The Minnesota Vikings put on their shorts and helmets before hitting the field for the first week of organized team activities this week.
Players were participating in a variety of drills and workouts, which will continue over the next couple of weeks ahead of mandatory minicamp in June.
There have been plenty of fun stories coming out of the early practices, including running back Dalvin Cook calling linebacker Za’Darius Smith “crazy” for his work ethic and the way he pushes his teammates. Even Smith himself admitted coach Kevin O’Connell had to tell him to take it down a notch, during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
The regime change in Minnesota has seemingly brought a new energy to the team as they work to end a three-year playoff drought this season. Here are some of the highlights and notes from the first week of OTAs.