Minnesota Vikings scoops: JJ McCarthy, TJ Hockenson and more

these two guys have Minnesota sports flowing in their veins Mackie and shot on score North and score north.com yes this Reckless speculation Thursday and scoop session Reckless speculation presented today by nicolay law the exclusive personal injury law firm of purple daily and other scor Earth podcast Nicol La knows that when you or a loved one gets injured ordinary life can come to a stop things can get complicated and during that time insurance companies might be likely to pressure you but that's where Nicol law comes in with all sorts of experience in the Twin Cities area just a bunch of normal folks t-shirt and jeans Folks at Nicol a law who uh who love the communities that they live in love Minnesota sports happen to have law degrees though to help you get the compensation you deserve after an accident so if you've been injured get Minnesota's local award-winning injury lawyers get nickolay at nickola law.com or give them a call at 1855 Nicola Darren Doogie Wilson from the five Eyewitness News sports Department happy Reckless speculation Thursday always good to see your pretty faces yeah well uh Vikings have a preseason game this weekend here and we don't know yet what the quarterback load and share is going to be here but um I let's let's start with JJ McCarthy he seems very seasoned at the podium I can see how and and we're watching him take two steps forward one step back at practice just like any 21y old quarterback would but I can see doogie how JJ McCarthy over the course of of a full day with the Vikings staff and Ann Arbor going around to his favorite lunch sandwich shop over here little whiteboard session like I see how well he connects with people that he doesn't know who are lobbing questions at him the sports dads of the world and he just he's a very impressive young man that I could see how the Vikings would fall in love with that side of him behind the scenes he's polished he reminds me of Royce Lewis yeah now there was a part of me being the skeptic I am early on with Roy I'm like is this real is this genuine like there's no way he can be this polished is there a fakeness at all no that's who Roy is Roy is the real deal I'm convinced more so based on some other conversations although I sat down with JJ immediately after the draft the eye contact the detailed answers he gave me the conversation we had off Mike yes there is so much to like about JJ McCarthy the person you would have no idea that he's only as you said Phil 21 years old it's also easy to see how guys gravitated toward him IMG Academy University of Michigan that he's won multiple national championships High School then College not hard to figure out some of the why involved with that he also um is wired like a quarterback and that might sound weird but like we've seen guys that are talented football players and have good arms but they don't really command a room they might try to make it up as they go they might try to reinvent themselves McCarthy for a 21-year-old kid when you see him deal with te teates the media all of th those things to me that's also just like you either have that or you don't the really interesting thing about this kid though is and he talks about this openly duges is how he battled depression like in 2020 IMG he's basically alone can't see his family blah blah blah and he's like I was down like I was really you know depressed gets online looks up you know what what he can do to help himself and you might think well that sounds sort of weird no like to me that's super impressive this kid is this kid is smart and this is what I like if he has the talent which I think he does he's got the intangibles and the the it Factor as a human to be a quarterback I don't know about you guys but in retrospect like when it came to ponder who was a nice nice kid I now realiz I really didn't know what I was looking at like like by this point now I've seen more QB personalities right and when it came to Christian he probably could have played football and he probably could have played a different position but he really wasn't wired as a quarterback he didn't have that confidence so I've just been really impressed that McCarthy is seemingly the complete package incredibly important yeah I mean I'm trying to figure out if he has any flaws like he meditates which is fine like I credit him yeah for putting that emphasis on his mental health yes imagine you know back at IMG you know Co still a thing although maybe not as much in Florida right but still just a difficult time to navigate leaving home in Illinois but yeah realizing hey like if I meditate that is going to help me he still meditates a lot to this day but I'm just telling you like I don't know are there any flaws there I mean we can nitpick on the field right you know this decision making that it wasn't a great day of practice yesterday for example which is okay right Phil you said it couple steps forward step backwards right and hey he had a step backwards yesterday that's okay but like I'm trying to figure out if there are any flaws I don't know if there are I've talked to a number of people close to him and hey I get it even on background are they really going to volunteer to me that hey JJ has this flaw or that flaw maybe not okay I understand that but I don't know if there are flaws there like to me he is in many ways the total package you know I I would say just generally provided that you meet the the physical criteria needed you you can make the throws needed physically right you you know there's always mechanical things to work on but provided that you are big enough athletic enough and can make the NFL throws needed to me the two main reasons why young quarterbacks fail are one the infrastructure around them sets them up to fail bad head coach coordinator I mean all the Sam Donald stuff from the Jets maybe your weapons are garbage you just your offensive line you just like you're you're basically stuck before you get out