Photo - Aj Mansour (KFAN)
By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjMansourKFAN
Mankato, MN - By most accounts, Tuesday afternoon's practice was pretty low-key. The hot weather and lack of big name autograph sessions turned fans off and only a handful of die hard fans were scattered throughout the bleachers on the far side of field one. On the surface, not much happened. Diving into the numbers and speaking with the players and coaches might lead you to believe something completely different.
Bill Musgrave lights into offensive unit...has positive effect:
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave took the podium following the team's morning walkthrough and shares that he was a little disappointed saying that the offense "took a step backwards" on Monday. Later in the afternoon, coach Leslie Frazier shared that Bill might have been a little more then irked by the offense's production on Monday afternoon. "The coaches really lit into them last night," Frazier said. "They responded which is good...it was good to see the guys bounce back today."
Geoff Schwartz and Greg Childs undergo successful surgeries:
Coach Frazier shared Tuesday that both G Geoff Schwartz and WR Greg Childs has successful surgeries to repair a sports hernia and torn patellar tendons, respectively. Schwartz timetable has been set at 4-6 weeks recovery while Childs' recovery has been estimated at 15-19 months. "He has a long road ahead of him," coach Frazier said. The Vikings plan to keep Childs in the Twin Cities to work with team doctors during his rehabilitation period. Childs has cleared waivers and is now on the Vikings' Injured Reserve.
Larry Dean returns birthday present to Joe Webb:
It turns out that Tuesday, August 7th is was Larry Dean's 24th birthday! While his teammates razzed him on the practice field by singing Happy Birthday in the morning, quarterback Joe Webb took it to another level preparing a birthday gift on a silver platter for Mr. Dean. During the team's 11-on-11 drills in the afternoon, Joe Webb stared down a receiver on the right side of the field and fired a duck right into the hands of LB Larry Dean. In the true spirit of generosity, Dean alligator armed the pass and dropped it saving Joe Webb's stat line from a big red "INT". In reality, Dean has looked pretty good in camp so far and his value on special teams should land him a spot on the team's 53-man roster.
Blair Walsh unveils his "cannon-leg" on kickoffs:
We've all been told how big of a leg rookie kicker Blair Walsh supposedly has. Tuesday afternoon he was finally allowed to showcase it. After going 5-for-8 in the field goal session (a camp worst for Walsh), special teams coach Mike Priefer backed the squad up and set the table for Walsh to shine on kickoffs. In six repetitions for the kick coverage team Walsh boomed two kicks nine yards into the endzone, one kick a yard out of the endzone, another 3 yards out of the back of the endzone and then two kicks through the uprights of the far side endzone. Walsh also delivered 2-of-3 onside kicks nice and high into the air and ended practice by drilling a 57-yard field goal into the wind. I think it's safe to say the kid's got a big leg.
Frazier starts ruling players out for Friday's preseason game:
Head Coach Leslie Frazier was clear in saying that they have not made any final decisions but it looks as if Jordan Todman (ankle) and Josh Robinson (hamstring) will likely be sidelined for Friday's game against the 49ers. Todman and Robinson could also have a veteran heavy presence joining them on the sideline Friday night. Frazier and his coaches will continue to discuss player usage, but it is unlikely that Jared Allen, Antoine Winfield and Kevin Williams will see time Friday night either
Offensive Depth Chart starting to take shape for preseason week 1:
With the Vikings first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers three days away, the offensive depth chart is starting to take shape. There aren't too many surprises for the first team but rookie Rhett Ellison is flying up the depth chart at FB. Look for him to get an opportunity to make a big splash this preseason. CLICK HERE to see the full offensive depth chart breakdown.
Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjMansourKFAN
