WEBVTT - MVP: Derik Keyes Talks Player Performance & Working On The Cutting Edge | Episode 155 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:08.639 You know, super Bowl has to be the number one 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:10.119 thing that you think about when you come to work 0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:12.400 every day for sure, no doubt. And so to be 0:00:12.480 --> 0:00:15.480 around a big umbrella of those guys and learn from 0:00:15.520 --> 0:00:19.760 those guys, what better way to do that? You know? 0:00:19.800 --> 0:00:24.160 For me, performance is all encompassing. It's not just weight room, 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:26.520 it's nutrition, it's all of it. And so for me, 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:28.920 like I'm very excited about being able to work with 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:33.960 these guys. This is the Minnesota Vikings Podcast, Episode number 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.000 one hundred and fifty five is the final one of 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:40.320 this offseason before training camp. I'm your host, Tatum Everett. 0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:43.160 We've got producer Jay Nelson here today, but we also 0:00:43.200 --> 0:00:46.480 have Gabe Henderson here after a few weeks hiatus. How's 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:49.839 it going? It's going, feel reston. I feel like a 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:53.279 grown up about a house, figured out how to fix 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:57.040 the garage, figured out how to break a TV, and 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:58.520 then figured out how to make it back to work 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:01.000 in one piece. So everything is good. Wow, I think 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:03.000 you strategically broke the TV so you could get a 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.560 bigger one. Oh so you didn't actually fix it, you 0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:08.880 bought a bigger one. Yeah, that was a good guess 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:14.400 on my end. I understand that mentality. Yeah, this one fell. No, 0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:17.200 we have to get the eighty four. Yeah, I know Julia, 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:19.760 she's not Damn she knew. Oh she told me to 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:21.959 get it. Oh there you go. See that's another story 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:25.039 for another day. But yeah, we basically figured out a 0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:27.880 way to put some stuff in the house in areas 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:31.160 that she didn't get mad. So I've key to happiness. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.679 I've visited the house every night and I come to 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:37.119 work every day she lives there. Yeah, no, I like that. 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:38.960 I might have to start using that in my house. 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:41.280 Hey like that. That's the thing for the two of you. 0:01:41.080 --> 0:01:43.360 You now have new dwellings that you get to kind 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:45.560 of figure out whose room is, who's who gets to 0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:48.000 you know, decorate and deal with everything else. And I 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.120 know any females that are listening right now can totally 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:52.440 relate to this one. I said, you can have a 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:55.280 room to put all of your sports stuff, all of 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:57.920 your you know, video game nerdy kind of things like 0:01:58.040 --> 0:02:00.560 keep it all collectibles, keep it all in one room. 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:03.640 As long as I get the bigger closet, maybe another closet, 0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:06.560 maybe an extra closet, and you know all that stuff. Man, 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:10.839 that's I respect that from Josh, because like Julia knows, 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:12.919 I get the bigger closet, but she gets everything goes 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:15.320 like I have the most. I have been most closed. 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:19.560 So funny anybody that she's ever met. So it's my closet, 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:22.160 her house. I am still living out of a wardrobe box. 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:25.320 We don't have enough things to hold the clothes. Yeah, 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:27.120 I don't know. It's an older home. See, I'm on 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:29.080 the flip side. I've been in that house now for 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:32.200 fifteen years, and I'm at the we need to purge. 0:02:32.240 --> 0:02:33.480 We got to get rid of a life. I mean, 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:35.800 we really try to. But I think the biggest, the 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.520 biggest thing I've noticed is so I've been here a year, right, 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:40.760 Josh has been here about two and a half years. 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.640 We have like eight pairs of snowshoes. We have an 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:46.760 entire clothing rack of snow jackets in the basement, and 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:49.520 literally the closet in the basement is probably now seventy 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.359 five percent winter clothes. We are those people. It's get 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:53.920 into that time of year though. Don't tell me that 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:55.760 I just put them all away. Please don't tell me 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:58.280 that it's July. No, no, no, no, no, It's like 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:03.000 out there camp starting camp is starting, the weather is 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:05.240 going to start turning at least we're hoping for. Oh 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:07.160 it's gonna be so hot at camp though, it really well, 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:10.280 welcome to camp in Minnesota. You know that happens every year. 