of the gate but the second thing is mentality where you aren't able to handle the inevitable failure that goes into your first training camp your first season the speed of the game and all those things and so like if if those are the two main factors bad infrastructure or unable to handle adversity I think JJ McCarthy is in a good spot to like the infrastructure here is better than New England certainly and some of the other places that were drafting quarterbacks and he seems like he's very much mature Beyond his years from an EQ standpoint just his emotional intelligence doie so doesn't mean he doesn't have flaws but I feel like he has the things around him externally and internally to overcome whatever hurdles would be thrown in front of him I agree I mean there's a reason why he his Camp circled the Viking yeah maybe there was some interest in the Giants but more than anything like there is a genuine when when he said hey post-draft this is where I wanted to be the infrastructure has a lot to do with that now we don't know so much on the adversity yeah we can see how he's bounced back after a bad day of practice but how does he bounce back after a bad game because he hasn't had many bad games so I'll be curious on that but there's something to be said about having that mental makeup I mean I think about the ultimate example being pton Manning was it an NFL record interceptions his rookie year 28 it's terrible 28 okay I'm sure you guys have cited that previously so you know I mean that's the ultimate example I get that but like does he have that sort of mental makeup whenever he gets in there we know the J.J mccarth theier is going to begin at some point I still think it'll be Sam darnold on September 8th but at some point it's going to be JJ McCarthy's team and inevitably he's going to struggle how does he respond to that I guess I'll be curious to see that and I don't know maybe that is a flaw maybe we'll see that play out and maybe he struggles in that regard but just the way he is wired as you said Jud I'm not sure he's going to fail I really don't small sample size but I will say that that we got at least a little bit of a taste of what you're talking about Darren Friday's practice he was yesterday he wasn't Good Friday he was flat out bad okay so like like he didn't have a great practice on uh Wednesday but he's bad on Friday comes back on Saturday and I think has his best practice and he talked about it in the presser yesterday and flat out said you know what I was bad but I learned a ton from it again I think the pro I have no I mean he might be the greatest guy on the face of the Earth off the field it might I don't know but I'm just all I care about is what he does as a quarterback and I love the mentality of a 21-year-old kid be because he didn't come back on Saturday and struggle and then say but I learned a lot on Friday he actually came back and was great so like small sample size I think that there is a lot to be encouraged about here and Phil's right too you know he is in an environment with a coach who has seen good quarterbacks be set up to fail so oconnell being an advocate to me is huge I think I'd be far more concerned about what you're talking about duges if he was in like the Patriots system right and they're sort of panicked and McCarthy's a good kid and he's smart but everything around him is falling apart the building is collapsing that's not the problem here so I do think that this is as good a marriage as you could possibly get yeah I'm with you now think about this key stretch about to begin not necessarily today Thursday which matters right another practice day but I sense he's going to play a decent amount on Saturday yep then this time next week joint practices against a Prett pretty darn good defense the Cleveland Browns so you think about this stretch this next week right today into Saturday into those joint practices in Cleveland next Wednesday and Thursday but like you just you talk to people that have been around him all summer the fact that he spent a good chunk of the summer here in the Twin Cities heck you talk to people out at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine he goes out there to play a practice round jumps into the into the pond whole 18 right he's in his full clothes right he just he jumps in like he's just he's one of those dudes right you talk to the people at Woodbury High School the way he interacted not just with Adam Thelen and Blake Cashman but with some others and CJ ham some others right just I'm telling you I have not heard one bad thing about the guy yeah um any just from both you guys Jud injury updates do we know where TJ hackinson at the guys that missed PR I don't want to spoil jud's Camp Notes too aggressively for purple daily today but going to sit there Jefferson had a personal day Dara was out for a practice okay yeah what's give us the Run are okay I mean I know Jonathan grenard sat out on Wednesday I've not heard of that being any sort of out big deal Aaron Jones set out more so a vet day so there's no injury concern right on Jones it was told Robert tunan I mentioned this on Tuesday that this is not a long-term type setback with the back but he may need a little bit more time on TJ hackinson he continues to look great I don't think we'll see him on the field September 8th but like instead of end of October or early November you know maybe he is back either for that game in London or immediately after the buy you just you watch him move the way he's cutting off to the side we can't capture video of that that's against the rules right you can't show a guy that's that's not on you know the regular practice field but we're sitting there watching we have access to watch and so we can document in our head the way TJ is looking off to the side he looks fantastic Phil he really does I mean we've all been out there I mean we've all seen it he just he looks great so you know I imagine TJ you know when Kevin oconnell told us early in Camp hey he is ahead of