MANKATO, Minn. — Things are going eerily well for the Minnesota Vikings as they enter their second week of training camp.
Adrian Peterson looks anything but a rusty 30-year-old running back. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has more muscles and a firmer grasp on coordinator Norv Turner’s diverse offense. The defense looks ready for another step in Year 2 under head coach Mike Zimmer.
“I like my team,” Zimmer said. “I like how these guys work.”
Heading into their eighth day of practices on Monday, the Vikings also were in amazingly good health. All of last year’s injured starters, including second-year linebacker Anthony Barr, are back. No starters and no significant backups have missed practice because of injuries sustained in camp. Only cornerback Josh Robinson, who might not even make the team anyway, started camp on PUP (pectoral).
The offensive line has right tackle Phil Loadholt and guard Brandon Fusco back from pectoral injuries. Fusco looks smooth in his transition from right guard to left guard, where he is an upgrade from 2014 starter Charlie Johnson, who contributed to left tackle Matt Kalil’s woeful season a year ago.
At right guard, Zimmer is trying to exercise patience with perhaps the most important position battle in camp. Asked if he had a timeline in mind for his decision at right guard, Zimmer laughed.
“Yeah,” he said. “Yesterday.”
The Vikings thought highly enough of career tackle Mike Harris to give him the first opportunity to win the right guard job. The 6-foot-5, 338-pound Harris has played guard in only one game in his life. He was thrust into last year’s Buffalo game early on when center John Sullivan and right guard Vladimir Ducasse were injured on the same play. The only active interior lineman on the game-day roster that day was Joe Berger, who had to play center.
“I know it won’t be pretty, but I’m going to go in and fight like crazy,” said Harris, who also started the last five games for the injured Loadholt last year.
The other major camp battles at starting positions — middle linebacker and strong safety — were relatively quiet in Week 1 of camp. Audie Cole has worked at middle linebacker ahead of rookie second-round draft pick Eric Kendricks, while Robert Blanton continues to survive at strong safety despite the team’s high hopes for second-year pro Antone Exum to step up and fulfill lofty expectations.
There has, however, been some movement in some of the key battles in the defensive sub packages.
Kendricks is getting more time at middle linebacker in the nickel and could lock that spot down with a good preseason. He is built to be a coverage linebacker and the team is looking to take 32-year-old veteran Chad Greenway out of passing situations.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on rookie first-round draft pick Trae Waynes. He isn’t working with the first team, but he is making a strong move to play in the nickel. He has been getting more reps on the outside at the left corner spot while Terence Newman moves inside over the slot. Waynes’ increased reps in the nickel are coming at the expense of Captain Munnerlyn, a starter a year ago.
The Vikings also are excited about having the extra preseason game to sort things out. They will play the first one Sunday in Canton, Ohio, against the Steelers.
–Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater joked on reporting day that the sweatshirt he was wearing “hides all my (new) muscles.” But the second-year pro does look sturdier, although that’s not saying much.
“He was a little bit thin, I guess is the best way to say it,” said head coach Mike Zimmer, referring to his then-208-pound QB.
The Vikings told Bridgewater to hit the gym hard to pack on some muscle but not exceed 215 pounds. Bridgewater does what he’s told and he came back somewhere in between, he said.
“I was able to put on some weight. Most of it was muscle,” he said. “I’ve been trying to make sure that I’m building myself up to withstand the hits I’m going to take all year and withstand the long season that’s ahead.”
Bridgewater said the extra muscle also has helped his throwing.
“It allows me to have more zip on the ball, but also that comes with technique,” he said. “Sometimes I drop my elbow too low and the ball may sail on me. So some of it is muscle and strength. The other half is technique.”