The Minnesota Vikings are firmly entrenched in OTAs, a portion of the National Football League calendar that head coach Kevin O'Connell believes is about coaching and teaching. He said it himself that you don't have negative outcomes.
"Right now, the rules prohibit even Minnesota Vikings defensive players from lining up across from Minnesota Vikings offensive players. So we would be imagining one heck of an opponent if we said it was us coaches standing out there as a defense, or some of the other offensive players forming a defense. That's not what this time of year is about. This is the learning, the teaching phase. So much growth and development can happen during this time when there's really no negative outcomes. There's no plays that don't go your way and have a real impact on the team. They're all just learning moments right now."
Daunte Culpepper visits Vikings practice
One player that has been the focus of OTAs is J.J. McCarthy. He is about to take over as the starting quarterback for the first time in his career, and McCarthy can use all the help and advice he can get. That's not to say that McCarthy desperately needs help, but this is the time to help him out.
They are doing so in multiple ways, and Tuesday's practice gave him another element of that, as former first-round pick Daunte Culpepper visited practice.
Having Culpepper there is really cool and important for multiple reasons.
First off, Culpepper ruled at his peak. He was arguably the NFL's Most Valuable Player after setting multiple league records in 2004, but that was the year Peyton Manning threw a league-record 49 touchdowns. Culpepper did set records for the highest completion percentage and total yards (passing plus rushing).
Second, Culpepper has a unique experience that McCarthy can draw from. While Culpepper didn't have a season-ending injury in his rookie year, he took only a few snaps, getting six yards on three rushes in his only appearance. What they do have in common is they spent the entirety of their rookie seasons in the quarterback room with seasoned veterans.
When Culpepper took over in 2000, he led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and an NFC Championship Game appearance against the New York Giants (we won't talk about the result). His transition from being the third quarterback who (essentially) never saw the field can be invaluable for his growth and play on the field. Plus, Culpepper was in a similar spot to McCarthy, as he was the 11th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.
The other element is that, while their body types are different, they have similar skillsets. Culpepper can help McCarthy with how and when to use his legs.
Having Culpepper in the building to share his experience could be a massive benefit for a successful start to his career.
