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Sports

Minnesota Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. to have knee surgery this week

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EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. will undergo surgery this week to repair a meniscus injury he suffered in Minnesota’s preseason finale at Kansas City, coach Mike Zimmer announced Monday.

“We’ll see how that surgery goes, but [Vikings head team physician] Dr. [Christopher] Larsen is one of the best in the country so we expect a good turnout.”

Zimmer did not specify how long the Vikings will be without Smith, but said he had not heard about a “six-to-eight month” timetable when specifically asked about a longer time frame for Smith’s recovery.

“We’ll just see where he’s at,” Zimmer said “A lot of times you can’t really tell anything until you get in there. We really won’t know until they get in there.”

Typically, recovery from meniscus surgery could range from several weeks to several months depending on whether it’s a simpler debridement or clean-up procedure, or a full repair.

Smith played 11 snaps during Friday’s loss at Kansas City, though it’s not apparent when he suffered his injury during the game. The third-year tight end was interviewed on the field during the television broadcast and was made available to the media on hand at Arrowhead Stadium following the game.

Minnesota is down to Tyler Conklin, Brandon Dillon, Zach Davidson and Shane Zylstra at tight end and several of those players are not expected to make the 53-man roster. Zimmer called the Vikings’ tight end depth “not very good” and said the team would be looking to add another tight end with cutdown day on the horizon.

“We’re looking, but not just at tight end,” Zimmer said. “We’re looking [at] all positions.”

The Vikings had two tight ends on the field for 445 snaps in 2020, which ranked third in the NFL. Even though Minnesota’s offense is typically predicated on its tight end usage, the Vikings may have to make schematic adjustments based on their depleted personnel at the position.

“We may end up being a little bit more ‘three wides’ [receivers],” Zimmer said. “With some of the guys that we have there. All this will shake out after the cuts. We can’t jump ahead of anything right now.”

Conklin, who has been rehabbing from a hamstring injury and has not practiced since Aug. 16, is expected to be back as a full participant in practice on Monday, according to Zimmer.

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Sports

Minnesota Vikings first-round draft pick Christian Darrisaw has second surgery on groin, source says

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EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings rookie left tackle Christian Darrisaw is still struggling with the groin injury that has sidelined him throughout training camp.

Darrisaw underwent a minor procedure on his core muscle Thursday morning in Philadelphia, a source confirmed to ESPN. This is Darrisaw’s second time undergoing surgery since January to repair a groin injury that has limited the first-round pick throughout the offseason and in training camp.

Darrisaw was absent from Wednesday’s joint practice with the Denver Broncos because he was seeing Dr. William Meyers, the founder of the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia that specializes in the treatment of core muscle injuries.

A source told ESPN that there is optimism Darrisaw will be able to return to practice quickly, though it remains uncertain how much time the rookie will need to get up to speed physically to contend with veteran Rashod Hill for the starting left tackle job.

“I wouldn’t put a number on it,” offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said. “With any player coming off an injury, they’re all different. I would say when he’s been here, he’s been really sharp and really dialed in, so mentally I don’t think it’ll be a problem. We’ve just got to get his physical reps and get his conditioning.”

On Wednesday, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer ruled Darrisaw out of Saturday’s preseason opener against Denver. The left tackle has not taken any live team reps in training camp after suiting up for the first time last week. When he has seen the field, Darrisaw has participated only in limited walk-through reps with the second-team unit.

“That’s a tough one,” Zimmer said last week. “He’s one step forward and two steps back.”

NFL Network was first to report the news of Darrisaw’s core muscle procedure.

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Sports

QB Case Cookus working out for Vikings Monday

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USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings are set to have just one of the quarterbacks on their 90-man roster available for practice this week, so they’ll be looking at a potential addition at the position on Monday.

Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press reports that the team will have Case Cookus in for a workout. Cookus played at Northern Arizona and has spent time with the Giants and Broncos since going undrafted last year.

Kellen Mond tested positive for COVID-19, which led to Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley being ruled out of practice because they were high-risk close contacts. Jake Browning was the only quarterback at Saturday’s practice and is currently set to be the only one available in the coming days as high-risk close contacts must isolate for five days if they are not fully vaccinated.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said on Saturday he is “frustrated, not just with my football players who didn’t get vaccinated, but I’m frustrated with everybody” who has not been vaccinated yet.

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Sports

Rick Dennison out as Minnesota Vikings assistant after refusing COVID-19 vaccine, sources say

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EAGAN, Minn. — After refusing to receive a vaccine for COVID-19, Rick Dennison is out as a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Dennison, who had served as the Vikings’ offensive line coach/run game coordinator the past two seasons, is believed to be the first NFL position coach to leave his team after choosing not to receive a vaccine.

