Mike Zimmer's first training camp starts Friday. Here are the 90 players that will take to the practice fields of Mankato State University.
QB
16 Matt Cassel
5 Teddy Bridgewater
7 Christain Ponder
This competition might bring a little media and fan interest.
RB
28 Adrian Peterson
44 Matt Asiata
31 Jerrick McKinnon
23 Joe Banyard
43 Dominique Williams
FB
42 Jerome Felton
48 Zach Line
Rookie McKinnon's versatility gives the Vikings a different sort of runner behind the great Adrian Peterson.
WR
15 Greg Jennings
84 Cordarrelle Patterson
17 Jarius Wright
81 Jerome Simpson
19 Adam Thielen
83 Rodney Smith
13 Kain Colter
14 Erik Lora
11 Josh Cooper
2 Donte Foster
12 Kamar Jorden
This position was a disaster as recently as two years ago. There's talent here now.
TE
82 Kyle Rudolph
85 Rhett Ellison
86 Chase Ford
87 Allen Reisner
89 AC Leonard
This should be an interesting, under-the-radar competition in camp. Rudolph could dominate in Norv Turner's offense. Ellison is a jack-of-all-trades, versatile football player. The competition will be for #3.
OL
75 Matt Kalil
74 Charlie Johnson
65 John Sullivan
63 Brandon Fusco
71 Phil Loadholt
61 Joe Berger
60 Jeff Baca
66 David Yankey
68 Kevin Murphy
62 Vladimir Ducasse
79 Austin Wentworth
78 Antonio Richardson
67 Mike Remmers
72 Matt Hall
59 Zac Kerin
76 Pierce Burton
One of the biggest battles of camp will be at LG. Johnson has been the starter for the past two seasons. Baca, rookie Yankey and Ducasse are in the battle. The offensive line should be a team strength.
DL
96 Brian Robison
98 Linval Joseph
73 Sharrif Floyd
97 Everson Griffen
99 Corey Wootton
95 Scott Crichton
90 Fred Evans
91 Chase Baker
92 Tom Johnson
93 Shamar Stephen
79 Kheeston Randall
94 Justin Trattou
76 Isame Faciane
69 Spencer Nealy
68 Rakim Cox
64 Tyler Scott
78 Jake Snyder
No Kevin Williams. No Jared Allen. This is a group in transition. It's also one of the strongest groups on the team. It's perhaps the only strength on defense right now.
LB
52 Chad Greenway
55 Anthony Barr
54 Jasper Brinkley
56 Michael Mauti
57 Audie Cole
54 Gerald Hodges
51 Larry Dean
58 Brandon Watts
49 Dom DeCicco
59 Mike Zimmer
Greenway and rookie Barr are the only plays with a position pretty much locked down. Middle linebacker is a wide open competition. Brinkley is likely penciled in as the starter entering training camp due to his experience. Mauti and Cole will challenge him. There's some young talent here. #59 and the head coach are not the same person.
DB
29 Xavier Rhodes
24 Captain Munnerlyn
22 Harrison Smith
33 Jamarca Sanford
21 Josh Robinson
37 Derek Cox
35 Marcus Sherels
27 Shaun Prater
40 Kendall James
39 Jabari Price
38 Julian Posey
26 Robert Steeples
20 Kurt Coleman
36 Robert Blanton
32 Antone Exum
41 Mistral Raymond
34 Andrew Sendejo
30 Brandon Bishop
Until the Vikings show differently on the field this will be considered a position of weakness. Rhodes and Smith are the building blocks for turning that around. The safety spot opposite Smith joins LG and MLB as the most competitive battles of camp. This one is wide, wide open. Coleman, Blanton, Raymond, and Sendejo have all started NFL games.
ST
3 Blair Walsh
18 Jeff Locke
46 Cullen Loeffler
There's no competition for the kicker, punter, long snapper positions. These three will be off on some distant, far away field practicing on their own.
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