Vikings Training Camp

The Vikings will begin Training Camp in Mankato on Thursday and it should be very exciting. Coming off an impressive 10-6 season, the Vikings will re-group and build off a successful season from last year. We have lost some key players from last season like Percy Harvin and Antoine Winfield. You can't replace those guys, but we did add some key players this offseason in the draft and free agency.

The big question this training camp is how will Christian Ponder excel and at what level? We have added some talented individuals in Greg Jennings and Cordarelle Patterson who will give him more threats down field. We should see Kyle Rudolph hit the ground running after a Pro Bowl season last year, which will help Christian feel more comfortable behind Center.

The other major question is who will take the bull by the horns and secure the MLB position? I think Erin Henderson leads this battle going into camp, but don't be surprised to see Desmond Bishop make a push and steal this role. It should be an interesting competition to watch and it may not be settled by the end of training camp.

The third question is who will step up in the secondary? Chris Cook should show he is ready to be a true #1 corner, but keep an eye on rookie sensation Xavier Rhodes. Both guys are big framed guys who can shutdown big framed receivers. Josh Robinson is another guy who should be in the mix to be a #2 or #3 corner. He is much smaller compared to Cook and Rhodes, but has a relatively high ceiling. A.J. Jefferson and Jacob Lacey are other guys to watch.

The final question is the Wide Receiver Corp, who will land where? Greg Jennings was a great veteran addition to this young group and will be locked as our #1. The second spot will be a battle from Rookie playmaker Cordarelle Patterson and Jerome Simpson. In the slot look for Jarius Wright to win that job with his high motor and Percy like ability. Simpson needs to have a good camp or he could be on the chopping block, don't be surprised if the Vikings take a chance with him again this year especially at his inexpensive price tag.

This training camp should be exciting to watch with our new identity and seeing this offense stick to the Adrian Peterson plan! You can't go away from Adrian even though you have more weapons in the passing game. Adding Jennings and Patterson will just frustrate defenses because they will not be able to put 8-9 guys in the box against AP. Stay tuned to updates from training camp, I may even be blogging live from Mankato!!!