The vaccine is required for all Tier 1 staff, including coaches, front-office executives, equipment managers and scouts. Players are not required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine but will face strict protocols during training camp and throughout the season that vaccinated players will be able to forgo.

In a memo released by the league this summer, the NFL said any unvaccinated Tier 1 staff member must provide a valid religious or medical reason for not receiving the vaccine. Losing Tier 1 status prohibits coaches from being on the field and in meeting rooms and having direct interactions with players.

Phil Rauscher has been promoted from assistant offensive line coach to fill Dennison’s position, sources told ESPN. The Vikings also hired Ben Steele, who had recently been hired by Auburn as a special teams analyst, to fill the position Rauscher had held since 2019.

Dennison’s departure comes at a time of transition for the Vikings’ offense, which will be guided by first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak, 34, was promoted to fill the role his father, Gary, held in Minnesota during the 2020 season.

With 27 years of NFL coaching experience, Dennison was considered a vital piece in helping bridge the gap for the younger Kubiak, given his experience calling run plays and knowledge of the scheme the Vikings have used since the 2019 season.

The Vikings were one of the league’s prominent running teams in 2020 behind Dalvin Cook, who became the first Minnesota player to rush for at least 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season. Cook was responsible for 30.5% of the Vikings’ scrimmage yards, the second-highest rate in the NFL behind Tennessee’s Derrick Henry (33.8), according to ESPN Stats & Information data.

Dennison, 63, worked with Gary Kubiak for more than three decades in Denver (1995-2009, 2015-16), Houston (2010-13) and Baltimore (2014). Before joining the Vikings in 2019, Dennison served as offensive line coach/run game coordinator for the New York Jets in 2018.

Rauscher is entering his seventh season as a coach in the NFL after joining the Vikings in 2020. He coached with Dennison on the Broncos staff during the 2015 and 2016 seasons and was Washington’s offensive line coach in 2019.

Steele was on several NFL rosters as a tight end from 2001 to 2007, including in Houston under Gary Kubiak. He began working in the NFL in 2013 as an offensive quality control coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a position he held until 2016. Steele was later promoted to tight ends coach for the Buccaneers before moving to the Atlanta Falcons, where he was an offensive assistant in 2019 and tight ends coach in 2020. He was hired by Auburn earlier this year.

The Vikings will hold their first training camp practice Wednesday.

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Sports

Minnesota Vikings, safety Xavier Woods reach 1-year deal, source says

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The Minnesota Vikings and free-agent safety Xavier Woods have agreed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal that includes $1.75 million guaranteed, a source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Woods, who developed into a versatile safety with the ability to cover the slot over his first four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, is expected to fill the Vikings’ opening at free safety opposite Harrison Smith after Anthony Harris’ departure in free agency.

After finishing the season ranked 29th in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed, Minnesota has focused its efforts on the defensive side. In addition to Woods, the Vikings have only acquired defensive players in free agency — defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, linebacker Nick Vigil and cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander.

A sixth-round pick in 2017, Woods became a full-time starter in his second season with the Cowboys and started his last 44 games, missing four games over three seasons due to injury.

Heading into 2020, he was viewed as a cornerstone piece to the Cowboys’ secondary, but he struggled despite finishing second on the team with 72 tackles. He had just two tackles for loss, did not record a sack and had just two passes defended while not intercepting a pass for the first time in his career.

Woods can play both safety spots and also played as a nickel cornerback as a rookie.

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Todd Archer contributed to this report.

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Sports

Minnesota Vikings reach deal with former New York Giants defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson

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The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a deal with former New York Giants defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, his agency confirmed on Twitter.

The deal is worth $22 million over two years, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, with $20 million in total guarantees and $16 million fully guaranteed. Tomlinson’s signing bonus is $15 million.

The Vikings on Monday also reached agreement with former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Nick Vigil on a one-year deal that includes $1.35 million guaranteed, a league source told Cronin.

Tomlinson, who turned 27 in February, was a stalwart in the middle of the defensive line for the Giants this past season, finishing with 49 tackles (8 for loss), 3.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits. He also batted down a team-high four passes at the line of scrimmage, and his 5.1% run-stuff rate was third among interior linemen, according to NextGen Stats.

Showing that kind of performance and consistency since he was drafted in the second round out of Alabama in 2017, Tomlinson generally was considered one of the top interior defensive linemen on the market this offseason.

Tomlinson lined up at nose tackle for 287 snaps last season with the Giants, but a source told Cronin that bringing in Tomlinson doesn’t affect where the Vikings are going to play nose tackle Michael Pierce. Pierce signed with Minnesota last offseason but opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns. He is expected to return in 2021.

Tomlinson, who hasn’t missed a game in his first four professional seasons, was the best pass-rusher on an improving Giants defense that finished 10th against the run and 12th overall. He has 207 tackles and eight sacks in his career.

NFL Network was first to report the terms of Tomlinson’s agreement with the Vikings.