schedule I've seen that now play out he absolutely looks to me ahead of schedule for a guy that underwent knee surgery late January remember the injury happened I think it was Christmas Eve day and they had to wait a little bit the surgery didn't take place until late January so it was almost five weeks later for the surgery you know so you're talking about February March April May June July whatever that is but the way he's moving right now just a handful of months later super impressive and don't don't forget too he tore the ACL and the MCL so it's multiple lments yes so yes um oconnell okell spoke uh to the media on Tuesday and essentially said I got to slow myself down a bit CU he he looks so good and I'd love to see him play as soon as possible but we've got a plan here as as well so yes I I would say the moment he is cleared there he's going to play and and could he be cleared quicker I'm still guessing it's going to be after the bye but anyway long story short he looks he looks great I think he'll play sooner than they probably initially expected and Robert tan has as much of a chance of being on the 53 as Jud zad so wow so we're just oh really you don't think there's a chance huh zero chance Oliver not there yet Oliver Mont Muse Muse has been Muse has been good that was Muse's job to lose yeah yeah tan and I we we got the same well you were I feel like you were all aboard the tanion train like a month ago and I wasn't aboard I wasn't aboard the uh the Jones train yeah so like like I go out there jud's Camp notes they evolve like I'm not you're not stuck to a tap I'm not out there to prove Jud right jud's Camp notes every night before I go go to bed sits me down and says remember what you saw is what you talk about not your preconceived notions Jud as as Colin coward says and I always compare Jud and Colin coward basically the same person thick as theves uh we're not here to be right we're here to get it right that's that's what we're here for right so yes I am off the bandwagon on tanion I am on the Aaron Jones bandwagon I am not off the tanion bandwagon yet I get it there it's a tanion train you guys just the tanion train I'm not I'm not there yet but okay fully acknowledging Nick Muse yeah they like him a lot so I get it if you have Muse above tanion right now fully understand that let me also sing the Praises I can't recall if I've done this previously in this space or not and I I still don't know is it is it aswa or Asam MOA ran aswa or ASA he tore his laam last year like this time last year or even earlier in Camp he just he tried to battle through that the duration of the year like he was hurt all year he's healthy now M that matters and I'm not suggesting he's going to play 45 defensive snaps a game but the impact on special teams as a capable backup he'll make it like you think about the 22 draft class right and we talk about okay scen in trouble Booth Jr in trouble that next pick Brian asima to me not in trouble like he's had a good camp so far agree completely agree completely but the best player from that draft class could it be Jaylen Naylor by the time the season is done why are you sleeping on a Caleb Evans I not start I think they're gonna start a Caleb um my problem with him can he stay healthy you think and Phil might be right I say that a lot of guys but sure I think I think yeah but I mean he's gotten concussion problems before I'm just saying I think the more I I'm worried about the performance he was benched twice last year well that too I'm just saying it's a Jaylen Naylor I mean right now is it Possible's number three receiver right now that you're starting cornerbacks in the nickel are sha Griffin provided Health Byron Murphy Jr in the slot and Fabian Maro on the outside or are do you think like could Fabian Maro be a starting cornerback over a Caleb Evans is my question could yes he could yes yeah just a dude they picked up less than two weeks ago uh hey before we get to the rest of dogie scoop bag here speaking of places that get it right we're all aboard the the finch Home Solutions train the finch the it's a finch Festival it's a festive is for the just talk about Finch homes Cody Finch is great uh so there there you see the trucks going out to work to fix any electrical needs that you might have and I got some exciting news so uh was on a call with Cody a couple of days ago and found out that Finch is now a certified dealer and installer of gemstone lights which is permanent holiday lighting now before say sports Dad don't be talking Thanksgiving and Christmas it's summer okay first of all permanent holiday lighting means that you don't have to get up on the roof when it's cold out because it's permanent it's always there also here's the other thing the lights they're like LED lights you can change the colors in other words let's say the Vikings are playing a big game on Sunday on Saturday night love this love this purple lights purple lights all over your house Halloween Halloween theme lights so we're not just talking Christmas here we are talking a lighting system that your neighbors are going to be like holy cow Ted where did you get that and you're going to say Solutions or Bill or whatever it is Solutions Frank Ted 612 35726 04 Finch homes solutions.com Finch homesolutions.net yeah you could even you could do twins lights too or you could just you could just go to the ballpark and you know watch this incredible four game series that uh we hope is incredible anyways with the Guardians coming to town twins.com tickets 612 Saturday which is a $6 beer $1 snack uh $2 food and also Sundays are kids days plus the double header tomorrow Guardians twins division on the line and then by the way the Royals this is the biggest weak stretch of games of the Season here twins.com ticks all right I'll be there on Saturday twins Hall of Fame Terry Ry night Terry Ryan just got off a call with Terry this morning over 50 family and friends so I mean there's many that reside here in the Twin Cities but over 50 