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:13.280 I enjoy that. I enjoyed like training camp, being out 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.280 there and getting a sweat on, seeing the fans, seeing 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:18.519 everything happen, Like I look forward to that. It really 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:20.839 does kind of ring it all together because we've been 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:23.560 waiting for this for so long. I feel like we 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:25.320 have because you think, well, I guess maybe because it's 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:27.920 just been talking season for so long and I'm really 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.560 tired of talking season. Yeah. It's just like when training 0:03:31.600 --> 0:03:35.200 camp comes, it's just like a whirlwind of stuff. So 0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:37.160 like I look forward to like the fourth of July, 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:39.080 and then after the week of the fourth of July, 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:41.600 it's just like can training camp coming like a month 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:43.760 and set of two weeks. So like, now that we're 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:45.000 in it, it's like it is what it is, no 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:46.960 turning back. But like training camp, to your point, it 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:49.640 is arguably the most fun time of the year. Everyone 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.000 is back in business. We're all I mean, we got 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:54.440 fans back here. I mean, especially after two years ago 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:56.160 and I having fans and having fans for the first 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:58.440 time back last year, but I feel like we'll be 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:01.040 closer to one hundred percent this year. Have that energy. 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:03.840 There's been a lot of excavation around training camp this year, 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:07.160 so having all of that put together into a two 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:10.200 or three week period, I think that the level of 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:12.360 excitement does go up when you think about it from 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:15.320 that perspective. Yeah, And the schedule is also located on 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:18.400 vikings dot com backslash training Camp because sometimes even I 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:20.480 have to go to that website to kind of figure out, Okay, 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:23.359 what's this day, when's the night practice, what's the theme 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:26.760 this day. It's a great tool to use and buy 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:29.200 your tickets because Ascape said, there's gonna be so many 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:33.280 opportunities to watch this team. It's an exciting time. Autographs return, 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:35.880 you know, that's a big draw. That's a huge deal, 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:38.599 and I know that that's something that for years and 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:40.440 years and years everyone always look forward to. In man 0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:42.640 Cato when he came here, we were doing autograph lines 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:46.200 as well. Again, COVID changed everything for the last kind 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:47.680 of couple of years, and they were trying to figure 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:49.120 out what they were going to do in that realm. 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:51.599 But that is one of the things that I also know, 0:04:51.760 --> 0:04:54.720 not only professionally, but personally. I would hear from people saying, 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.960 you are they doing autographs this year? It's a big deal, 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:00.799 and it's something fun because it's that that one personal 0:05:00.839 --> 0:05:02.920 moment they might get with a player that might stick 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:04.840 with them for the rest of their lives. And I 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:07.440 think especially when you see kids in those lines and 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:09.200 just kind of the smiles on their face looking for 0:05:09.240 --> 0:05:11.680 those autographs, it's a huge deal. So it's great to 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:13.320 see it coming back. And I know that they're they're 0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:15.360 working really hard to get people as much access as 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:17.760 they can, and I think the autograph line is something 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:20.040 that's going to be a huge, huge fun thing for 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:21.520 people to be a part of it. I feel like 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:25.360 this might be a stupid question, but the number one 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:27.360 name out there that that fans are going to get 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:33.080 signed things as JJ right, Yeah, Jay Nelson, Yeah took 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:37.200 the fact is I mean Justice has never done that before. Yeah, 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:39.560 and so fans for the first time a training camp. 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:42.720 Can you know anyone drafted from twenty twenty on, this 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.160 is this is it? This is They haven't really interacted 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:48.640 with them necessarily like this in this capacity. Yeah, it's 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:50.640 it's something that you know, they do a really good 0:05:50.720 --> 0:05:52.880 job in the planning stages of all this stuff, getting 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:55.760 everything organized as much as possible and just trying to 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:57.359 make sure that they have, you know, kind of the 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:01.000 adequate amount of people and time and everything allotted for it. 