Vikings talk preseason finale before roster cuts

um I'll keep it short today uh but uh really important day for us kind of an inter inter Squad feel um to what we'll do today simulating a you know not total simulation of a game but uh we'll have you know NFL officials here today uh Adrien Hill and his crew um we'll uh try to simulate the clock as much as we can substitutions uh but really designed for reps uh if you see our guys walking off the field today uh they more likely will be uh hopefully pretty exhausted um from what we'll attempt to do today it's been a big part of how we do training camp especially with years with only one joint practice so I'm excited for today uh a lot of different roster moves and things like that but I'll let you guys get to it does that yeah we're uh you know we'll be sitting some guys we have determined exactly who exactly playing time you know quarters or halfs or things like that uh we've got a lot of you know things to really let work uh work itself out via the competition and the game will still be uh a part of the evaluation process that goes with all the practices The Joint work in the two preseason games we've had so far I will tell you guys that jiren Hall will start the game um and Matt caral will will uh likely play as well so um from the quarterback position we've got that uh kind of ironed out um but as far as the rest of the roster there's a lot of moving Parts there yeah I think he's had a good camp I would just say you know with Ed um just continued urgency and and my excitement of seeing that urgency every single snap and what's my job what's my technique what how am I working in combination with Garrett and Brian on my left and my right um but Ed's doing a a really nice job and it's just consistency uh he's more than uh you know with all the Reps and the time that he's had out there he's experienced now he's in his third year um and you know just holding him to that standard of uh of of what we want across that entire offensive line and I think Ed Ed's up for it we've wanted to get him a little bit more work um especially you know you think back he you know took a lot of reps in the joint practices and and then still gave us some good work in the game um so individualized plan for Ed just like a you know all 90 guys 91 guys on our roster um and that will continue as far as you know today will be significant so we'll see from a rep standpoint so we'll see kind of what his rep count looks like from today and then apply that and our decision on on uh you know how much or if if at all Ed will play Saturday yeah I I think I'm kind of like you guys probably looks like uh you know if there was Defenders over there he' probably be um you know getting open and catching the ball and and but with an injury with an injury like TJ's and and his importance to our organization uh I'll continue to defer um thank goodness to the me medical staff on you know where guys are at and I I trust Tyler and his staff I know they've done an unbelievable job with him you know I've credited TJ before um but I don't think it could be minimized just from the time start of the offseason program all the way through today uh the impact he's had in meetings with those other tight ends he's in every single meeting uh he is he has a voice in that room he's in our offensive installs um as if he's going to be participating in everything so um mentally I love where he's at and physically by the looks of it that I see uh like you guys probably uh we like where he's at there now it's just a matter of uh what folks a lot smarter than me determine as far as what that timeline is from a responsible standpoint but also knowing we want to get them out there as soon as we can uh get them out there huge part of our team yeah and then oh you know absolutely um we've had kind of a plan in place and there's different you know I I don't want to we could probably go 15 20 minutes on just the roster mechanics of uh kind of how it works based upon um where guys are at medically and things like that so uh you know we have a a plan in place that you know hopefully Falls in line with the the timeline of getting him back during the season uh with where we want him to be at very yeah we we wanted to give nii you know every possible chance uh to get himself to a place where we felt like he could go out there and and do what he does you know specifically in the kicking game phase and and as a gunner um he did everything we asked of him and as we were kind of leading into hopefully seeing him uh this weekend you know just dealt with some discomfort and swelling and things like that so you know a lot of dialogue with Nai he's a very smart smart player and I've enjoyed the heck out of uh you know building a relationship with him um but at the big picture of his career like let's get this thing fixed and and get you back on the the right path and and uh you know Na's got a lot of fans in this building and we just got to get him you know in a place where the last thing i' ever want to do is you know try to push a player to get out there and and uh you know it's not the right time so uh in regards to Naji he's going to get healthy and and have a lot of football left in front of him say that one more time uh it's all I he's it's not a forsh sure thing uh getting I should have said just get healthy uh I'm not uh qualified to make that decision whether it'll be surgical or not or um I just know we want him to get healthy and and he will and he'll be he'll be uh in a good spot mov looking forward yeah those guys are you know kind of working