WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011
Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier
It was a good spirited practice today. We were able to cover a few different situations. Some backed-up, some two-minute, some goal-line, some short yardage which are crucial situations in ball games and areas we want to get better in and hopefully by the time we open the season we’re playing well in those areas. It’s just good to see the guys run around and practicing hard. Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and finish strong prior to getting on that flight heading out to Seattle.
Q: Did Percy Harvin
have a recurrence of the rib injury he suffered earlier?
A: Yeah, it was a little bit sore a couple days ago and just felt like it would probably be wise to hold him back and just let him completely heal as opposed to getting bumped or getting hit. Don’t want any setbacks.
Q: Do you anticipate holding him out Saturday and maybe just getting him in that third preseason game?
A: Yeah, if we don’t do anything with him tomorrow we’ll probably hold him back so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.
Q: There were a lot of new guys sitting out today. Is it just that time in camp where the bumps and bruises catch up?
A: Yeah, that’s part of it. The further you get along you’re going to have some bumps and bruises and fortunately for us, we haven’t had any major issues. There’s nothing more than muscle pulls or strains and you’ll get through those in time.
Q: Is it just a bruise with Percy Harvin or is it something else?
A: No, nothing else. It should be fine.
Q: What was the reason for Greg Camarillo being on the sidelines?
A: Greg has a groin and probably could have done a little bit, but same thing, it’s the second preseason game so just being cautious.
Q: How long will Donovan McNabb play on Saturday?
A: We’re going to try to get him at least a quarter, a quarter and a half, see how many reps they get and see how it goes.
Q: How about Cedric Griffin?
A: At least a series. That’s where we’re thinking right now. We’ll see how he does tomorrow in practice, how he finishes and if he finishes fine we may try to get him a series.
Q: It looks like Jasper Brinkley is getting a little bit more time with that first team defense. Is that still an open competition where he could potentially challenge Erin Henderson for that spot?
A: We just want to make sure we cover our bases in case something happens to Erin. We got a guy who we feel comfortable with stepping in that role so we’ll keep rotating him and of course Heath (Farwell) is out and Kenny Onatolu is out. Those are guys we thought would be over there competing as well so we need somebody to step up and Jasper is capable of doing it.
Q: With Donovan McNabb not being in an ideal situation in Washington, it seems like trust is a big issue with him going to a new place. Is that something you had to assure him of before he came or was that just understood?
A: I don’t know if I had to assure him. We have mutual respect for one another. We have history together. I don’t think he ever doubted my trust in him and vice versa. The trust part, it was there from the moment we connected on the phone when the lockout was lifted. It was just a matter of reacquainting ourselves because we hadn’t been around each other for quite awhile.
Q: What was that conversation like?
A: It was very, very positive. He was happy that we were that strongly interested and he was looking forward to getting to Minnesota. It was all positive.
Q: Have you had any communication with (Seahawks Offensive Coordinator) Darrell Bevell this week?
A: No, we haven’t talked this week. I’m sure we’ll talk prior to the game and post-game but no, we haven’t talked yet.
Q: Is it strange to see him on the other sideline?
A: Yeah, it’ll be a little different but he’s a guy I have a lot of respect for and I’m pulling for him to be successful and a good friend, looking forward to seeing him.
Q: There was a report that the Seattle GM called the Vikings to apologize formally for some comments in the media that said that they thought Tarvaris Jackson wasn’t handled the right way. Did you know about that or did you receive any part of that apology?
A: No, I’m not familiar with that part of it. Rick (Spielman) might be able to answer that but no, I don’t know much about that.
Q: What are your impressions with Mistral Raymond so far?
A: Glad to have him back in practice. He’s practiced well these couple days he’s been out there. He’s a guy we’re anxious to take a look at in a game situation but we feel pretty good about his athleticism and how well he’s picked up things on defense. Now it’s a matter of how he plays against other opponents but we’re looking forward to watching him play.
Q: From what you’ve seen in practice, how does he differ from Jamarca Sanford or Tyrell Johnson?
A: His length shows up. He’s a long guy and the fact that he’s played corner just tells you that he has the athleticism to match up with tight ends and even backs out of the backfield so hopefully it will translate into being a good safety and he can tackle which is key to being a good safety.
Q: How much harder has it been to evaluate the undrafted free agents when these guys really didn’t have a whole lot of familiarity?
A: Yeah, I mean that is something that all the teams in the league are dealing with and we just try to put them out there and try and get as many looks as we can. We have to be able to do that again this week. It puts really a premium on preseason games, you know you are going to play those younger guys probably a little bit more than you would during a normal offseason, because we have not had enough exposure to them. You don’t want to turn loose a potentially good player because he has not picked up the system or you haven’t seen him enough, so we have to let them play.
Q: Obviously Tarvaris (Jackson) feels like he has something to prove, do you expect to see better things out of him than what he showed in his first preseason game just knowing him as you do?
