional, short-range weapon. For the 2nd year in a row, the tight end position appears to be a jumbled, inexperienced group, and so the Vikings have been wanting to get Christian Sinnock easier outlets to help cut down on his forcing of passes when under pressure. Cooper McGough is the clear primary ball carrier, but with Minnesota adding Aldrick Ynoa in the 3rd round, they want defenses to commit to the box. Doug Brothers was also brought in with a draft selection, and the Ohio State grad appears primed to see used at both Vikings RB positions, though in early camp he's stuck to backing up McGough. Robert Thomas was 2nd in the nation in rushing yards in 2021, and the Vikings used his versatility as a rookie to define an entire role in their offense - perhaps at Thomas' expense. Thomas returned kicks and punts for the majority of the 2022 campaign, ousting 2022 priority UDFA Le'Veon Caminero from the roster, which came as a surprise to many since Caminero was the college roommate of Alex Williams III, and was initially brought in along with fellow Badger Austin Bishop to help transition Williams III to life in the pros. Thomas will have to compete with a variety of flashy athletes for return duties in 2023, but he'll also have to compete with the decorated Bene' Humber for a shot at a RB role.

Quarterback, on the other hand, is relatively straight forward. Christian Sinnock is the clear starter; young, signed long-term at a team-friendly rate, and showing massive improvement. Sinnock passed for over 5,000 yards in 2022, and despite losing perhaps the best wide receiver in the league, his numbers may not dip as much as one might expect. Backing up Sinnock is going to be a tough competition, but the Vikings loved Derrick Marshall throughout the draft process enough to assign him a mid-round grade. Minnesota eventually took him in early Round 7, cementing his status above the other quarterbacks on the roster. Austin Bishop started the season finale last year, looking "good for a UDFA starting QB", but not good enough to come into the off-season worry free. The Vikings hosted a veteran QB on a free agent visit before he ultimately signed elsewhere, and the Vikings used one of their five league-regulated predraft workouts on the rookie above him on the DC, Marshall. Minnesota very publicly made a round of UDFA calls post-draft, with Justin DeShields even seen posting a public snapchat in a Vikings sweatshirt from a gate at MSP, but they eventually landed on Northwestern's Randy Madson, who will likely be little more than a camp arm. 

At tight end, the Vikings gutted their entire 2022 TE corps. They made an eyebrow raising selection of Conner Pence in the 4th round, who was productive at Oklahoma but not considered a starting-tier prospect in the pros. Carl White, a 26-year-old, unsigned receiver, will make his pro debut against the Raiders, having signed with the Vikings to compete with Pence for early TE1 reps. Pence has shown an ability in rookie sessions, but White is the go-to guy for now when the Vikings do first team reps. Behind them, like in 2022, is a trio of UDFAs looking to crack the 55. In 2022, D.J. Neverauskas beat out Pat Mathieu (and some other TE who Im blanking the name of, he was that good) for, initially, a spot on the roster, and then post-John Hendrickson, the starting role. Neverauskas was signed to just a 1-year deal, and the Vikings purged Mathieu and (Mike Smith? again, very quality TE) from the roster. Brandin Castillo is UConn's All-Time Receiving TD leader, both career and season wise, with 9 career receiving TDs, 6 of them coming this past season. At 6'4", 227, Castillo resembles a big wide receiver more than a traditional tight end, though with the Vikings he's been focusing entirely on TE. Matt Hwang from App State fits the "big WR" mold even moreso, at 6'5", 229. Hwang's junior season saw him lead the team with 5 touchdowns, but his senior season saw him as much more of an afterthought in the red zone offense, posting just a single score. And Zack Leyba made a name for himself at Michigan, catching the eye of Vikings scouts in his 7 reception, 95 yard game at Kansas in 2022. Leyba led Michigan in receiving yards during 2022, but post-Kansas managed just 43 receptions for 495 yards and 2 scores. Leyba is likely going to be a "multiyear practice squad" caliber player, and time will tell if he's given that opportunity to develop.

On the offensive line, the five starters heading into September are all locked in. The left side of the line - Charles Seay, Louis Perez, and Darren Willard - is made up of returning Vikings starters. The right guard position was a revolving door in 2022, but the Vikings made a trade for 2nd year, 2022 Steelers 2nd round selection Darren Woodson-Luster, who will earn starting reps at right guard over his natural center position. And right tackle is currently manned by Steve Kozel, a FA signing, although there's been pushes internally for the Vikings to try 2nd year, Washington-selected center/Vikings 6th OL Quinterrius Parsons at right tackle. Parsons, in the meantime, will likely back up the entirety of the interior come the start of the season, though for the Raider game, will stick to playing backup center. Ronald King was a FA signing to play right guard, but with the additions of Woodson-Luster and Parsons, finds himself looking for a roster spot, lining up as a reserve LG. Fernando Zapata was a Viking last year, though his career is winding down and the Vikings don't owe him any guaranteed money if he doesn't make the final roster. Cesar Barnes and Mike Wynn were drafted interior offensive linemen who have immediately struggled adapting to the pro game, and will likely be practice squad fodder for this season at the least. And Danny Syndergaard was on the roster in 2022, playing 42 snaps. 

