4 Vikings Training Camp Disappointments
Now that the preseason is underway and will take over the majority of the headlines, it’s time to recap this year’s training camp. The 91 players have worked hard to prepare their bodies and minds for the upcoming season in their weeks at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, MN.
4 Vikings Training Camp Disappointments
For some players, however, those few weeks haven’t delivered the desired results. Here are four disappointments.
1. Gavin Bartholomew
Of course, a player is never to blame for injuries, and rookie Gavin Bartholomew is no different. The sixth-rounder was supposed to replace the departed veteran Johnny Mundt as the third tight end on the depth chart, but a back injury has kept him out of practice all training camp.
In fact, he hasn’t practiced in two months, which is why the Vikings have already added Giovanni Ricci in June and Nick Vannett in August. Bartholomew possesses intriguing athleticism, and his college numbers weren’t too shabby either, but if his health isn’t on his side, none of that matters.
A couple of weeks after the draft, when Bartholomew first stepped onto the field, O’Connell said: “Gavin, you know, it’s always a position that sometimes between the film evaluation, the Pro Day, seeing the tape of it, you just hope they show up and look the way you hope they look. And Gavin definitely did.”
The two added veterans and fellow rookie Ben Yurosek seemingly can just compete with each other for that one vacated job rather than having to fight the player with sixth-round pedigree.
2. Sam Howell
Another player added on day three of the draft, Sam Howell, was a rare player traded during the draft. The Seattle Seahawks acquired three quarterbacks within two months (ex-Viking Sam Darnold, experienced back Drew Lock, and rookie Jalen Milroe), making the once highly-touted college passer expendable.
In 2023, he inexplicably led the league in pass attempts, as the Commanders were unable to field a functioning offense with solid support for a young signal-caller. A trade to Seattle to be their backup was unsuccessful, as he didn’t particularly thrive when needed.
Now, in his next chapter, Howell hasn’t looked too good in practice. The passer needs to overcome his camp struggles and slowly find his groove in Minnesota’s offense to prevent the club from looking elsewhere for a new backup.
3. Mekhi Blackmon
Viewed as an obvious candidate to be the third cornerback in this year’s group, third-year player Mekhi Blackmon hasn’t been able to get past Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, who join Byron Murphy Jr. in nickel packages.
The 2023 third-rounder is coming off a significant knee injury suffered in last year’s camp, but he has gotten zero steam. He’s still entrenched as the fourth cornerback, but the guys behind him, especially Dwight McGlothern and Zemaiah Vaughn, have gotten more buzz in camp.
He’s not in jeopardy of losing his job by any means, but hasn’t moved up the depth chart either. The last time we saw him in a game was when he was Minnesota’s promising rookie cornerback in the 2023 campaign, expected to have a big role in 2024.
4. Tai Felton
He is a rookie, so he deserves some grace, and Tai Felton was never expected to be an immediate star. Yet, when a wide receiver costs a third-rounder to acquire, especially on a team with only three established receivers, it shouldn’t be too hard to make some noise. That scenario got even more Felton-friendly when Justin Jefferson suffered his minor hamstring injury.
Still, the headlines belong to other guys like Lucky Jackson, a no-name who played in the XFL a couple of years ago and hasn’t caught a pass in the NFL at the age of 28.
At least Felton is currently listed as the top kick returner and might play a role as the team’s gunner in punt coverage. On offense, however, Felton shouldn’t be expected to be a major contributor.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.