Kirk Cousins Embracing Continuity & Turnover of 2020 Vikings

[Viktor]

He called it a "good-quality" group.


"[There's] really two things you want," Cousins said. "You want that athleticism where you know your receivers can create separation and win versus man coverage, which I think we have, and then you also want someone you know you can count on, who's going to get lined up and know where to go in the pass game, in the run game and handle all the terminology and all the different rules. And we have a group of guys that can do that, too. From both sides, I think we've got a great group in the receiver room."


Minnesota's rookies might be missing out on preseason games, but they aren't missing out on the positive pressure that comes with experiencing the "bright lights" of the NFL for the first time. If anything, as Cousins pointed out, a lack of exhibition games makes the practices between now and the regular season that much more significant.


Cousins recalled his rookie training camp in 2012, during which he knew Washington's 90-man roster would eventually be cut to 53.


"You look around and you do the math … with 80 players on the roster, there's only 46 that dress on game day," Cousins said. "So I used to joke that training camp when I was a rookie, second, third-year player, that was my Super Bowl. If I didn't have a great training camp, I wasn't going to see the field or see a spot on the team.


"So I do think that there is a heightened sense of awareness from the moment you get to work," Cousins continued. "And that really helps train you for the bright lights and the big stage, and you do hope that our practices are such that you get to the game and you feel like, 'OK, I've been here before. I've handled this. And I don't need to make this a bigger deal than this already is, because I've practiced hard and been put through these paces and had to really compete every single day that I'm out here."


The Vikings are early in the process, having not yet held any padded practices at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.


But with Minnesota's season opener against Green Bay seemingly just around the corner, Cousins is happy with the progress thus far. He called the beginning of Verizon Vikings Training Camp, different as it may be, productive and effective.


"I think it's given young players a great chance to learn the system and get their base before we're going full speed in practice," Cousins said. "It's been a pretty smooth transition with the protocols related to COVID, and I think that's been a real positive and is kind of a new normal.


"Right now, we're just kind of stacking bricks and building the foundation for hopefully an outstanding 2020 season," he added.