A: Well, I wish nothing but the best for Tarvaris (Jackson). He was good for us when he was here when he won the NFC North with him. I hope he does well in Seattle. I told him that on the phone when I talked to him after the lockout was lifted. I hope he does well. This is a preseason game, I hope he does well in the regular season, and I hope he has a good career.
Q: There has been a lot of competition for the last wide receiver spot, has anybody separated themselves in that regard and how can they do that? Is special teams a big part of that?
A: Special teams would be a major part of who that fourth and fifth receiver will be on our roster. We were just talking about that last night in our staff meetings and trying to identify guys. These next two preseason games, along with our final one, will probably have as much to do with that as anything. We have to find guys who are in that fourth receiver spot who can play special teams as well.
Q: Remi (Ayodele) said that in coming here he was actually surprised that Kevin Williams welcomed him and showed him some things. He said that is kind of the philosophy of the defense and in other teams he has not found that to be true. Do you find that has been the philosophy that it doesn’t matter where you have been before or how long you have been here, everyone should embrace and help?
A: Yeah, I mean that is the way we have tried to do it. Kevin (Williams) is a great player and just like Remi (Ayodele), I have been other places where that is not the case, especially where there are great players and they are more concerned about self and you are pretty much on your own if you are a new guy coming in. Our guys in Jared Allen to Kevin (Williams) to Adrian (Peterson), I mean they want to see other guys succeed. They are confident in who they are and not overly concerned about somebody trying to take my spot. It is just a credit to their character, the type of people they are.
Q: Coach Singletary talked to the guys after practice. Does anything come to mind about what he was talking about?
A: Actually that was Aeneas Williams talking after practice. As you guys know, he was a great player in our league, future Hall of Famer, and he is going to be talking to our rookies in a rookie life skills session that we are going to have this afternoon. He did a great job and they all have a lot of respect for him.
Q: How did that come about?
A: When we made the decision to have something set up for our rookies to help them with areas off the field, he was one of the speakers that we asked to come. He is speaking now across the country, among other things, and his credibility as a player and what he is doing now, we thought it would be a plus for our rookies as we are trying to take them through how to handle things from a financial standpoint and just dealing with life skills in general. Aeneas (Williams), I don’t know if there is a greater example as to handle the NFL along with balancing life off of the field.
Q: Do you go back with him personally or do you know him?
A: I know him pretty good, did a internship with the Cardinals when Buddy Ryan was the head coach and Aeneas was a young defensive back at the time and worked with him there and stayed in touch. He went to Southern University and I went to Alcorn, so we had a mutual little side going on who had the best school (laughing). Yeah just a great player and a great person as well.
Q: Is that rookie school something you do every year or something that is new?
A: I think we have done it most years. This year is a little bit different, ordinarily we would have done it in the offseason, but you know there was no offseason, so we carried it over into training camp.
Q: You have three veteran tight ends who have played a lot of games for you and you draft one in the second round. Are you flexible with how many you keep at that spot?
A: We are and you know that will probably have some effect at what we do at fullback, you know on how many tight ends we actually keep. We are going through that process as well just trying to determine is it a fullback or is it a fourth tight end or three tight ends?
Q: Has (Allen) Reisner, the undrafted rookie from Iowa, caught your eye at all?
A: Yeah, he has done some good things and we really want to take a good look at him this weekend to see where he is and to see if he can contribute to our team.
Q: What do you like about Ryan D’Imperio, he seems to be catching a lot of balls out of the backfield. Is he doing that pretty well?
A: That is what he does best. I mean he has good hands coming out of the backfield and you know Ryan (D’Imperio) is a guy who was a linebacker in college and didn’t play fullback, so every day is a little bit different for him and he is learning and he has done well. That first year under his belt has made a difference and he has come back in this camp with a better knowledge of what it takes to be a fullback. The fact that he can catch the football is a big deal for us in short yardage situations, but he is a tough guy who can lead for Adrian (Peterson) as well, so he has a chance.
Q: It doesn’t seem like Anthony (Herrera) was doing quite as much in full team today as he did yesterday is there a little soreness and how would you gauge his progress?
A: You know actually we kept the numbers about the same, but yesterday he was fine and he came back this morning and he said he felt pretty good, so we will see how he feels tomorrow. You have to consider a torn ACL and then coming back and getting out here and moving around is going to be a little bit sore, but not to the point where we can’t give him a little bit more. We will see how he feels tomorrow.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011
Vikings Quarterback Donovan McNabb
Q: Is there a certain number of plays or series you want to get during the preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks?
A: When you look at the situation that we’re in coming off of two series in the first game, I’d probably say a quarter, a quarter-and-a-half. Same thing as [head coach] Leslie [Frazier] would say. Obviously he’s the coach and he makes that decision. I think for players, we just have to prepare like we’re playing the whole game or playing a half, whatever it may be and let him make the decision as we continue on. I think the most important thing for us as an offense is just to continue this thing rolling, try to get in the end zone, put some points on the board, get some big plays, move the chains, converting on third-downs. Those are things that obviously we can work on in this particular game that we’ll benefit from in the season
Q: Can you tell where you’re at on offense so far?
A: Yeah, we’re very excited where we’re at right now. But yet it’s still a work in progress. We made some big plays out here, running as well as throwing the ball, communication-wise I think the chemistry is flowing where we need it to be. But again, it’s just the beginning and we want to continue to get better each day.
Q: How would you describe the chemistry between you and the offensive line at this point?
A: The chemistry and the communication is definitely there. Myself and Sully [center John Sullivan] as well as Hutch [guard Steve Hutchinson] and [guard Anthony] Herrera, just in the interior have really been communicating and seeing things the same. And obviously when you do that, your communication expands outside to the tackles and we’ll all be on the same page. Obviously there are different looks that we’ll see each and every week, and we’ve just got to continue to get better and better with that. I’m excited about what we’ve been able to do since everybody’s been able to practice, the way that we’ve continued to improve.
Q: Have you found a difference in the timing with the offensive line this week?
A: I have. Not to say we’re perfect by any means or we’re ready to go at this particular time. Obviously this is Week-2-and-a-half for me, so I’m excited to see the progression that we’ve made and excited about what we’ve been able to do on the outside with the receivers and our running game. Again, there’s a lot of things we’ve got to clear up, but yet and still just looking at it, we’ve done some good things.
Q: Are there differences between what the Vikings’ offense asks the quarterbacks to do compared to the other offensive systems and teams you’ve played in during your career?
A: I’ve only been in two other offenses [laughing]. I’ve been in one offense for 11 years [Philadelphia] and it’s [Minnesota’s offense] very similar to what I was asked to do in Philadelphia, and I have no problem with that and enjoy that because of the guys that we have on the outside and obviously the man-child [running back Adrian Peterson] we have behind me [jokingly]. The thing about it when you have guys that can make plays, you try to find ways to create plays for them. [Offensive coordinator] Bill [Musgrave] is going to do that, and he’s done a great job with that out here. These guys have really stepped up and stepped up to the challenge to make those plays and we’ve had a lot of success so far.
Q: Have you given quarterback Joe Webb any advice on his decisions on when to run the ball and when to stay in the pocket and pass?
A: Joe’s a guy who can create plays. He’s a playmaker. Obviously people kind of look on the outside and say, ‘he runs too much,’ or what. But he’s done a great deal of stuff in the pocket as well. And he’s learning, he’s learning. Obviously it’s the same with Christian Ponder, they’re learning. And I’m learning as well. Even though this is year 13 for me, I try to learn and take things every year. And Joe’s a guy that once he gets his comfort level, and he’s had it out here, he’s got one of the strongest arms probably in the NFL, so he can get the ball downfield. He’s done a great job of going through his progression in the offense and the same with the rest of the guys as well.
Q: With the lockout, do you view the third and fourth preseason games differently as you had earlier in your career?
A: No [laughing]. Preseason is to get in, get your work done and get out, and that’ll never change, just like Training Camp. It might be cut down, but it’s still Training Camp, maybe if they change the name or something, just call it Happy Home or something [joking], I don’t know. Maybe people will feel better. We’ve really taken this time of being with each other and being out on the field together to really benefit us, although things have been shorter. But it’s still benefiting us and we’re spending time and getting that chemistry that we need and hopefully when the whistle blows come September, we’ll be ready to go.
Q: Did you ever talk to Brett Favre about the situation of playing quarterback in Minnesota?
A: Well Brett wasn’t here that long, so, no, I didn’t talk to Brett [laughing]. But I’m from Chicago so I know a little bit about this whole Midwest thing and I’ve known [coach] Leslie [Frazier] for a numerous amount of years. A lot of these guys, I came and got drafted with in ’99 or I’ve played against. I just communicated with that. I don’t really talk too much about anything else. I noticed the great fan support here, great living, some great food out here, the weather’s pretty nice right now, great food out here, great food out here too [laughing].
Q: Didn’t Tarvaris Jackson used to bend your ear a little bit?
A: Tarvaris and I definitely kept in contact a lot while he was here, and I’m excited about his opportunity in Seattle. I thought it would come a little earlier being here in Minnesota, but still you just have to be patient and that was one thing that I tried to stress with him was just patience. I think as a player, you want it to happen now, and we all thought it would happen. But obviously when they brought Brett [Favre] in, things changed a little bit. In this game, things aren’t always going to go your way. I obviously learned that last year [laughing]. But you just have to put it behind you and move forward.
