This week’s Organized Team Activities (OTAs) represent the first activity that the Vikings roster, as it’s currently assembled, has been together while conducting on-field business. The roster includes holdovers from last year, new acquisitions from this offseason and draft choices from last April’s draft – and the coaching staff is charged with converting all of those individual ingredients into a gourmet recipe for success in 2008.
In order to accomplish that feat, the Vikings coaching staff will have plenty to learn, and also plenty to teach.
“A lot of learning stuff,” was Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress’ response when asked by reporters what he hoped to get out of OTAs this week. “We went against each other yesterday (Monday), did a ton of teaching just system-wise, and we go back every year with really every phase.”
Coach Childress is not exaggerating when he says the Vikings go over every phase of the game during these OTA sessions. The coaching staff wants each player, especially the new players but even the familiar ones, to see every formation and every play and every scenario.
“[We] take everybody back through every facet and then of course every play and formation,” Coach Childress said. “It’s the first time some of those young guys or free agents are hearing that, so we can’t go and say or presume that they know because they don’t know. They might be in the vicinity of where they’re supposed to be, but their eyes might not be in the right spot or they may not be making the right calls. So we’ll get a chance to interact offense and defense on Thursday out here, but a ton of teaching out here today and tomorrow.”
Tarvaris Jackson, who enters these OTAs as the team’s starting quarterback, says there is learning happening this week, but he also says there was a lot of learning happening over the previous few months inside the film room at Winter Park.
“I feel a lot more comfortable,” the third-year quarterback said. “I got to play a lot last year, and this offseason me and Coach, the quarterback crew, we watched a lot of film, doing different things, just teaching a lot more, and I learned a lot during the offseason.”
As Jackson continues to mesh with his new teammates and strengthen the bond with his familiar ones, the learning will continue. But that’s what OTAs and the offseason are for – gaining continuity, working out kinks from last year and perfecting the little things that go a long way during a season.