through uh you know at different stages totally different um circumstances uh but both both guys that we you know brought here for a reason and and feel good about the depth of our o line it hasn't necessarily materialized in practice throughout training camp but uh those guys are doing everything they can to to get back out there and uh very much a you know part of you know our plan it's just a matter of you know availability and getting them reps with the group you guys know I'm always good for some Johnny Mt talk um yeah I just uh every time you look up he's making a play um sometimes noteworthy in the passing game sometimes it's just a great block sometimes it's the way Josh Oliver and him are working together Nick Muse uh the rest of our tight ends you know he's just got such a good feel Poise um he always seems to just be in the right spots doing the right thing with great technique and those players tend to be favorites of coaches so Johnny's been great there's a reason why he's been here really every day since I've gotten here I just I love the activeness I mean it seems like he is it's kind of Controlled Chaos sometimes when Levi is doing his thing I don't know if it's the it's it's the hair or what it is but it just feels to me like um he's doing a lot of really good things and he's provided some you know energy and juice to that room in different phases uh and I think he's elevated the whole room just from a standpoint of just that active nature at which he plays the game it's sideline to sideline he's um capable of playing and stacking a lot of snaps in a row despite playing like that which is pretty rare um but no Levi you know is a guy we're we're really excited about he's had a really good camp yeah it's been really cool to watch just because uh there's some nuances to some of the things that have kind of developed here uh that that maybe we you know didn't have in previous versions of this offense or where we've kind of gotten to over the years of understanding how he's played uh that are different for a quarterback it's not just uh you know when the Huddle breaks you know exactly what's going to happen there's some moving parts that uh what make them you know great for our offense as they evolve as the as the play evolves and Justin's got the uh mental makeup and the ability to play fast while still um working through some of the aspects of the play but there's still a quarterback that's got to get you the ball and the Rhythm and timing of that and how it all works together how the protection matches that and uh Justin's been really really good with all of our quarterbacks just the dialogue healthy Dialogue on the practice field in the meeting rooms um that's really been a a huge uh step in in really the direction I expected Justin to take uh through this training camp and and I think it's going to be something that we go on um as we go through the season as well couple more of that or well I think just you know him and I spend a lot of time talking through you'll see me you know there'll be some things that I'll be talking through with him even you know pretty high level things pre-practice that might materialize might not but it's just constantly having you know my dialogue with him um because I'm also having the similar dialogue with the quarterbacks but then challenging him to you know let let Sam know uh you know hey that was perfectly thrown that was exactly what I was thinking or if it's a you know hey you know I might take that angle a little higher coming out of this break or I might you know I didn't get all my depth on that route so just expect uh for for it maybe to be another half click or all these little detail things that you can't really put in a Playbook you can't really uh you know they really have to be practiced and and mastered for it to come to life and then you've got his experience of what we've built he's been a maing major driving force behind that and um it's it's one of the fun parts of the offensive gig for me is is kind of continuing to evolve that because we know that defenses will continue to evolve because he's beaten a lot of the things that have been put in place to try to take him away yeah I think um you know there's no question uh that there's there there it has been eventful in many cases um some tough circumstances and I've told you guys before but uh my number one role as far as how I see my role for this organization is to be a constant Rock of steadiness and being the same guy every day and anybody can do that when when things are good and things are easy or you're not experiencing adversity um I believe leadership is showing those things that you say you're about um authentically and real that doesn't mean you don't go through the same things right alongside your players and coaches but um you've got to do it in a way that uh provides a path always moving forward and and constantly chasing what we're trying to chase around here and you know I learned a long time ago that uh you know there's no sense feeling sorry for yourself for your circumstances uh there is a place to be there for your team on a 24/7 365 day basis uh but never uh without projecting hope uh and genuine um excitement because that's how I feel about this organization and our players and coaches last one I absolutely have and as I feel a raindrop coming down right now I'm hopeful that it doesn't uh turn into an absolute downpour out here but uh I always uh that's never going to change um I wouldn't feel comfortable standing before you guys but more importantly our team if that wasn't uh the case