The pads came on for the very first time to kick-start the second week of training camp practice for the Minnesota Vikings, and things were certainly more physical than what we saw from the team on Saturday.
This was the first real practice to get a sense of where players are at in their preparation for the regular season, whether that’s longtime veterans or rookies in their first NFL year. There’s no better simulation of real football than a padded practice.
The Vikings clearly have some work to do with a couple of trouble spots, such as tight end and the interior offensive line, continuing to show up as possible concerns for the team.
But there were obviously major positives to take away as well, most notably the contributions from many of the new faces in the locker room.
Here are some leftover notes from Monday’s practice.
