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So, I am thinking of attending Training Camp for the first time this year. I have a few questions for those who have gone before...

How crazy is it? Are there a lot of people? What about the autograph lines? Is streaking frowned upon?

If anyone has gone, please let me know and give some details!

PurpleMustReign wrote:So, I am thinking of attending Training Camp for the first time this year. I have a few questions for those who have gone before...

How crazy is it? Are there a lot of people? What about the autograph lines? Is streaking frowned upon?

If anyone has gone, please let me know and give some details!

I am sure if you streaked you probably can kiss your chances of ever going again goodbye.

Anyway, training camp is a blast. It really is not too busy. Just make sure that if you are going to attend, try to get there a little earlier than when the camp opens. Also, if you want autographs, consider making your way to the autograph zone ten minutes before they start signing.

Generally, there are two sessions. The morning are usually just walk throughs. They are generally uneventful and mostly attended because the players start signing autographs immediately following the first session. During the second session, generally after 1 or so, the pads come on. That is when camp really gets interesting to watch.

On a slightly different subject, a question for anyone who lives in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.

Is there ever any news on local TV about the impending contract signings for Floyd, Rhodes or Patterson?

headless_norseman wrote:Is there ever any news on local TV about the impending contract signings for Floyd, Rhodes or Patterson?

Nothing to be worried about.

For all the #Vikings fans asking -- no, there's no reason to be concerned about the unsigned 1st-round picks. Logjam from 22-29 breaks soon. They'll all get 4-year deals worth between $7M and $8M with signing bonuses in $3.5M to $4.3M range. Should pop by reporting day. #Texans signed No. 27 pick DeAndre Hopkins to 4-year, $7,626,700 deal yesterday with $3,926,692 to sign. First off board from picks 22-29. 14 of 32 first-round picks unsigned. Biggest unknown is #Giants' Justin Pugh, who's on the cut-off line for fully guaranteed deals at No. 19. Beyond that, there's always a chance somebody (team/agent) decides to take a stand, but mostly timing just comes down to when teams report.

Tom Pelissero on Twitter

Thanks for the knowledge

I screamed LOOK OUT ETHEL, but it was too late; she got a free shot LOL

Three things to keep an eye on as the Vikings report to training camp in Mankato on Thursday:

1. The speed of Christian Ponder’s progression reads
2. Patterson’s `wow’ factor
3. Can Robinson be ready a year early?

Details at the link: http://www.startribune.com/blogs/56735627.html

headless_norseman wrote:Thanks for the knowledge

FYI: #22 and #24 signed this AM.

dead_poet wrote:Three things to keep an eye on as the Vikings report to training camp in Mankato on Thursday:

1. The speed of Christian Ponder’s progression reads
2. Patterson’s `wow’ factor
3. Can Robinson be ready a year early?

Details at the link: http://www.startribune.com/blogs/56735627.html

Thanks for the link.

They referred to Peterson's career clock when writing about Patterson and the need for him to contribute immediately but that relates strongly to Ponder too. There's been a "no excuses" mantra regarding Ponder all offseason and one of the reasons commonly given for that attitude is that they've supposedly given him the weapons he needs. I'm hoping that's true. However, Harvin's gone, replaced at the top of the depth chart by by Jennings and while that could be an upgrade, beyond Jennings, there's only one significant change in the WR/TE personnel: Patterson. Hopefully players like Wright, Simpson and Carlson will all improve on their 2012 performances and maybe Webb or someone else will surprise but all this talk about Ponder now having the weapons really boils down to Patterson, a player almost universally perceived as a raw talent coming out of college. They've switched one top receiver for another and just about everyone else is a returning player. How much Patterson can contribute, how much chemistry he and Ponder develop, might go a long way toward determining how effective the passing game is this year and Ponder's ultimate fate with the team.We don't know what Spielman is thinking beyond this season but just about everybody else perceives 2013 as a make or break year for Ponder. If he's going to make it, Patterson will probably need to be a big part of his success.

The Robinson/rhodes questions at CB are huge. The Vikes are just one season removed from a year in which we saw what an utter nightmare it can be to watch a team with serious inadequacies in the secondary.

The Vikes are counting on some young/new players in a very big way this season. I hope those players deliver.

