Vikings' Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen have looked the part in practices
Fast forward from free agency to the present, and both Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave are making impacts early.
In a mailbag piece put together by The Star Tribune's Vikings writers, Mark Craig was asked how the new faces on the defensive line have looked in camp. His answer not only speaks to the success they are having, but also to how high the potential is for the group with their presence.
Craig writes, "They've looked outstanding and long overdue to a unit that's been lacking in elite, run-and-pass-defending talent for some time. Even better is they've also looked healthy and available every day a year after both of them missed significant time with injuries. . .Look at the world-champion Eagles and their Mahomes-pounding D-line depth as the template for what the Vikings, and many others, are trying to replicate. . ."
The depth along the edge rusher and defensive line positions has been something the Eagles have found success with in their two recent Super Bowl wins. The more depth you have, the easier it is to overwhelm opposing offensive lines, who cannot rotate players in and out.
Brian Flores should have a good time utilizing both Hargrave and Allen this year and beyond in the Vikings defense.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
8 minutes ago
- USA Today
10 players who stood out in Texans' win vs. Panthers: Cubb, Smith shine for Houston
No one is going to call the Houston Texans Super Bowl favorites after a 20-3 victory in the preseason against the Carolina Panthers. That doesn't mean that the back-to-back AFC South champions don't have anything to celebrate. Behind a C.J. Stroud 6-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins in the first quarter, the revamped offense under first-year play-caller Nick Caley took flight at NRG Stadium. Even Kedon Slovis and Davis Mills led scoring drives in the second and third quarter before a British Brooks 1-yard touchdown run sealed the deal in front of the hometown crowd. "The goal we set out by playing the starters was just to see us go out and play real football. We haven't done that, I believe, in getting real reps in games," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Saturday afternoon. "It means a lot for our guys to be able to go out and be able to do that. I just wanted to see our guys to go out and play efficient, play fast and do the things we've been coaching the guys to do and execute." After next week's preseason finale, the Texans must trim their roster down to 53 players. About 40 of the roster spots should be locked up heading into the joint practice with the Detroit Lions, so 13 spots are up for grabs. Some might come as a surprise simply based on great play in the preseason. Here were the top 10 standouts from Saturday's contest against the NFC South foe. RB Nick Chubb Chubb probably isn't getting cut, but fans have wondered if the former Pro Bowler from Cleveland has any juice left in the tank. Asked and answered on Saturday as he totaled five carries for 25 yards and averaged 5.0 yards per play. Best of all, that physicality that made him a force with the Browns for seven years was on display as he was credited with forcing six broken tackles. "Chubb did a really nice job playing physical, running behind his pads," Ryans said. "I just like the way the whole team played a physical brand of football, the type of football I expect us to play." With Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce still sidelined, Chubb is going to start the season off working with the first-team offense. Runs like the ones on Saturday might not lead him back to a 1,000-yard season, but it shows he's still go something left in the tank. RB British Brooks Every play matters for Brooks, including the scoring drives. His 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the win, but it also showed his value as a fullback-type runner in the offense. Brooks, known for his lower-power and physical approach between the tackles, also made two tackles on special teams, so there's upside to one of the more underappreciated parts of the game. Right now, Jakob Johnson feels like the safe bet to make the team at fullback, but Brooks might push him down the pecking order if he can keep up the consistent work with the third-team offense. TE Irv Smith Jr. Brevin Jordan's season-ending injury has opened the door for another tight end to make the roster behind Cade Stover and Dalton Schultz. Smith was the favorite to win the tight end No. 3 job entering Saturday and he might as well locked it up after the third quarter against Carolina. The former second-round pick led the Texans with five receptions for 46 yards, which included were highlighted by a Kedon Slovis dump-off pass for 22 yards down the sidelines on third down. He's also been a promising blocker in the run game, so there's value to have him around for red zone opportunities. TE Luke Lachey Lachey isn't close to being ready for first-team reps, but the Texans are pleased with how he's played in two preseason outings. As a receiving threat, Lachey has been limited. On special teams, he made several reads that put him in position to make a play. 'Luke has done a nice job as a rookie coming in,' Ryans said. 'He plays the game the right way. He's tough, physical, plays with great hands, great catch radius. He does a really nice job.' The Texans have options at tight end, including stashing the seventh-round Iowa product on the practice squad to begin the season. Between Smith and Lachey, the latter has the highest potential, so if the Texans see him expanding his role beyond 2026, he's going to be a tough cut. OT Blake Fisher No, Fisher shouldn't be starting Week 1 against Los Angeles with the task of having to slow down reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse in pass protection, but after last week's unwatchable outing, it was a nice change. In 25 snaps, the second-round pick did not allow a single pressure from the right tackle spot. He also posted a 78.1 pass-blocking grade and 54.1 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, each being at least 30 points higher from the week before. "They're playing together," Ryans said. "That's the main thing. They're playing together. They're communicating well. They're picking up the pressures and stops really well. They're playing as one. They're resetting the line of scrimmage." Fisher should be Houston's top swing tackle if Cam Robinson returns before the start of the regular season. That's not a win when fans envisioned Fisher starting this season, but last week felt like he was on the verge of being cut one year into his NFL career. OL Ed Ingram Another winner on the offensive line for a player who could be starting Week 1. With Tytus Howard shifting over to right tackle, the former Minnesota Vikings castaway has been the primary right guard. On Saturday, led all offensive linemen with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 84.6. Ingram also finished with a 74.7 run-blocking grade, which was lower than last week but still a passable grade. 