It’s OT-Ayeeeeee SZN!!!

OTA’s (Organized Team Activities) are here. I wrote this article last week and 457 outlets have written the same thing since, with the first OTA practice taking place today. Let’s be honest, we’re all looking for and talking about the same shit:

• Who’s at center ?
• Is Kyle Rudolph wearing #82 or is Irv Smith Jr?
• Does Dru Samia have a legit shot at starting at RG?
• What WR wants the WR3 job the most?

As we rapidly approach the beginning of the 2019 campaign, those are some of the talkers that will be worth watching as OTA’s get underway.

With the Vikings taking Garrett Bradbury 18th overall, all the talk has been about moving Pat Elflein to LG and having Bradbury take over at Center.  Coach Zimmer was pretty coy about it post draft, but said they had an idea, and they’d come to a decision quickly befoer moving forward.  At rookie camp, Bradbury took the bulk of his reps at Center but did get some work at Guard, too. Zimmer’s probably just messing with us, as we itch to see the plan up-front.  The OL play will make or break this season. I wholeheartedly believe, that if we run out a top 15 OL, we have a legit shot at 11-12 wins and an ability to make some noise come playoff time.

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The Kyle Rudolph saga continues.

Kyle made it known that there will be no pay-cut, as he claimed he is “too young” for that.  This is the last year of his deal and he will become an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2020. Eric Kendricks agreed to restructured his deal, allowing the team to sign Bradbury with enough Cap Space to keep Rudolph’s current cap number on the roster.

Irv Smith picked the number 84 because he said he needed a change (he’s got 82 tattooed on his arm) so whether it’s this year or next, I think we’ll see Irv in #82 eventually.  If the Vikings can get something higher than a compensation pick for Rudolph then we might see some action, but if not, I have no problem keeping him on the roster for 2019-20, then letting him walk when his contract is up, afterward.

Dru Samia will be a very interesting name to watch, as OTA’s get underway too.  Dru said during rookie camp that he had gotten up to 311 lbs, which was one of the concerns coming out (getting over 300lbs), so that is a good start.  Josh Kline was brought in to replace Mike Remmers, but Samia has a chance to win the job. Regardless of what happens, we know we have solid depth at RG, something we’ve been needing BADLY.

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What Happens at WR3?

This may end up being the most fun storyline of OTA’s, minicamp, and training camp.  Laquon Treadwell’s 5th year option wasn’t picked up this offseason so we can continue to expect nothing from him and the Vikings were active in their attempt to find a replacement.  In-house they have Chad Beebe who, when healthy, can be a very good player. “When healthy” is the key phrase there.

Jordan Taylor is another intriguing name, coming off of hip surgery. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs.  Olabisi Johnson and Dillon Mitchell were added via the Draft, and from the highlights that came out of rookie minicamp, these guys have some skills.  They are obviously raw, coming in as late round picks, but there are reasons to be excited.  And by excited, I mean given the production we’ve gotten from Treadwell (56 catches 517 yards 1 TD in 3 seasons), anything would be an improvement.

Brian Heintz | Minnesota Sports Fan