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:03.440 So if they're doing it in a similar fashion as 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:05.880 previous years, that'll be something fun. And again, i mean 0:06:06.000 --> 0:06:09.000 a guy like that, where else do you typically get 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:12.880 access to him? You don't, And so for someone like him, 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:15.719 I think it'll be fun for him, especially with the kids. 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:18.560 I mean, there'll be so many eighteen jerseys. Yeah, yeah, sure, 0:06:18.600 --> 0:06:21.160 so it'll be it'll be fun to see that dynamic, 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:23.360 you know when that happens, And I think there's just 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:24.520 gonna be a lot of people that are gonna be 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:26.640 really excited to be able to have that personal moment 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:28.159 with players this year. I think on top of that, 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:30.360 I'm just thinking of guys like the Cam Dancelers of 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:32.280 the world or the Patrick Peterson's of the world that 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:34.560 just got here the last two years, and they're just like, dude, 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:36.200 we get a chance to be our own fans. Also, 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:39.680 I'm just thinking of Patrick Peterson in particular. Of course, 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:41.920 we know the story of being Arizona and then last 0:06:42.000 --> 0:06:44.240 year things of being weird. So I think a lot 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:46.080 of people understand that he's going to be a future 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:47.760 Hall of Famer and now he's on our team, so 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:49.360 it's like, oh, we get a chance to see JJ, 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:51.080 but we also get a chance to see a future 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:53.599 Hall of Famer in Patrick Peterson that we've been watching 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:56.400 for for years and years. So I think just from 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:59.960 kids to twenty five or thirty year olds or grown men, 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:02.159 and they're going to be excited to see grown women. Also, 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:04.599 they're gonna be excited to see all these players that 0:07:04.680 --> 0:07:07.520 are going to be here. So it's gonna be fun. Yeah, 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:09.960 I think it's fun for the entire family. Well, we're 0:07:10.000 --> 0:07:11.640 gonna get to training Cam talk a little about that 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:14.280 in just a second. But this episode does have a 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:17.520 really cool guest that we're having. We're really kind of 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:20.480 putting a bow and wrapping up our big series with 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:23.480 coaching staff interviews of guys maybe that you haven't really 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.360 heard too much from, especially since they're new to the staff. 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:30.480 But our one today is actually another carryover from the 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:33.480 last couple of seasons. It is assistant director of Player 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:37.280 Performance Derek Keys, and really there's rarely a guy who 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:42.040 knows the players better than Derek. He's always working with them, 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:44.120 working on their performance as far as like you know, 0:07:44.120 --> 0:07:46.400 if you listen to last week's podcast with Tyler Williams, 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.600 it's their weight training, it's their overall health. And so 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:53.440 I thought he was a really really interesting interview. Yeah. 0:07:53.560 --> 0:07:56.120 I know he has the title of Assistant Director of 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:58.240 Player Performance, but a lot of people don't understand that 0:07:58.280 --> 0:08:01.040 he's a he's a life coach. Also, these players really 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.320 they were a magnet towards him because of the energy 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:05.960 he brings. And I know he spends probably ninety percent 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:08.200 of his time in the weight room, but the majority 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:10.280 of his time is spent teaching these guys how to 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:13.240 be grown in and be humans at life. So I 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:16.360 think you need that like you need that in factor 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:18.080 when it comes to a coach, because a lot of 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:21.120 these guys, with their millionaires they come in the world 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:23.320 is in their hands. You have to have somebody there, 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:25.880 especially in the way room, that balances those guys out. 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:28.080 And we know players spend most of their time in 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:30.000 the way room. Ninety percent of their time is spent 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:33.080 with the training staff and the weight training staff. The 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:35.560 other ten percent or five percent spent on the field 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:38.360 and other five percent spent in the meeting room. So 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:42.040 it's always great talking to him, especially a guy like 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:44.760 this with the resume. He was in Cleveland for I 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:46.640 think eight years. I think he did some time in 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:49.080 San Francisco. He has a long history of a track 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:52.000 record of understanding how to connect the players and getting 0:08:52.040 --> 0:08:54.559 the most out of them. So hopefully that will ultimately 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.079 turn into a super Bowl or at least a deep 0:08:57.080 --> 0:08:59.439 playoff run for this Vikings team, and looking forward to 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:01.800 talking to him. I think the thing about Keys is 0:09:01.840 --> 0:09:04.800 that if you really think about the personnelity these guys 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:07.600 work with, Yeah, they do their off season work outside 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:09.760 of here with their own trainers and those kind of people. 