Mothman wrote:We don't know what Spielman is thinking beyond this season but just about everybody else perceives 2013 as a make or break year for Ponder. If he's going to make it, Patterson will probably need to be a big part of his success.

Which is frightening/daunting as more than half the receivers selected in the first two rounds of the past 22 drafts finished with 31 catches or fewer in Year 1 -- providing little to no immediate impact.

It's unlikely being as raw as he is that he's going to be an A.J. Green/Julio Jones, who combined for 119 catches, 2,016 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011. A look at the rest of last year's receiver class shows how perilous it can be to expect too much from a rookie. The other seven receivers drafted in the first two rounds averaged just 20.3 catches, 277.9 yards and 2.1 touchdowns.

http://m.1500espn.com/pages/sportswire.php?sID=7259

A stat line that looks like:

45/750/6

would likely be considered a success. I think 32/560/3 might be more realistic, especially given the offense and playing time considerations. And that's not a line that's going to be all that helpful for Ponder (in fact, it could conceivably be WORSE than Old Man Jenkins).

The Robinson/rhodes questions at CB are huge. The Vikes are just one season removed from a year in which we saw what an utter nightmare it can be to watch a team with serious inadequacies in the secondary.

Uh. Don't remind me of that mess.

The Vikes are counting on some young/new players in a very big way this season. I hope those players deliver.

No doubt.

[quote="dead_poet"]
would likely be considered a success. I think 32/560/3 might be more realistic, especially given the offense and playing time considerations. And that's not a line that's going to be all that helpful for Ponder (in fact, it could conceivably be WORSE than Old Man Jenkins).
[quote/]


I am glad to see someone else using my nickname I used to call Michael Jenkins!

dead_poet wrote:Which is frightening/daunting as more than half the receivers selected in the first two rounds of the past 22 drafts finished with 31 catches or fewer in Year 1 -- providing little to no immediate impact.

It's unlikely being as raw as he is that he's going to be an A.J. Green/Julio Jones, who combined for 119 catches, 2,016 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011. A look at the rest of last year's receiver class shows how perilous it can be to expect too much from a rookie. The other seven receivers drafted in the first two rounds averaged just 20.3 catches, 277.9 yards and 2.1 touchdowns.

http://m.1500espn.com/pages/sportswire.php?sID=7259

A stat line that looks like:

45/750/6

would likely be considered a success. I think 32/560/3 might be more realistic, especially given the offense and playing time considerations. And that's not a line that's going to be all that helpful for Ponder (in fact, it could conceivably be WORSE than Old Man Jenkins).

Well said and since significant impact on the passing game is far from a given when you consider Patterson's inexperience...

... and the most likely alternative to start at split end is Simpson, who has a LOT to prove...

... and the starting LB situation is still a big question mark...

... and the team is likely to be playing a rookie, a second year CB and a veteran CB who has seriously struggled to remain on the field over the first 3 years of his career as their top 3 corners...

... and the concerns about the pass protection provided by Johnson and Fusco at guard remain...

.... why is this season all about Ponder and why does he have "no excuses"?

I'm obviously not asking you directly, just hoping the list above reinforces how myopic suggestions that the Vikings success or failure rests squarely on Ponder's shoulders are when you actually look at the rest of the team. They may end up being solid-to-excellent everywhere but at this point, Ponder's far from being the only big, unanswered question facing the Vikings. That's why I find the "no excuses" mantra and the oft-repeated phrase "it's all on Ponder" so exasperating. Bob Sansevere's the latest culprit: Sansevere's Huddle: For Vikings, it's all on Christian Ponder

Before anybody gets upset: I'm not trying to hijack this thread or make it all about Ponder. In fact, I'm trying to do the opposite. I'm optimistic about the Vikes right now and I think they're headed for a good season but I hope people realize the degree to which the questions and concerns at some of these other positions have the potential to make or break the team's season. The Ponder talk can easily overshadow that stuff but we don't have to look too far back to be reminded of the importance of good defense and the WR situation last year got pretty ugly. I'm hoping the Vikes will come out of the summer with a roster that looks ready to respond to the questions with positive answers!

