The Vikings are back though and have a very solid roster from top to bottom and if Teddy Bridgewater can take another step forward this season they will be unsafe and serious contenders in the NFC.
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The time in Cincinnati will be important for a number of Vikings’ understudies looking to impress the coaches.
On their last day at training camp previous year, the Minnesota Vikings had practice halted early with a punitive lap around the field for the players after coach Mike Zimmer was angered by a lack of effort and focus.
The Bengals are hosting two joint practices with the Vikings as a lead-in to their matchup Friday at Paul Brown Stadium.
In that case, Wednesday’s joint practice session with the Minnesota Vikings left a lot of dissatisfaction. “I feel like I had a good opportunity in Minnesota”. He really is a good athlete. They’ve been in the playoffs the last six or seven years. “I still think he’s got a lot of good football in him”. A running back went the wrong way twice. “We needed to go through that”. Led by all-pro safety Harrison Smith, the Vikings have great players at every position group on the defense such as Everson Griffen, Anthony Barr, and Xavier Rhodes.
Peterson won’t play Friday.
The offensive line could play longer as new line coach Tony Sparano continues to try and piece together his five best players. Ellison is on the Physically Unable to Perform List, while Heinicke and Harris are on the Non-Football Injury List.
Both teams are hoping to make the most of the opportunity to face someone wearing a different color scheme before preseason games start. Minnesota’s top draft pick in 2015, Waynes has been performing very well this summer at camp and could potentially take over Newman’s starting spot when the preseason comes to a close. He has looked a little slow and tentative, but also has flashed the ability to use his bigger body to fight for the ball.
The Bengals’ veteran tackle may be right about the injuries. They re-signed Andrew Sendejo to a four-year, $16 million deal, with no money guaranteed after the first year, and free-agent Michael Griffin got a one-year contract that could be worth as much as $2.7 million but has just $500,000 guaranteed. Zimmer, the noted defensive backs guru, has spent a lot of one-on-one time with Waynes, who appears ready to step in. His parents, Ron and Erin Waynes of Kenosha, Wis., are in town for the two practices and the game.
For Zimmer, it’s a homecoming.
McKinnon emerged in the second half of last season as more than simply a change-of-pace scat back to counter Peterson’s slashing power game.
WCPO Insiders can find out more about what it is like for Rudolph to be back in Cincinnati.
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“I don’t want to let Coach (Mike) Zimmer down, ” Smith said at training camp at Minnesota State, Mankato.
