Monday Morning Mailbag: 2020 Expectations for Vikings Rookies & Over/Under for Harris

[Viktor]

My first question is … do you think we will be switching up our scheme on defense at all, or do you think we will continue to stick with the 4-3 defense that we've been running under Zimmer? Also, who do you think will step up this season in our linebacking core aside from Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks? I like the improvement we've seen from Eric Wilson, but are there some other guys who we should be watching out for? And last but not least, do you think the inexperience of a lot of our receivers like Chad Beebe, Justin Jefferson & Dillon Mitchell will hurt us this season, especially with the guys being thrown off by the lack of time spent in camp?


— Jaycee McKinney


Thanks for the email, Jaycee. I broke down your questions in three segments.


1. The team likely will be keeping a 4-3 base scheme, but there could be some new looks/wrinkles this year with the addition of veteran Dom Capers to the coaching staff. Perhaps that means different alignments to throw off opposing QBs, but there could be some variations to what we've seen in the past.


2. Aside from the players you mentioned, keep an eye out for Troy Dye in 2020. The fourth-round pick is the only player in Oregon history to lead the team in tackles for four consecutive seasons. He finished third in program history in career tackles (397) and tied for fourth in tackles for loss (44.0). He could be an early special teams standout, and he has the potential to work his way into the defense down the road.


3. There may appear to be a lack of experience at WR behind Adam Thielen, but keep in mind that Tajaé Sharpe is going into his fifth season and Beebe is going into his third. Jefferson may be a rookie, yes, but he has drawn strong reviews from coaches and teammates so far. Mitchell knows the offense and has a year of experience, as do players such as Alexander Hollins and Davion Davis. Plus, keep in mind that the Vikings want to run the ball on offense, meaning the Vikings likely won't have an all-out aerial attack this season.


Attending my first training camp in Mankato was something I will always cherish. With the virus and distance of having to travel to Minneapolis, I was wondering if there was any venue that fans could watch the public version of Vikings training camp??? I am sure everyone would like to log onto a computer and watch what is happening training wise???


— Tom Manders in Osakis, Minnesota


Thanks for the email, Tom, and for your support of the team. As things stand now, the expectation is that training camp will begin in a few weeks, likely in the last week of July.


As it stands now, the league, and all 32 teams, are still working through the logistics of what training camp will look like, including whether or not fans will be allowed. We will keep you updated on Vikings.com and our social media platforms with all of the latest and detailed information on camp.


But when camp does arrive, and whether there are fans or not, you can still count on Vikings Entertainment Network to bring you in-depth coverage of training camp, whether that's videos, articles, podcasts or on social media.