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan contributed to this report.

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Sports

The Draft Network’s Vikings Mock Draft goes heavy on defense

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We are, officially, well into what the kids might call “Mock Draft Szn” with the start of the new league year right around the corner. While most mock drafts go for a round or two, one writer from The Draft Network has projected a full seven rounds worth of selections to the Minnesota Vikings. What does it have? Well, I think it’s a pretty accurate reflection of what we’re going to see this April, as it’s heavy on the defensive side of the ball.

Ryan Fowler’s seven-round Vikings’ mock has the purple using their first pick to address the offense with the selection of USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. After that, however, it’s mostly attempting to add to the Vikings’ defense, as eight of their eleven other selections go to the defensive side of the football.

In looking at Fowler’s draft, the pick that intrigues me the most comes way down in the fourth round with the selection of Stanford offensive tackle Walker Little. Going into the 2019 season, Little was a guy that was being talked about as a potential first-round selection, but suffered a significant knee injury in the first quarter of Stanford’s season opener that caused him to miss the rest of the season. Little then opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns over COVID-19, meaning that it will have been about two calendar years since his last game action by the time the 2021 NFL season starts.

I’m not totally sure that Little would make it all the way to the fourth round of the draft, but if he did he would be the sort of guy that the Vikings could try to develop into a new blindside protector for Kirk Cousins (or, you know, whoever is at quarterback here in the near future). There are a couple of other interesting picks in Fowler’s mock as well, but the Little selection was the one that really caught my eye. It’s one of those selections that could end up being pretty spectacular if it worked out as well as it could.

What do you think of Ryan Fowler’s seven-round mock for the Vikings, folks?

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Sports

Stephen Weatherly says he’s back with the Vikings

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Defensive end Stephen Weatherly spent his first four NFL seasons with the Vikings and he says he is headed back to the team for the 2021 season.

Weatherly signed a two-year deal with the Panthers as a free agent last year, but got released by Carolina last month. In an Instagram post on Thursday, Weatherly wrote that he is back with the team for another tour of duty.

The Vikings have not made any announcement about Weatherly’s return.

Weatherly started the first nine games of the 2020 season, but spent the rest of the year on injured reserve after hurting his finger. He had 67 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in his first stint with the Vikings.



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Technology

Valheim’s Bonemass is proving tricky for vikings to tackle

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Valheim is a game where players explore a vast world, and build their own bases in a hostile wilderness. There’s lots to worry about out there, from feral hogs to sea monsters, but one boss in particular is causing everyone a big headache. Meet Bonemass, a Slimer-type fellow who, despite being only the third boss, is somehow the biggest obstacle in the game.

In Valheim, your progression and exploration is gated behind bosses, who can be summoned at mysterious altars hidden around the world. For instance, in order to mine ore from the mysterious Black Forest, players have to kill a giant lightning elk and take his hardened antler. That lets players make a pickaxe, and as they venture into the Black Forest, they’ll find the altar for the next boss, a giant Ent carrying some swamp keys.

The first boss is a helpful exercise in teaching Vikings how to block with a shield and manage their stamina while hitting a big beefy enemy. The Elder Ent teaches players to dodge area-of-effect attacks and dish out damage while they’re on the move.

Bonemass, on the other hand, has seemingly no limits. Geez, Iron Gate, why does Bonemass get to have six mechanics? He has tons of environmental damage, meaning players have to dodge lots of area of effect gasses and hits. He summons adds, and they’re surprisingly tough to fight. He is the king of poison damage, so make sure you bring resistance potions. He hits like a truck and has an enormous health pool, so maybe bring some health potions too, because you’ll be there for a while. Finally, your sharp weapons are useless, so bring clubs and maces.

There’s a lot going on there! Players have definitely noticed how tough Bonemass is, and are sharing stories on social media about their long struggle to take him out and acquire his trusty wishbone. Some players have learned they can harpoon Bonemass, pull him out into the ocean, and then circle him with a boat while whittling him down. That’s not how the fight is intended to go, but hey, all’s fair in love and war. Especially if you’re fighting a giant slime man.

“Of course, we are going to listen to community feedback, and you never know what we’ll do in the future for balancing,” said Henrik Törnqvist, co-founder of Iron Gate. “Bring poison resistance potions is my best tip.” (We have a few suggestions in our guide on how to defeat Bonemass.)

Overall, Bonemass isn’t a game breaking boss or an unstoppable force. It’s just an unusually tough fight in an otherwise well-paced game. The jump from boss one to boss two is enough to feel like you’re appropriately challenged and have grown as a Viking. The jump to boss three feels twice as difficult, whereas boss four feels like a downgrade in difficulty. Luckily for everyone, some dedication, a good team, and/or a willingness to cheese Bonemass by dragging him into the ocean, is enough to overcome this challenge.

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