Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the Vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we'll post several comments and/or questions as part of the Vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag. Although we can't post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

Click here to submit a comment or question to the Mailbag. Remember to include your name and town in the email. If Twitter is your jam, you can send a question to me that way as well.

In less than two months, the Vikings will have closed out Week 1 of the 2025 regular season at the Bears. In less than one month, Minnesota will have played its first preseason game, and in less than one week, players and coaches will be returning to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center to open training camp.

Those destinations are close enough to appear on a green highway sign and bring a smile to travelers.

If the question comes from the back seat, "How much longer?" The driver can reply, "Not long."

This week, we'll roll out some camp preview stories on Vikings.com to help get you primed for the first exit ramp.

Today: Quarterbacks
Tuesday: Receivers & Tight Ends
Wednesday: Running Backs & Offensive Line
Thursday: Defensive Front 7
Friday: Secondary

Optimism abounds for SKOL Nation as it should. It's true that almost every team's fan base comes into a new season with higher expectations. Draft picks, free agency and changes on the sideline and/or front office provide hope for millions among the NFL fanbases. Chipping away at that confidence, even as early as training camp, come the injures, early in-season gaffes, blatantly missed face mask calls by officials (!!!), coaching blunders and the rest of the myriad NFL pitfalls compiling against some, despite fortune smiling on others. But this is July, and Vikings fans have every reason to expect a healthy, disciplined team on the plus side of the turnover scale to compete for the crown.

Long-suffering Viking fans can't help but glance at the potential roadblocks to success. I for one, looked at the schedule and marveled at the NFL's lack of creativity. I know there is a formula for creating a balance in scheduling opponents, rotating divisions and seeding teams based on win/loss records. I know this formula calculates to provide every eight years a team is guaranteed to see a certain opponent in their home stadium. Further, I know ratings drive the prime-time matchups. I expect to see Patrick Mahomes under lights every other week. I get it. So, I don't need to be lectured on that fact when I complain about Seattle in Seattle AGAIN? Thursday night in L.A. AGAIN? And the Chargers as the 17^th game extra team AGAIN (2021). The NFL has smart people. Certainly they can concoct a better scheduling rotation and formula that allows Seattle fans to see a different team once in a while and allows Viking fans to see Seattle more than once every eight freaking years. I'm tired of the formula excuse. I don't want to hear it. There is a fix. Find it.

Another concern in my mind is hints and rumored expectations of the Vikings transitioning to a run-first offense. I've seen this going back to Jerry Burns teams in the late '80s. He had Anthony Carter. And he wanted to run Alfred Anderson, Allen Rice and Darrin Nelson? Then, Mike Zimmer tried it with a team that had Stephon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Bye bye, Diggs. I know the theory based on stats shows teams that can run effectively tend to win more. But digging deeper, don't those same stats show that most teams that run successfully tend to pass to get the lead early then run to keep the lead?

Justin Jefferson has been a model player and team representative. So I have no reason to expect his attitude to change unless a struggling team adamant to "establish the run" isn't getting him the ball. Wide receivers are notorious for finding ways to move on when they don't feel optimized. I know about the offseason moves at OL and RB to strengthen the run game. Kudos! But let's not get carried away. The threat of the run is what's important on a team with a special receiving corps. Mix it up early with pass and run. Get a lead and THEN pound the ball and eat clock. I trust Coach O'Connell. But there are only so many Saquon Barkleys and Adrian Petersons. And only so many Justin Jeffersons. I would hate to see this team fall into the fools' gold of trying to establish the run early at the expense of utilizing an elite passing crew.

Finally, as I look at the roster, I see starters at almost every position that could land Pro Bowl consideration. But almost as importantly, I see depth, quality depth at most positions. Combine that with an elite coaching staff, a general manager that has been able to find players mid-season to fill gaps and an ownership group that is willing to provide facilities, equipment and salaries for coveted undrafted free agents that, under prior owners, would have gone to other teams, and Viking fans have EVERY reason to expect another scintillating and exceptional season with a genuine shot at winning it all.

Skol!

— Jeff K. in Sacramento, California

I'm in the camp that appreciates a certain predictability in scheduling, even if it sometimes results in frequency of some teams landing on the slate and scarcity of others.

The rotations (NFC North teams go through other NFC divisions every three years and every AFC division every four years) establish a degree of regularity as well as competitive balance, which is important given how tight some division races are — and the rewards bestowed on division winners.

I have pointed out in multiple writings that it is a bit tedious for this year's Weeks 5-8 to mirror last year's so closely (2025: Week 5 at Browns in London, Week 6 Bye, Week 7 vs. Eagles, Week 8 at Chargers on a Thursday; 2024: Week 5 vs. Jets in London, Week 6 Bye, Week 7 vs. Lions, Week 8 at Rams on a Thursday).

O'Connell is still O'Connell, so I don't know that I'd rush to categorize the offensive philosophy as "run-first," but I do think the team wants to be more effective in certain situations, particularly the lower red zone and in short-yardage scenarios.