'Ed's continued to improve, his pass rush is being under control, playing better base, playing with his hands better, picking up the stunts and games better, I just like how he's progressed," Ryans said. "I think Cole [Popovich] has done a really good job with Ed, he's done a great job. So, I expect him to just continue to improve and we'll see where we end up." CB Jaylin Smith Earlier in the week, Smith struggled to win his one-on-one battles in team drills while guarding Xavier Legette. The former first-round pick leaped over him in practice to secure a no-dobut touchdown in the team's joint practice, but that was just the highlight of an underwhelming day for the former USC Trojan. On Saturday, Smith was in the right place at the right time to pick off Jack Plummer and return it 30 yards for the Texans' first takeaway. Multiple Texans defenders have raved about his ball-hawking skills, including 2024 interception leader Calen Bullock. That was certainly on display Saturday. CB Damon Arnette The former first-round pick is a long shot to make the active roster, but plays like Saturday at least should have him in line to be a difficult cut. In the fourth quarter, Arnette jumped a slant route perfectly to make a juggling interception deep in Carolina's territory. Three plays later, Brooks ran in Houston's nail in the coffin would come behind Brooks' touchdown run. Now again, Arnette will need another strong day to prove he's worthy of a roster spot over longtime special teams standout D'Angelo Ross. Saturday wasn't a perfect day for the former first-round pick, either. Arnette was penalized with a pass interference call on third down that gave Carolina's offense a second chance. In the end, you look for the game-changing moments to determine a player's afternoon. The interception was a positive play, so focus on that rather than the extra set of downs that led to a missed field goal. DE Solomon Byrd Right now, there's one defensive end spot up for grabs. Byrd might still be on the outside looking in, but his lone sack and fumble recovery has caught the attention of the defensive line room. Bryd, a former seventh-round pick and practice squad player, finished with four tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery on a strip caused by Arnette. Last week, he also finished with three tackles and three pressures. There's plenty to like about his potential after a successful close to 2024. He'll need one more big game to earn the praise of a potential active player this fall.
USA Today
8 minutes ago
- USA Today
4 logical Trey Hendrickson trade destinations as Bengals ponder deal
Superstar pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson's contract situation with the Cincinnati Bengals seems to have reached a point of no return. After months of little to no meaningful negotiating progress, which has included plenty of passive-aggressive swipes from Hendrickson, the Bengals appear ready to give up on the entire process. On Sunday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that while the Bengals aren't actively shopping Hendrickson in trades just yet, they are taking calls and seeing what they could potentially receive for him on the open market. Needless to say, that is a huge step forward with someone like Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks last year and ostensibly still has plenty left in the tank at age 30. In the interest of providing a clean off-ramp for both Hendrickson and the Bengals, here are four NFL teams that might make the most sense in possible trades for the powerful EDGE player. 1. Detroit Lions The Lions are lucky. Even after losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators in the offseason, Detroit still has one of the NFL's most complete rosters. That is, well, aside from a bona fide complementary pass-rusher alongside franchise player Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions' EDGE depth behind Hutchinson features names like Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad, which isn't awful, but it's also not ideal for a team that views itself as a Super Bowl contender. Throw a dynamic field-tilter like Hendrickson into this mix instead, and I'm not sure the Lions would have a real on-paper weakness. 2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fresh off their fourth consecutive NFC South division championship, it still feels like the Buccaneers are missing something. Yes, they have the ostensible franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield. Yes, they've still got difference-makers like the always-reliable pass Mike Evans and perennial All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs. But this was a team with a bottom-four pass defense last year. That's what happens when you don't really have any proven pass-rushers bending the pocket. Enter Hendrickson, someone who opposing offensive coordinators would actually have to gameplan for. I wouldn't envy anyone having to choose between giving Hendrickson or Vita Vea extra attention. 3. Washington Commanders For the time being, it feels like the Commanders have bigger fish to fry with the awkward Terry McLaurin situation. You don't mess around with Jayden Daniels' top playmaker going into a pivotal second year, you know? However, if they were to resolve their dispute with McLaurin any time soon, that's when it would be a great time to get greedy. That's when it'd be time to secure a true EDGE talisman for a Washington defense that was mostly mediocre last year. The Commanders haven't had that type of guy coming off the end of the offensive formation since Montez Sweat and Jonathan Allen. They're going to need someone like Hendrickson to take the next step and ensure that their marvelous 2024 campaign wasn't a one-off fluke. 4. Chicago Bears The Bears seem like they're brewing something special. They've got Caleb Williams under the tutelage of the much-acclaimed Ben Johnson. They've got a cadre of offensive weapons headlined by promising young receiver Rome Odunze. They even have the respected Dennis Allen leading a defensive unit with one of the more underrated cores in pro football. What the Bears are missing, though, is someone offenses have to fear up front outside of Montez Sweat. As it stands, it's rather simple to scheme Sweat out and dare any of the Bears' other pass-rushers to beat you. This would not be the case with Hendrickson, to say the least. What other NFL teams could trade for Trey Hendrickson? The New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans, who are at two different points in their respective rebuilds around Drake Maye and Cam Ward, could also be in the mix for Hendrickson. However, it's worth noting that the Bengals are much more likely to trade Hendrickson out of the AFC rather than to any potential conference rival in the middle of his prime.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Can't-Miss Play: 81-yard return! Myles Price nearly goes the distance on kickoff return
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Myles Price returns a kickoff back eighty-one yards against the New England Patriots.
