So, who ya got, the hotshot rookie or the wily veteran?
Tomorrow afternoon will be the first practice in pads for the Vikings, and it will be the first matchup of All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen against first round rookie and much anticipated offensive line savior Matt Kalil. There's already a fun little back and forth going on between the two, and for Kalil, it's a great opportunity to learn on a curve steeper than the Mt. Everest slope.
So, let's look at the tale of the tape, and break down the vitals of each guy.
| Jared Allen | Stats | Matt Kalil |
| Defensive End | Position | Left Tackle |
| 6'6" | Height | 6'7" |
| 270 | Weight | 295 |
| 30 | Age | 23 |
| 9 | Experience | 0 |
| Quotable Awesome Factor |
I'll try not to be overzealous in camp but if I am I got a gift for you. |
If you haven't yet, click on Allen's quote to watch the interview where he said that. It was in typical Allen good fun, and Kalil responded in kind with a jab of his own. That quote is a tweet he sent to Allen and enclosed a picture of a wheelchair.
One of the most anticipated matchups of training camp is this one, and if all things are as they seem, Allen is already looking forward to not only trying to school Kalil, but help him learn the nuances of the pro game at the highest level. Personally, I can't think of a better guy for Kalil to go against every day in practice, and it will only help his development into what will hopefully be a dominating LT.
If the Vikings are going to be better in 2012, it's imperative for Allen to maintain his high level of awesomeness both on and off the field. For Kalil he'll have to learn how to handle the top defensive ends in the league and keep Ponder safe. Off the field, it seems like he's developing a fair sense of awesomeness in his own right. That wheelchair tweet was funny, and we'll see how it plays out, starting tomorrow.