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.640 Keys and those guys are basically the people that make 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:15.439 sure that the foundation is solid with these guys on 0:09:15.480 --> 0:09:17.800 a week to week basis throughout the season, let alone 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:19.600 for the off season is setting their kind of their 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:21.560 regiment of what they want them to be able to do. 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:24.560 But more than that, you know, given the discussion we 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:27.200 had last week, you're trying to make sure that you 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:31.480 triage as much injuries as you can, and the best 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:33.080 way to do that is to prevent it on the 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:35.520 front end, and that is where guys like Derek Keys 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:37.400 and his group, that is what they're doing on a 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:39.679 weekly basis, is not only trying to work out the 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:42.520 kinks and make sure that they're staying healthy during the season, 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:44.800 but they're also trying to make sure that they're preventing 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:47.400 as many injuries as possible by working on certain muscle 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:51.400 groups and whether it's physically or even mentally, getting them 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:53.360 in the right headspace week to week. So a guy 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:55.280 like Derek Keys is doing more than just making sure 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:57.079 guys lifting the weights that he needs to do. Yeah, 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.480 and if you want to check out the interview with 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:03.720 Tyler or Williams from last week, he came here from 0:10:03.760 --> 0:10:06.960 the Rams. It's a good listen to right before you 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:09.080 listen to this one as well. So I would definitely 0:10:09.160 --> 0:10:11.160 check that one out because I think they kind of 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:13.720 go hand in hand, which is really kind of cool. 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:15.880 But we'll get to that in just a second. The 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:19.120 countdown is on. Though training camp is just days away, 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:22.880 the players are wrapping up their final days off before camp. 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:26.440 The rookies and quarterbacks report on Sunday, Meanwhile, Vets arrive 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:29.360 on Tuesday, just ahead of the first training camp practice 0:10:29.400 --> 0:10:32.240 on Wednesday. And obviously, as we talked about earlier, the 0:10:32.280 --> 0:10:34.720 first time fans can come out is Saturday for the 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:38.320 Back Together Day. So this show, just like every other 0:10:38.320 --> 0:10:42.040 sports media outlet, has been talking season. We've already kind 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:45.080 of you know, talked about that actually a little bit 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:48.439 as well. Seven months, everything that's been going on in 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:53.959 the storyline. Yes, Juno, Yes, the storylines have been just 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:57.960 dissected every which way. So I thought that maybe as 0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:00.679 we head into training camp, instead of talking about that, 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:05.199 we'll talk about maybe our most overlooked or underrated training 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:09.040 camp storyline. And so, Gabe, I'm going to pass the 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:11.679 mic to you. What do you think's the most overlook 0:11:11.720 --> 0:11:15.120 storyline of camp. Oh, it's got to be our outside linebackers. Right, 0:11:15.200 --> 0:11:18.040 I'm just thinking about the Madden ratings. Everybody's talking about 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:20.640 the Madden ratings. This guy is doing this, or this 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:24.000 guy has his number, the Neil Hunter nor Zadarius Smith. 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:25.840 We're in the top ten Madden ratings when it came 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:29.760 to defensive end slash outside linebackers. We're talking about one 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:32.120 hundred and five sacks between these two guys that were 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:34.840 drafted both in the twenty fifteen NFL Draft. So when 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:36.959 you look at just those numbers a loan the Neil 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:40.280 Hunter leads his draft class in sacks with sixty. Dadarius 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:42.520 Smith it's fifth in that twenty fifteen draft class with 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:44.560 forty four and a half. I haven't even brought up 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:47.200 dj Wanham, who has eleven sacks and has a budding career. 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:50.120 And then you've got Patrick Jones Jenarius Robinson, we haven't 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:53.720 seen him play. Just the depth and the talent alone 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:57.360 at that position. Nobody's talking about it. And it's like, dude, yeah, 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:59.760 we get it, Kurk and JJ and Dalvin and all 0:11:59.800 --> 0:12:03.559 these offense right, but like this outside linebacker group has 0:12:03.679 --> 0:12:05.880 has a chance to be the best outside linebacker group 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.200 in the NFL. Like, you got two all Pro outside 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:13.160 linebackers literally sitting there, healthy, probably as healthy as they've 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:15.800 ever been in their life, ready to go attack Aaron 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:19.120 Rodgers on Week one. So that needs to be a 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.080 topic of discussion closer to training camp, as we as 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:23.679 we get closer to how this thing is going to 0:12:23.720 --> 0:12:25.880 work out for this Vikings team, and nobody's talking about it. 