Viking-inspired adult beverage company opens in former NKY winery space
A winemaker specializing in the beverage made famous by Vikings and Beowulf is now open in Northern Kentucky.
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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Minnesota Vikings OTAs Were Notably Intense; *Most* Absences Due to Prior Injuries
The Minnesota Vikings held their first round of full-team offseason workouts this week, where turnout was incredible. Harrison Smith was present, as was Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and, of course, redshirt rookie QB1 JJ McCarthy. Not only were most of the Vikings key veterans in attendance for voluntary OTAs, but according to Darren Wolfson (KSTP) during his latest scoop session on SKOR North, the practices this week in Eagan were notably intense. Minnesota Vikings OTAs were notably intense this week Not only did the longtime local reporter (who has attended hundreds of Vikings practices) notice the pumped up competitiveness, though. New CB Jeff Okudah, who previously played for the Dan Campbell-led Lions, expressed his surprise with how intense the 7-vs-7 practice sessions were too. 'I thought it was a pretty spirited practice, for OTA session number two. You know, just the competitive nature of it. I had a nice chat with Jeff Okudah after practice. He noted that and so I just thought that was pretty interesting for late in May. I did not expect to see some of the stuff we saw on Wednesday. You know, seven on seven and all that, just how spirited it was, how competitive it was. I did not expect to see that for May 28th.' Darren Wolfson – Mackey & Judd Show (SKOR North) Advertisement If you are a Minnesota Vikings fan reading this article or watching that scoop session, you have to be excited about how this first week of offseason workouts went. For all of the team's stars to show up ready to work and improve on what was an incredible 2024 season, it's clear O'Connell & Co. are already locked in and hungry for more success. Related: Kevin O'Connell Wins Another Award You know 100% that, not only are other teams missing a lot of big names on their OTA attendance sheet, but it's highly unlikely others are coming in this focused and determined to get better. That's a really good sign, especially for a Vikings team that sportsbooks and most pundits are picking to be a middling NFC squad in 2025. Most Minnesota Vikings OTA absences due to injury Of course, not every key Minnesota Vikings player for 2025 was on the TCO Performance Center practice fields this week. Most notably, Christian Darrisaw was missing at left tackle (replaced by Justin Skule) and Will Fries was replaced by Blake Brandel at right guard. Advertisement Of course, both Darrisaw and Fries are recovering from major leg injuries. The former went out in week 11 of last season with a major knee injury that required surgery. The latter broke his leg. According to what Kevin O'Connell told reporters in his presser, Fries isn't expected to practice until training camp. Fries, their top external signing in March, may not practice fully until training camp, O'Connell said, or nearly 10 months after sustaining a broken tibia on Oct. 6. The Vikings' top nine blockers may be set if they're content with Rouse, a 2024 sixth-round pick, as a hybrid tackle/guard. Skule, the 28-year-old former 49er and Buccaneer, replaces David Quessenberry as the backup tackle. Jurgens, a 2024 seventh-round pick, is the backup center. Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) Meanwhile, Darrisaw was working out with cleats on the sideline this week. The Minnesota Vikings hope he is ready to return for the start of the regular season. It's also worth mentioning the RG/LG alignment. Related: MN Vikings Insider Unable to Dig Up Any Dirt on JJ McCarthy With Fries out, Brandel slid over to right guard, while 1st round rookie, Donovan Jackson worked with the first team at left guard, where he is supposed to be competing with Brandel as a starter. Does that mean Jackson can be written in to start week one? No, but it is worth monitoring how many snaps Brandel gets on the left side, while Fries continues his rehab. The other injury absence was Rondale Moore, who continues his rehab from a torn ACL. Not only is he expected to compete for the WR3 job, if healthy, but he could be a factor in the return game too. Where in the world is Isaiah Rodgers…? The only non-injury OTA absence that was mentioned by reporters who were in Eagan this week was new CB Isaiah Rodgers. In his absence, the aforementioned Okudah and second-year 2024 undrafted free agent signee Dwight McGlothern got reps with the first team defense. Mechi Blackmon got some run too. Coaches were getting long looks at Okudah, the former Lions top pick on his fourth NFL team, and McGlothern, last year's undrafted darling, with the first-team defense on Wednesday. Blackmon appeared to be getting some work, too, as he's 10 months removed from a torn ACL. Rodgers, the ex-Eagles reserve who got a two-year deal to play a bigger role in Minnesota, was not seen at practice. Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) It is important to remember that these workouts are 'voluntary' and we do not know why the newly signed corner was not in attendance. Nonetheless, it's news worth mentioning.
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
NFL Vet, Analsyt believes Vikings still aren't sold on J.J. McCarthy going into 2025
NFL Vet, Analsyt believes Vikings still aren't sold on J.J. McCarthy going into 2025 Growing up there was "The Song that Never Ends" that we all sang to annoy our friends and family. Or maybe it was just me? Regardless, the Vikings have found their own version of that with a certain news story that refuses to leave the cycle. During a recent appearance on Skol North's Purple Daily, Ross Tucker spoke about the Vikings quarterback situation. He discussed how, despite the team being all in on J.J. McCarthy, he was not really their first choice. "No matter what the Vikings say about J.J. McCarthy... they wanted (Sam) Darnold back. And then when they weren't going to get Darnold back, they wanted Daniel Jones back... As much as they're "sold" on J.J. McCarthy, they weren't that sold... so (the Vikings) have some doubt." The team let Darnold walk to sign a $100 million contract with the Seahawks in free agency in March. The Vikings traded up to draft McCarthy in last year's NFL Draft while they had Darnold under a one-year deal. While the idea of them wanting to keep Darnold around after going 14-3, the way the season ended put the proverbial nail in the coffin. If you need further validation, they are all in on McCarthy; look at the comments coming out about their new quarterback from veterans on the team.