I'll have my eye on the QB position this summer, like everybody else, but I'll also be focused on the LB and CB battles, what's happening at DT, what sort of competition (if any) develops at guard, how the WR corps is shaping up, etc. because I think that stuff is going to be crucial to team success.

Mothman wrote: .... why is this season all about Ponder and why does he have "no excuses"?

Two reasons this season is "all about Ponder":

- This is his 3rd year as a starter and he's expected (and needs) to make big strides if he's going to claim the starting QB spot going forward.
- QB play, for better or worse, has an out-sized influence on games. While Ponder is far from the only reason the Vikings might win or lose a given game, his play will be a big contributor, and for anyone who may doubt that, just look at that playoff game last year where Webb started compared to the last game of the season where Ponder started.

So "All" is a strong word and technically not valid, but at the same time, Ponder's development will be key to the season if the Vikes are going to be in contention for more than just individual accolades.

I do like that the Vikings have Cassel in the fold as a backup. That was a solid move and gives them some breathing room if Ponder either gets injured or isn't getting it done, although I highly doubt Frazier will pull Ponder for poor performance this season.

VikingLord wrote:

I do like that the Vikings have Cassel in the fold as a backup. That was a solid move and gives them some breathing room if Ponder either gets injured or isn't getting it done, although I highly doubt Frazier will pull Ponder for poor performance this season.

I'm super happy Cassel is there. I have good feelings about Ponder meeting the 3rd year requirements set before him. I maintain that the biggest issue he faces is his frantic-ness in the pocket which didn't really become noticeable, to me, until he found out first hand how crappy his line was at pass protection. That being said, I'm far more concerned about him getting hurt than him not progressing as a QB. Having Cassel there makes an injury to Ponder just a bump in the road rather than the end of the season.

I agree that injury will be more of a factor than performance.

The Sullivan injury is a bigger concern for me. If he can't go for some reason I worry it could be detrimental for the whole offense.

Mothman wrote: Well said and since significant impact on the passing game is far from a given when you consider Patterson's inexperience...

... and the most likely alternative to start at split end is Simpson, who has a LOT to prove...

... and the starting LB situation is still a big question mark...

... and the team is likely to be playing a rookie, a second year CB and a veteran CB who has seriously struggled to remain on the field over the first 3 years of his career as their top 3 corners...

... and the concerns about the pass protection provided by Johnson and Fusco at guard remain...

.... why is this season all about Ponder and why does he have "no excuses"?

I'm obviously not asking you directly, just hoping the list above reinforces how myopic suggestions that the Vikings success or failure rests squarely on Ponder's shoulders are when you actually look at the rest of the team. They may end up being solid-to-excellent everywhere but at this point, Ponder's far from being the only big, unanswered question facing the Vikings. That's why I find the "no excuses" mantra and the oft-repeated phrase "it's all on Ponder" so exasperating. Bob Sansevere's the latest culprit: Sansevere's Huddle: For Vikings, it's all on Christian Ponder

Before anybody gets upset: I'm not trying to hijack this thread or make it all about Ponder. In fact, I'm trying to do the opposite. I'm optimistic about the Vikes right now and I think they're headed for a good season but I hope people realize the degree to which the questions and concerns at some of these other positions have the potential to make or break the team's season. The Ponder talk can easily overshadow that stuff but we don't have to look too far back to be reminded of the importance of good defense and the WR situation last year got pretty ugly. I'm hoping the Vikes will come out of the summer with a roster that looks ready to respond to the questions with positive answers!

I'll have my eye on the QB position this summer, like everybody else, but I'll also be focused on the LB and CB battles, what's happening at DT, what sort of competition (if any) develops at guard, how the WR corps is shaping up, etc. because I think that stuff is going to be crucial to team success.

A lot of people have this mindset that if the QB plays really well the team will have a winning record and a shot at the Super Bowl regardless of how the rest of the team plays ... so if the team has a losing record then it will obviously be Ponder's fault, as good QB play means the team will definitely win.

If the same kind of thing happened like in 2004 (The QB of the team has one of the best statistical seasons of any QB ever but the team goes 8-8) the season obviously won't have been 'all about Ponder' ... but he will have plenty of excuses for the team losing that don't involve his bad play