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:28.320 I feel like that's probably like a national offing, right, 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:30.679 Like I feel like maybe here in Minnesota we're well 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:33.240 aware of what's going on there, and so let it 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:35.720 be a secret to everyone else at this point, and 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:37.840 like rightfully so right because people are like, well, these 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.240 guys haven't been healthy the past couple of years, but still, 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:44.600 like dude, we got two like legit outside linebackers that 0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:47.240 a lot of opposing tackles are going to be scared of. Yeah, 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:49.440 we're well aware of the potential. That's the thing, Like 0:12:49.520 --> 0:12:52.000 we've seen, We've seen what they can do. Yeah, the 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:55.200 question is that they know elephant the room is can 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:57.640 they stay healthy? And I think that again goes back 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:01.120 to whether it was Tyler last week or Keys this week, 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:03.360 Like that is their job is to make sure that 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:07.040 these two ridiculous specimens can stay on the field and 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:09.719 absolutely recav it because if they can, it's going to 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:11.480 be a lot of fun to watch. Yeah. No, that 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:13.920 was a good one, Gabe, Jay, can you what you're 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:16.480 going to give us? I'm essentially taking that exact same line, 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:18.960 but I'm going from the outside to the inside. So 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:21.880 for me, it's kind of weird, you know, the stack 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:25.040 he's getting thrown around. If the Vikings hadn't let up 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:26.760 scores in the final two minutes of the half and 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:28.240 the end of the game, they'd be fifteen and two 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:31.719 last year exactly. I think one of those areas, though, 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:34.280 that is most intriguing to me, is the middle linebackers 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:35.839 of this three or four defense and the change in 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:39.160 the Donetel defense. You have Eric Kendricks, who we all 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:41.160 know what he can do. There's a lot of excitement 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:44.080 around Jordan Hicks as well coming in as assigning. Anthony 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.679 Barr has gone at this point, then he's still out 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:50.360 there as a free agent. But in that PFF ranked 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:53.240 our inside linebackers as the number five group in the 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:56.480 entire league, behind the Niners, Cults, Saints, and Packers. So 0:13:56.520 --> 0:13:58.079 that's kind of a cool thing to look at and say, 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:01.040 you have two proven veterans here that everyone knows, but 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:04.120 then what's behind them. We have a bunch of people 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:07.920 that have some to little experience, and so what were 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.080 to happen if these guys got injured or we're out 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:14.520 In some facet, you're looking at Troy Dye, Ryan Connolly, 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:19.080 Blake Lynch Chess, are at William Kenweku and rookie Brian Assimoa. 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:21.240 Those are who are behind those two guys. So and 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:24.160 for me in camp, I want to see which group 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.520 of those people jump out, not only as kind of 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:29.360 the fill in or at least the people that are 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:31.080 going to spell We kind of look at Troy Dye 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:33.840 or Blake Lynch, they and even chess are at they 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:37.400 had some run last year, But who's going to be 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:40.280 that player that's going to step up and solidify themselves 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:44.000 as the third metal linebacker let alone which ones of 0:14:44.000 --> 0:14:47.000 these guys are going to make the team special teams 0:14:47.040 --> 0:14:50.000 wise and be a contributor. So there's a lot of 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:52.840 I think expectations on a guy like Brian Assimoa as 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:54.800 a day. I mean a lot of people picked him 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:58.240 as they're like stand out at rookie camp and mini camp. 0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:01.000 But besides that, you're right though, no one's really talking 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:03.360 about it besides his potential there and that's just it 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:05.520 as you're looking at the rookie, but you've got your 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:09.840 Troy Die, Connolly, Lynch sir At who have equity, but 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:14.120 they weren't with this defensive coaching staff. So again I'm 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:16.800 intrigued during camp to see what happens with this group 