Despite nearly every player being in attendance, outside wide receiver Justin Jefferson, for voluntary organized team activities up to this point, expect to see quite a few players not in attendance this week.

Minnesota Vikings’ veterans given week off, youngsters not so much

According to Andrew Krammer (Star Tribune – Access Vikings), head coach Kevin O’Connell has given veterans with at least five years into the league or older the entire week off the last installment of organized team activities.

This will be the first time in O’Connell’s tenure where he’s allowed veterans to miss any sort of time in organized team activities, leaving questions over how “voluntary” these OTAs really are.

The Minnesota #Vikings are back in action for voluntary OTAs this week (June 10-13)🔥

However, HC Kevin O’Connell has given veterans with at least 5 years into the league or older the entire week off, per @andrew_krammer via @AccessVikings.

“Sounds like veterans who are at… pic.twitter.com/oj9B2VnsNu

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) June 10, 2024

Sounds like veterans who are at least five years into the league or older will get the entire next week off for the Vikings. So Kevin O’Connell is extending a little bit of an olive branch to his veterans. But you young guys got to stick around for the voluntary stuff.

Andrew Krammer (Star Tribune – Access Vikings)

Related: Do the Minnesota Vikings Care if They’re Competitive in 2024?

Jokes aside, I think this is the expectation at most NFL camps. When you are trying out for a job, it’s probably best you be in attendance, even when said attendance might be “voluntary”. As O’Connell put it last week, he emphasizes mental progress over physical endurance at this stage of offseason practices.

What’s in store for the remainder of the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason?

Outside of the last session of voluntary organized team activities this week, there’s nothing else between now and the start of Vikings Training Camp. Vikings Training Camp dates haven’t been officially announced yet by the team, but usually Training Camp starts at the end of July and goes through most of August.

The #Vikings preseason schedule has been officially announced:
🏴‍☠️ Las Vegas #Raiders: 08/10 at 3PM CT
🐶 at Cleveland #Browns: 08/17 at 3:25PM CT
🦅 at Philadelphia #Eagles: 08/24 at 12:00PM CT

📸: @Vikings pic.twitter.com/b4Qql1foG7

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) June 7, 2024

Outside of Training Camp, the Minnesota Vikings’ preseason schedule was officially finalized. They’re preseason schedule:

• Las Vegas Raiders on August 10th at 3PM CST
• At Cleveland Browns on August 17th at 3:25PM CST
• At Philadelphia Eagles on August 24th at 12:00PM CST

Related: Has Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Opened a Super Bowl Window for the Vikings?

In addition to the preseason games, the Browns will be hosting the Minnesota Vikings’ for joint practices beginning the week of August 12th. We’re still a few months out from the Minnesota Vikings heading to New York to take on the Giants on September 8th, but we are one day closer to Vikings’ football. That, in itself, is a good thing.

The Media was finally able to get a glimpse at the early stages of the 2019 Minnesota Vikings today, without one of their star players.  Stefon Diggs was the only player from the current 90-Man roster who hasn’t shown up through the first two days.  The good news is, after practice, Kirk Cousins confirmed that Diggs will be there tomorrow and that he looks forward to Stefon being there.

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Kirk Cousins said today he expects Stefon Diggs to return tomorrow for the #Vikings’ third OTA. “That will be fun to have him back.”

— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) May 22, 2019

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Talk about sending Viking fans into a frenzy (something that has seemed to be the norm this off-season).  I mean, the fans are always a little crazy, but this offseason, I feel like the table has been full, and the takes have been hotter than ever before.

One of the biggest real talkers of the off-season was the Offensive Line, and how the front-5 would shake out after the Vikings signed Josh Kline, and drafted both Garrett Bradbury and Dru Samia.  Today, we got our answer…  Sort of.  4 of the 5 projected starters were practicing today.  Rashod Hill stepped in at RT for Brian O’Neill who wasn’t practicing because of something undisclosed.  The OL from right to left was Hill, Kline, Bradbury, Elflein, Reiff.

When the 1’s were getting reps, it was Pat Elflein at LG and (R) Garrett Bradbury at C.  The mystery is over, the decision has been made and we can now put that topic to bed.

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via GIPHY

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Others missing from practice today included David Morgan (injury), Tashawn Bower (injury), Mike Hughes (Rehabbing the ACL), and Linval was active, but due to off-season surgery was a spectator.  It’s May 22nd, let’s not read too much into guys being dinged up, it’s most likely just nagging from the previous season, and these guys want to be 100% healthy before they get out there and give it a go.

Another of my OTA talkers was at WR3, and what on earth the Vikings are going to do about it.  Maybe a surprise to some (not to me), but Jordan Taylor saw reps with the 1st team with Stefon Diggs being absent and Laquon Treadwell saw reps with the 2’s.  Again it’s May 22nd.  But, the Vikings have given Treadwell every opportunity for these last 3 seasons, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they are keeping him on the roster as a Special Teams guy, and just holding the door for him at the end of the 2019 season.   Also worth noting: Jeff Badet, who to some is a “Dark Horse” in that WR Room, absolutely left Duke Thomas in the dust on a vertical route today.  With the departure of Aldrick Robinson to Carolina, Jeff Badet is definitely a name to keep an eye on.

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There is fast…

And then there is @JeffBadet__ fast.#MinnesOTAs pic.twitter.com/hk423Yu2cN

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 22, 2019

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Can we just fast-forward to August, where the Twins playoff run is heating up, we’re sitting in the Gopher press box, and talking about REAL Vikings’ football games about to get underway???

Brian Heintz | Minnesota Sports Fan

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