To the common fan, talking trenches - especially offensively - is sleepy, paint-drying experience. But for Vikings faithful, the thickest competition might be on the offensive edge - tackle. Rookie Elijah Greene and 2022 UDFA Brandon Gwynn have been taking reps on both sides of the line, with many considering Greene all-but-locked for a roster spot this fall. Gwynn, a tackle by trade, played right guard at times for the Vikings as a rookie, earning himself a mammoth +5 progression despite being a UDFA. Rookie UDFA Jared Simon played with Greene at Bowling Greene, though the Vikes currently view him as a left tackle prospect rather than his draft-listed guard. Iowa State's noted Esmil Bertolet was a mauling OT in the Big 12, but the Vikings are kicking him inside for the time being to get him OL reps. Diego Walker IV, another mauler in the Big 12, kicks outside from his Baylor-listed guard spot to Vikings RT. And Braden Anger, another one of just five Vikings-hosted workout players, played OT for the Wisconsin Badgers, but due to his smaller stature the Vikings are lining him up inside. 

For something less confusing to the casual eye, we turn to the Vikings receiver position grouping. Mathew Madden is gone, but Alex Williams III is immediately stepping into the WR1 role after a successful rookie showing. Paul Gurule returns as WR2. Everything beyond that is rabid competition. The Vikings drafted Brock Scott and Ty Mizzell, and they're both looking at early reps in the slot. 2022 Mr. Mankato Oswaldo Urrutia isn't a lock to make the roster, though he also fits into a slot role. And then UDFA's Jurrell Walker IV and Danny Cichy will push each other in a crowded room. Austin Clark has yet to see a single WR practice rep in team drills, but he signed on midway through 2022 and became a STU standout with 6 ST tackles on 417 snaps, adding 2 KR for 48 yards. Clark isn't an outright lock for the roster, but his speed and standing with the ST coach will certainly give him a leg up, even if he never lines up at a listed offensive position. Marco Ngata was a practice squad WR in 2022 who is still around for his comfortability with Austin Bishop.

On the outside, behind AWIII and Gurule, it gets interesting. Matt Aboushi, a UDFA out of Old Dominion, was once considered a 5-star recruit, and he put up seasons of 42/877/3, and 87/1393/7. Aboushi threw up 32 reps at the combine BP drill (3rd to Danny Maronde [4th Round, Patriots] and Alex Henderson [1st Round, Cowboys]). Already tall compared to most WRs at 6'2", he had a 40.01" vertical at the combine (2nd to Jakeem Erlin, 2nd Round, Colts). Aboushi isn't going to outrun a corner with his speed, but with his physical stature, he's a jump ball candidate. Why did he fall through the draft? Perhaps it was his slower 40-time, perhaps we was an afterthought playing at Old Dominion. Several teams around the league removed Aboushi from their draft boards due to his F injury rating. But as a UDFA, with no clear pecking order behind the two starters, Minnesota is a prime opportunity for Aboushi.

Joining Aboushi as a bigger-bodied WR/UDFA is Dustin McCoy, a 6'2", 211lber from Rice. McCoy led Rice in catches/targets/receiving yards as a senior, with rather pedestrian 36/79/489 marks. He also did not catch any touchdowns, and his inactivity in the stat column compared to many others likely knocked him out of the draft. Rice, however, had a quarterback who could run the ball pretty well - he just couldn't throw it into an Olympic-sized swimming pool if he were standing on the diving board, completing just 45% of his passes. With just 19 receptions for 262 yards as a junior, McCoy really didn't have a stellar highlight tape to sell teams on. He wasn't invited to the combine, and instead had to rely entirely on the few scouts gathered at the Conference USA Pro Day, where he posted a slow 4.54 40, but hammered out 32 bench reps and a 40" vertical. McCoy carried a D- injury grade to many medical experts, and its entirely likely that the Vikings were the only team to give him a call for their roster.

Behind Paul Gurule, the Vikings have the intriguing West Virginia standout, Avery Sterling. Sterling doesn't have the burst to get open in the crowded interior passing game, but his precise route running sliced open Big 12 defenses, earning him a 1,057 yard season with 9 TDs and a 17 yard average. As a junior, Sterling caught just 5 passes for 100 yards, but one of those came as a 50 yard gain that put him in the WVU plans for 2022. With the big bodies ahead of him, Sterling is going to have to continue his impressive footwork to make the roster. 

 

We haven't yet talked about the two fan favorites. While Minnesota Gophers fans didn't have much to cheer about in the W column, their vaunted defense has become legend of lore. The Vikings drafted Eric Kieshnick in the 7th round, and there's been talk of the rookie making big plays in the way that 2022 6th rounder Mitch Rivers did as a rookie throughout camp. Like last year, when the Vikings brought Alex Williams III' college roommate Le'Veon Caminero in, the Vikings also brought in the college roommate of Kieshnick - strong safety Tyler Moss. Moss, seemingly every Minnesota co ed's favorite player, was a standout in the box, recording 74.5 tackles, 9 TFL, and 2 INT. Kieschnick had added 28 TFL and 10.5 sacks in 2022. While many in Mankato crowd the autograph lines for Marcus Sirles and Aldrick Ynoa, there's been an equal crowd for the 7th round DE and the UDFA SS. 

 

Join us next week, where we dive into the antics of roster construction, team bonding, and recap the rustle with the Raiders.

[tsweezy]

YNOA

home-run hitter of the future confirmed

[Sarge]

This super sick. This is an incredible in depth piece for the Vikes and I'm excited to see how the wave of rookies impact their season.

SKOL or something 

[cultur3]

llamas th mf goat