New York Times
16 hours ago
- New York Times
Jalen Ramsey and the current state of the Vikings at cornerback
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings brass, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, his staff and players want opposing teams to see their logo on the schedule and sense an oncoming headache. It hasn't been enough for Flores' defense to bring an all-out blitz, then fake the all-out blitz. It hasn't been enough to play one nontraditional coverage on the back end; the Vikings have introduced dozens of them. More is planned, and the next iteration remains anyone's guess. Advertisement Just listen to defensive tackle Harrison Phillips' comments Monday after another OTA practice. 'We would like to have so many different bullets in the chamber,' he said. 'Vastly different fronts, vastly different coverages. Are we going to move and bring everybody? Are we not going to move and bring everybody?' Phillips mentioned personnel additions like defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. He talked about the development of Dallas Turner. You could tell how excited he was to talk about the defensive front, and still, it felt fair to wonder: But what about the secondary (specifically, the cornerback spot)? To this point, none of the Vikings' actions suggests they're concerned. They prioritized re-signing Byron Murphy Jr. in free agency and targeted Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah. Coach Kevin O'Connell even referenced Flores' rosy evaluation of Rodgers in March at the NFL league meetings. Flores and the Vikings' personnel department have not missed when identifying free-agent talent over the past couple of seasons. Still, this level of conviction in two journeyman players is notable, especially as the pool of potential contributors continues to dry up. This is the time to get ahead and take our team to another level.#Skol — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 2, 2025 One big fish is still out there, and he's down in Miami. Multiple Vikings staffers are familiar with Jalen Ramsey. O'Connell coordinated the Los Angeles Rams offense in 2021, when Ramsey last earned All-Pro honors. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, edge rushers coach Thad Bogardus, defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams spent time with Ramsey on that Rams staff. But there's some risk involved. Ramsey will turn 31 in October. Acquiring him might require trading draft capital the Vikings have wanted to accumulate after parting with several picks the last couple of seasons. Advertisement There are two other considerations. First, Ramsey's current contract could leave the Vikings in a precarious position for 2026. The amount of money Miami might be willing to absorb in a potential trade would matter. Second, bringing Ramsey into the fold would impede the path to playing time for youngsters like Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern. Minnesota is spending more than $357 million on the 2025 roster, which is the most in the NFL. This isn't a Super Bowl-or-bust situation, but the Vikings are unquestionably committed to winning in the short term. If Ramsey or any other available cornerback maximizes those chances, you can bet there has been an internal conversation about it. Then again, maybe the Vikings' key decision-makers feel the same way Blackmon does about the present state of the cornerback position. 'We got a real good room,' Blackmon said Monday. 'I see a lot of stuff on Twitter. Y'all know. A lot of people are concerned about our room. I would say we have a real good room.' Gleaning anything meaningful from organized team activities is difficult, but certain sequences stand out. One of them Monday involved Rodgers, who floated across the field with receiver Jordan Addison toward the left sideline. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy attempted a layered pass in Addison's direction, but Rodgers undercut the throw and secured the interception. Many of Rodgers' teammates hooted and hollered, and Rodgers celebrated as he raced the other way. O'Connell stepped in next to McCarthy for what appeared to be a brief teaching moment — or to compliment McCarthy for his willingness to try that type of pass in a learning setting. Whatever the case, Rodgers displayed the kind of athleticism and ball skills the Vikings coveted. They would not say it publicly if this were the case, but the Vikings staff could also think highly enough of their pass rush to skate by without further investment at cornerback. It's not just Allen and Hargrave joining the fold. It's the types of stunts and games the Vikings can implement in another season with Flores. Opposing teams got rid of the ball against the Vikings at one of the quickest rates in the league last season. Improve the pass rush, and the Vikings might view their countless zone coverages (with man changeups) as enough. Advertisement Minnesota could also try to entice teams to run the ball more often. The fewer times the ball is in the air, the fewer times its cornerbacks need to cover. Does it sound like the strategy hinges more on hope than reason? What if, you might be wondering, Murphy or Rodgers suffers an injury? Would the Vikings be OK relying on Okudah, Blackmon or McGlothern full-time? If not, wouldn't it make more sense for the Vikings to act on a player of Ramsey's caliber now, rather than wait for veteran options like they did last fall? This is the push-pull. These are questions that might be worth revisiting down the road. Get creative for Ramsey, and it would affect the team's future flexibility. Pass on a defensive back with as versatile a skill set as he has, and who's to say this won't be one of the sliding doors that shape what could have been? Any potential move will depend on whether the Vikings' decision-makers believe what Blackmon does. Nothing they've done thus far would indicate otherwise.
