Another round of observations and items from the Vikings’ Organized Team Activity practice on Tuesday.
The team is scheduled to have one more OTA on Thursday — that one won’t be open to the media — before holding its two-day mandatory minicamp next Tuesday and Wednesday at TCO Performance Center.
Rookie quarterback will be a work in progress
This much appears clear when it comes to rookie quarterback Jaren Hall: The fifth-round quarterback will be brought along slowly and Nick Mullens appears to be very safe in the backup role.
Kirk Cousins and Mullens both received snaps in a two-minute drill Tuesday — Cousins with the starters, Mullens with the backups — while Hall watched and learned. Hall did not get a chance to run the drill.
This isn’t a cause for concern, but it’s a reminder that the 25-year-old from BYU should be considered more a project than a prospect at this point. Mullens stuck around after practice to help Hall run through the script of plays that he wasn’t involved in during the session.
“Even if it’s just visualization or mental, he’s got young receivers out there right now and they are going through the plays,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “There’s a lot to learn in a short time, but so far he’s progressed really well.
“He’s learning how to play in an NFL system. They have a great program at BYU and their system is great for what they do. But there’s definitely some different things that he’s had to work on with footwork and kind of tying your feet to the reads, which is a little different than maybe what he’s done.”
Josh Metellus could become Vikings' Mr. Versatility
One thing that stands out in watching the Vikings’ defense practice under new coordinator Brian Flores is just how much work safety Josh Metellus has been getting.
The thing is it isn’t just at safety.
Metellus is lining up all over the place — Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum remain the first-team safeties — and creating havoc for the offense. Clearly, the thought is he will do the same against opponents. Dropping into coverage on one play, blitzing on the next.
Metellus, a fourth-year player from Michigan, brings both athletic ability and smarts.
“I think a lot of it is just Coach Flo’s trust in me to learn multiple spots,” Metellus said. “So far, in a game, I’ve played nickel and safety. I moved around and played dime last year a little bit. It was already on tape that I can play those spots. It was just a trust in my ability to learn all of the system fast and get out there and help the team. That’s really what it all comes down to.”
Metellus acknowledged that absorbing so much is tough, before adding, “I love football, so learning the whole defense, I was planning on doing that anyway. So now they’re telling me to do it, so it already falls into what I was planning on doing. It’s just learning the defense as a whole instead of just my spot at safety. I wouldn’t say it’s hard, it’s just more work than learning one spot.”
Metellus, a special-teams standout last season, said he also hopes to continue those duties as long as possible.
Minicamp will tell us plenty about Justin Jefferson and Danielle Hunter's contract situations
The Vikings’ OTA on Tuesday was the third that was open to the media and it marked the third at which wide receiver Justin Jefferson and defense end Danielle Hunter were absent. Running back Dalvin Cook also hasn’t been at the sessions, but the expectation from many is his days with the Vikings are over and he will be traded or released in the coming weeks.
Jefferson and Hunter remain important parts of the team, and while the OTAs are voluntary, it’s newsworthy when a top player is absent from all of them.
We should get more clarity on both since next weeks’ minicamp is mandatory and Jefferson and Hunter, both under contract, will be fined if they are absent.
Jefferson has two years left on his rookie contract, but is eligible for an extension and could be looking to cash in as the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Hunter has one year left on his contract, but there is no guaranteed money remaining on his deal and his base salary calls for $4.9 million.
There is little chance he plays for the Vikings in 2023 without a rich contract extension.
If I were a betting man, I think you will see Jefferson at the minicamp but Hunter is a different story. If Jefferson is unhappy with the status of his negotiations, he could show up at TCO but decline to take part in the on-the-field work.
First-round pick remains in a backup role
One thing that will be interesting to watch when training camp opens will be what role 2022 first-round pick Lewis Cine finds himself playing. Cine’s rookie season came to an end in Week 4 when he suffered a compound fracture of his left leg while playing on special teams.
Cine, however, had played only two defensive snaps before the injury, having been beaten out for the starting job by Bynum in offseason workouts. On Tuesday, Cine remained behind Bynum, playing alongside Metellus with the second team.
Smith and Bynum remain the starters, while Metellus is incorporated in different roles with the first team. The broken leg certainly slowed Cine’s progress, but at some point it would be nice to see him competing with Bynum for the top job.
Cine, depending on his progress, could get that chance in the minicamp and training camp. Until that happens, his primary duties will remain playing special teams.