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:19.120 if the outside guys you know, can jump up and 0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:20.600 do what they're supposed to do, and you want to 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:23.400 watch that. I think that entire four of the three 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:25.400 four defense is what I think a lot of people 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:27.040 are gonna be watching to see what happens because we 0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:30.040 think we know what that starting group is, but who's 0:15:30.120 --> 0:15:32.680 in the backup roles that are really going to jump out? Now, Jay, 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:35.040 you met a good point equity like they have, so 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:39.200 I wouldn't say mileage, but they have so much experience 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:42.200 behind Eric Kendrickson and Jordan Hickson and speaking of that 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:45.320 a guy and Brian Asamoa, that only forces him to 0:15:45.320 --> 0:15:47.720 get better. So even if he doesn't start, he's going 0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:49.800 to be learning from guys who've already seen it and 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:53.120 from different defenses, from different offenses. So I think that 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:55.400 that only makes that group better. And if you have, 0:15:55.520 --> 0:15:58.600 you know, a solid interior defensive line those guys, it 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:01.560 makes their job a lot easier. This linebacker, I mean, 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:03.880 that's a really good point. This linebacker unit, with all 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.840 that experience, you can only expect him to make another step. 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:09.000 All those guys in their careers, especially like a Blake 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:11.200 Lynch But that's the thing that you see with these 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:16.120 guys is you have clear cut starters in Kendricks and Hicks. 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:19.000 The other guys have come in, they've all had potential. 0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:21.520 You know, they've in college they were the best of 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:24.680 their group, but nobody has really jumped up to really 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:27.000 take that mantle or when they're out there flash when 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:29.960 they're playing that linebacker position. So that's the thing is 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:32.080 who's going to take the next step? And if you know, 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:36.960 maybe Brian Asamoa has that physical talent for him, it's 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:39.000 going to be trying to catch up mentally to the 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:41.600 speed of the game. If he can take that next 0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:44.280 level jump, he's going to leap frog all of these 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:46.440 guys that have this equity, which is, you know, something 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:48.600 we're going to be excited about as fans. At the 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:51.760 same point, if he's still kind of trying to figure 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:53.760 it out, especially during camp, let alone the beginning of 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.240 the season of his first NFL season, which one of 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:59.080 those kind of veteran backups is going to be the 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:02.240 one that really helps during camp, That's what I'm curious about. Yeah, 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:04.440 I'm bringing up those guys. It's kind of an interesting 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:07.400 storyline because some of them are obviously used to coach 0:17:07.440 --> 0:17:09.679 them are some of them are used their college coaches, 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:13.760 and now they have at Dontel who is very well 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:17.200 known as being a teacher, and you're not in this 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:19.919 industry for as long as he has. If you're not 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:25.679 connecting with players adapting to their new generational learning styles, 0:17:25.720 --> 0:17:27.640 I guess you could say a fancy word for that, 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:30.520 but I think that's an exciting group for sure. I'm 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.159 actually going to go to the other side of the 0:17:32.200 --> 0:17:37.280 ball for my over looked underrated training camp storyline because 0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:40.680 I do feel like the amount of questions and this 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.359 whole entire team or they're obviously probably the most than 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:45.760 we've ever seen in recent years, just because of the 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.680 new coaching staff. But I think we all can agree 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:51.800 we will see the Vikings pass the ball more. If 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:54.560 you look at the Rams last season, they only ran 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:57.080 the ball forty percent of the time. But you've got 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:58.760 a guy like Dalvin Cook now, And so I'm going 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:00.600 to go to the running back room because I think 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:03.919 more than anything, I'm interested to see what will this 0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:07.480 coaching staff do with the run game. After you know, 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:09.680 the expectation for this team is for it to really 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:13.320 kind of be the bell Cow the last three four seasons. 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:17.879 So my question, what's the running game look like. Dalvin 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:21.000 Cook obviously the starter, You've got Alexander Madison back there. 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:24.200 But I think for me, the other two names that 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.919