While some experts are concerned about some of the losses the Minnesota Vikings experienced this offseason, Mike Zimmer thinks the team is ‘in a good place’.
Looking at the roster for the 2017 Minnesota Vikings can be strange. Gone are names fans got to know over the years like Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Matt Kalil and new faces have come in to compete for spots on the team.
Head coach Mike Zimmer loves players with speed who can do multiple things on the field and has been filling his team with those kind of individuals. However, learning to do several things well can be a challenge, especially for young players or ones unfamiliar with Zimmer’s systems.
However, the head coach spoke about the situation the team is currently in when it comes to personnel, getting ready for the 2017 season, and learning how to play the game rather than just execute plays on the field in an article on the Twin Cities Pioneer Press website:
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"“I think they’re in a good place right now,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “Sometimes you just get here and run plays, but you’re not learning how to play the game. We’ve progressed to the part now where we’re trying to learn how to play games, trying to learn how to play at the end of games, how to play with the clock, without the clock, with the ball or without the ball, because I think that’s going to be important when we come down to getting into the real stuff.”"
Zimmer knows that getting ready for the NFL season is a process. Not only can these players prove themselves every day in practice, but they will need to prove themselves to the coaches as well on a daily basis.
"“I think it is important that the players know they are being evaluated every day,” Zimmer said. “Maybe not to the point where this guy is going to jump ahead of that guy or vice versa, but that is why we come out here every day. You do not want to be an instant evaluator and say, ‘This is our guy,’ and get the pads on and it’s a totally different deal.”"
Next: Vikings 2017 schedule breakdown
Sadly, many talented players will find themselves cut by the Minnesota Vikings before the regular season starts. Hopefully, Mike Zimmer and the rest of the coaching staff will make the right choices to keep the franchise ‘in a good place’.