family and friends coming to town he's from Southern Wisconsin so he still has grade school friends you know he's what 70 now but still some people he's maintained contact with friends going back you know 62 years 61 years whatever it is somewhere in that range and he's got some friends coming in so he's Blown Away by 50 people coming into town plus all the other people that are already in town for Saturday also you know I had to ask Terry about okay so Rick stasic may he rest in peace first coach to go into the twins Hall of Fame Terry actually fired Stelly back in 2012 that's right and so yeah I mean Terry was open about that I he said about the toughest part of the job you know when you either call player to tell him hey I traded you or you bring Stelly into your office and say hey we're not renewing your contract we are letting you go essentially firing you we don't want you back right but he still has the utmost respect for Stell and hey you could have Glenn Perkins come on you know our mutual friend or any number of other you know twins luminaries they will tell you just the Difference Maker that that Stelly was on the twins injury front Dean I've not heard back yet on the Brock Stewart MRI front so I'm still waiting to here on that although he's not going to be back anytime soon Joe Ryan right triceps tightness will undergo an MRI today I think best case scenario we're looking at a 15-day ion so you think about this stretch like Monday against the Royals how nice would it be for Joe Ryan to start that game on Monday at Target Field against the Royals that seems unrealistic at this point but there was a decent amount of optimism postgame yesterday in Chicago that a long-term setback has been avoided but still he'll get some testing done today to get to the bottom of it fingers crossed there yeah and Carlos karea still isn't sprinting so he's not going to be back you know like tomorrow how great would it be to have Kare in the lineup tomorrow against Cleveland for those two games now hopefully he's back relatively soon but it's not going to be like in the next 24 hours because he still needs to Sprint there's still a good amount of Comfort I think this thing is lingering longer than he had initially thought Byron buckton has back acted up on the plane ride to Chicago so he had that play on Sunday at Target Field and next thing you know they get on the airplane Sunday night to fly to Chicago for that first game Monday at Wrigley even the one-h hour plane ride just the back locked up a little bit just dealing with with a back issue he'll get some treatment today with with hope that he'll be back in the line of pack as soon as tomorrow but if not tomorrow really really soon D do we know do we know on karea like what is the because he he clearly played through the pain of of this and it hurt him a year ago so he's trying to get through to a place where he's comfortable but my understanding is with this until it tears it's not you know it it doesn't begin to heal so like do we know what the threshold of okay now he's going to try to play is cuz I fear if if they're like the pain is gone that's not going to happen until it tears agree that's going to take some time then he's going to have to play through some level of pain it is not going to be completely healed let's say he's back in the Twins lineup on Monday against the Royals or middle of next week or who knows maybe even Sunday if you know a minor miracle occurs but relatively soon at some point this month CA back in the twin's lineup yeah he's not going to be 100% to me though like okay he played through a good amount of pain last year and it was double play upon double play rolling over the ball a lot of ground balls yes so is that what we're going to see I mean I guess he knows right but yeah I mean that's that's a fascinating question I don't have the the direct answer outside of he's not going to be 100% before this season is over yeah uh duges we got a run here but great catching up on this Reckless speculation Thursday Tim Conelly just arrived in Paris okay so you've got France you've got USA unfortunately not Canada and unfortunately not Australia although not like Joe Engles was playing heck not like Rudy Gober is playing either or even n Alexander Walker but Tim Connelly over there to watch specifically Anthony Edwards semi-finals than what should be the gold medal game this weekend so the wolves have a nice contingent over in Paris love it man Anthony Edwards leading Team USA and scoring average right now congratulations to Greg farum great guy got a promotion with the Wolves his title now is VP of Medical Services a nice promotion for longtime wolves trainer they now have somebody else that's technically the Wolves trainer Greg elevated to a VP title good guy climbing on up he is Darren Doogie wolson from the five Eyewitness News sports Department every Tuesday and Thursday here on Minnesota sports speaking of the Wolves Phil very realistic I mean we said it heck you know middle of last year the way the Wolves were playing you know number one seat in the Western Conference for four and a half months that the wolves are going to play on Christmas day so we should have some official word on that I know Mark Stein had a note on that in his in his online column going back a week or so but like that's always seemed incredibly realistic the amount of eyeballs the popularity of Anthony Edwards there are 10 teams there are five games 10 teams play on Christmas day so very realistic to think that the Wolves will be one of the 10 teams that plays on Christmas day later this year love it let's make that happen come on Adam Silver it's all we need you got the TV deals done I like Edwards on Chris all right he's Darren Doogie Wolfson we've got uh purple daily the return of our guy Thorne eom a Thor's day today on purple daily so check that out mcarthy fan I know enjoy it and then flagrant HS recapping the Team USA semi-final with Kyle tagy this is Minnesota sports with Mackey and Jud