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The first official day of Training Camp is in the books for the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, the team has decided that they’re not giving credentials to bloggers or fan sites again this year, so we’re on the outside looking in. Eric is going to be on hand for a limited number of practices from the seats, and he’s going to be bringing you some of the highlights from those practices.
But, for now, we’re sort of left to observe the observations of others, so that’s what we’re going to do.
One interesting tidbit from the team’s official website was that third-year offensive lineman Oli Udoh was taking first-team snaps at right guard when practices got underway today. He wound up splitting the snaps at that spot with. . .audible sigh. . .Dakota Dozier. But, Udoh was out there first, and it’s worth noting that Dozier got all the first-team snaps in OTAs and whatnot, so this is an interesting development.
Christian Darrisaw continues to sit out with a groin issue, so the Vikings’ first-team offensive line (from right to left) was Rashod Hill, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, Udoh, and Brian O’Neill. The second team was Blake Brandel, Dru Samia, Mason Cole, Wyatt Davis, and Evin Ksiezarczyk.
The play of the day, from most accounts, was a pair of rookies making things happen. Kellen Mond found Ihmir Smith-Marsette for a long touchdown pass. Most accounts said that Mond had a fairly rough day outside of this throw, but it’s still a pretty nice play.
Kellen Mond dime for a 40-yard touchdown to Ihmir Smith-Marsette pic.twitter.com/tI6v3wG2lk
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) July 28, 2021
There was even a Skol Chant to be heard at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on Wednesday afternoon.
We have a lively group of fan today. #SKOL pic.twitter.com/0hCObsxm98
— Tatum Everett (@tatumeverett) July 28, 2021
We’ll do our best to bring you more of a roundup of the news from Training Camp with the limited access we have. Of course, if there’s any breaking news we’ll have it here for you immediately. . .though it’s worth noting that any breaking news that comes out of Training Camp is generally bad, so maybe we shouldn’t say anything.