Q: Specifically about the offensive line, how has tackle Charlie Johnson come along being in a similar situation as yourself joining a new team at the beginning of Training Camp?
A: Charlie has really picked up on things well. Obviously you want that bond with your backside tackle. He’s getting a good feel of the things that I do sometimes in the pocket when I feel pressure, and I’m getting a good feel with him, getting adjusted to my snap count where he can jump the defensive end and get a bead on things. If he’s a guy who works with his hands, or he’s kind of a body-catcher guy, I’m learning that. But he’s done a great job. He’s done a great job. Again, a lot of things that we’ve been doing, we’ve had some highs and had some lows but that happens in camp, so it’s a learning experience for all us because we’re learning about each other.
Q: After the first preseason game, do you have a sense of how close the offense is to being in the same rhythm?
A: I think we’re very close. But again, it’s really just come back to consistency, of just running the right routes at the same depth. As a quarterback, putting it in that same position where he can come out of his break and expect the ball there. Knowing how some people’s speeds are a lot different than other on go balls or skinny posts whatever it may be. Those are things that we’re learning. You’re going to have some great plays, you’re going to have some plays that as a quarterback you miss, or you come off just a little bit. But you take this time to take full advantage of that so when the time comes and the whistle blows, you’re ready to go.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011
Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer
Q: How many opportunities do you want to get the punt returners and kick returners just to be able to evaluate them for game situations?
A: Well obviously punt returners as many as we can. On kickoff returns obviously you don’t want the opposing team to score a lot of points. What I’d like to do on Saturday against Seattle is get every punt returner a few reps and each kickoff returner at least two reps.
Q: The 40-yard return Jaymar Johnson had at Tennesee was pretty good.
A: Yeah it was good. It was well blocked. I thought he did a nice job of finding the seam. We have some young guys out there that need to learn how to finish plays which is what we worked hard on this week; and then we might even score.
Q: Lorenzo Booker had the knuckle ball the other day.
A: Oh yeah that was nasty. I had Brett Kern in Denver and he has developed that knuckle ball since he has left and it’s a really effective punt. I felt bad for the kid because it was a plus-50 punt and the thing was high and it was coming down nasty. As soon as I saw it coming, I was like, ‘oh boy here we go.’ He made the right decision by not returning it and I just told him he’s got to get out of the way a little bit quicker. Yeah, that made me nervous.
Q: You guys tried to put Lorenzo Booker through a lot of tests the other night just to try and get used to everything?
A: Yeah, he’s a guy we’re going to rely on in special teams in the return game and in the coverage game.
Q: Do you think about having your guys kick off from the 30-yard line and get away with it?
A: I don’t want to say anything about that. I’ve got my opinions and I don’t want to say anything about that.
Q: What was it like seeing it kicked off from the 35-yard line in a game situation for the first time?
A: You know Ryan Longwell and I have talked about it before. Obviously its going to help him; his first kickoff was a little below average but his second kickoff was outstanding. It was a great kick; it was over four seconds. It was one yard deep and you guys saw the result. So that’s something that we’re going to try to emphasize when we do kick it deep, you know, get it around a yard or two deep, get it around a four-second hang-time, which I think we’ll be able to do consistently at home. We should be okay I hope. You know just keep playing hard and getting the right guys in there.
Q: After a lockout like this, does even a veteran like Ryan Longwell have some rust to knock off or did he come in pretty sharp?
A: You know I think for a guy like him, it’s more important to come in rested. He came in, and his legs, he had done some work. He hadn’t kicked a lot since the season had ended, and I think maybe for a young guy to stay proficient he needs to kick a little bit more, but for a guy like Ryan I don’t think so. He came in rested, he came in with a great frame of mind, he came in ready to work and did a great job this camp.
Q: Do you think more guys are going to be more apt to come out from five yards and deeper in the endzone?
A: Probably five yards definitely. And for me, being in Denver the last two years, we put them five yards deep because everybody kicked them so far at home in Denver. In order to have any return game and I thought we had a couple decent returners; we were going to bring it out. So for most people I think it will be five. The Jets the other night I think were seven yards deep. That might be too deep for me and our head coach to bring it out because we’ll take it at the twenty. Obviously you’d rather have it at the twenty than inside the twenty. But anytime you have a good return game and you’re feeling good about it that week, I think you’re going to be more aggressive.
Q: Do you think some of these northern teams, where the ball might not carry as much when you get to colder weather, are going to have fewer touchbacks?
A: Yeah, outdoor teams in the cold, unless they have a very strong-legged kicker, I know Mason Crosby up in Green Bay has a strong leg and he’ll do a great job up there kicking from the 35. I know they’ve got Robbie Gould in Chicago who will do the same thing, thirty-five is going to help him. But yeah, I would say that as it gets colder, just like every other year, that that five yards is going to help most of those teams.
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Minnesota Vikings : News