Ideally, a team can run the ball when it wants to run the ball and have a balance that makes it difficult for opponents to make a foe one-dimensional. That last aspect can be particularly important when a young quarterback is leading the way.

Having success with runs (a good second-down distance) opens up O'Connell's ability to attack, and converting short-yardage leads to another set of downs (more snaps where Jefferson could be the difference-maker he's proven to be) instead of quickly punting. There's also the goal of forcing opponents into chess matches with personnel groupings. If a team struggles to stop the run with lighter personnel, it will be forced to try something else, which could lead to some advantageous passing matchups.

I'm wondering if the Vikings are going to win a Super Bowl.

— Cayden Wheeler

We know the goal is there, and we've also heard O'Connell this offseason mention the phrase "championship standard." He's been a part of that before. Multiple assistant coaches and support staff also have helped their teams claim the ultimate prize. Knowing what it takes and having everything align to make it happen are two different things, but it's always nice to go into a camp with a team that's expected to be competitive instead of in year whatever of a rebuild.

Visionary plans, clean execution, clear health (and depth when that's tested) and timely luck can all factor into an NFL season.

Why doesn't someone explain to K.O. about using a backup offensive lineman as a blocking fullback at the goal line? They would get practice hitting at the line and be big enough to move the defense.

— Michael Dawkins

I feel like this is a question I seem to get annually. I usually start by pointing out the Vikings have a good fullback in C.J. Ham, who has shown reliable hands in limited pass game opportunities over the years, as well as having the size and technique of a good lead blocker.

I then usually share my own personal preference in having people do what they do best. There have been instances of effectiveness where an extra lineman or even a defensive player has lined up in the backfield for a key block or bulldozing carry, but those instances are more exceptions than norms.

Minnesota's emphasis on the interior offensive line, as well as other commitments to the run game, are designed to be able to attack opponents in various ways, but the presentation of unpredictability can help that effort.

It is good we have "Max the Axe." Where is he on the depth chart at QB?

— Christopher M.

Commenting on the official depth chart is well above my pay grade, but the Vikings usually announce an "unofficial" depth chart before the first preseason game.

The Vikings are obviously excited about opening the J.J. McCarthy era, and I think people who make it out to training camp will enjoy seeing some of the reasons for this.

After a strong single season with the Gophers, Max Brosmer stayed in town and joined the mix as an undrafted free agent. He spun the ball nicely during rookie minicamp in May. After that session O'Connell described Brosmer as a "pretty efficient thrower."

"From the standpoint of fundamentals, techniques, his ability to generate some pretty good revolutions and RPMs on the ball with pretty limited movement in the pocket," O'Connell told Twin Cities media members. "From a standpoint of his high football I.Q., I think it shows up when he can really arrive here, spend a couple hours in meetings, and he's out there making corrections in the middle of a 7-on-7 walk-through.

"We're already seeing a lot of things that we really identified in Max to bring him into a quarterbacks room that we're really excited about, and I think he had a great first day," he added.

The Vikings also traded to acquire veteran Sam Howell from Seattle, and Brett Rypien is returning after guiding the scout team effectively in 2024.

I like to read up on the UDFA players the Vikings sign. Zemaiah Vaughn is one of them. He is 6-foot-3 and 186 pounds. He runs a 4.45 in the 40. He has a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad Jump. He was a walk-on who finished his career with 31 straight starts. He fared well against the best receivers in Big 12 and Pac-12. Some of his best traits are athleticism, timing and football IQ. He was a high school QB, so he knows how the other side thinks. Nothing was given to him. He has to earn it. Will he earn a spot on the 53-man roster? I think he can. Your thoughts???

— Gerald Goblirsch

I was able to speak with Vaughn when we did some interviews with Vikings rookies earlier this offseason and was impressed with his background and determination. Colleague Rob Kleifield wrote this story featuring Vaughn when the offseason program wound down.

It's definitely worth checking out to learn more about a player with some impressive traits who seemed to have a sound showing during the open practices of the offseason program.

The Vikings re-signed Byron Murphy, Jr., and then quickly added Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah when free agency opened, but they also believe in taking a comprehensive evaluation of players and developing the entire roster. I'm looking forward to seeing the young cornerbacks compete against a really good group of receivers at practice, as well as seeing what they do in preseason games as they jockey for a roster spot.

Can the coaches please comment on how the new offensive line is coming together and working as a unit? So much depends on them for the success of the season. How do we stand for depth on the o-line?

— Dean B.

The Vikings efforts to rebuild the offensive line were substantial this offseason. Minnesota signed veterans Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Justin Skule and drafted Donovan Jackson with its first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.

One caveat is that the projected lineup has not yet taken a snap together, even during Organized Team Activity practices because Fries is on the mend from a leg injury suffered last season and Christian Darrisaw has been making progress from the knee injury he suffered in Week 8.

Congrats to Fries and his wife Isabella, by the way, on their June marriage.

Darrisaw progressed to the point of participating in individual drills during the offseason program, an encouraging sight. Skule manned the left tackle spot with the first team in Darrisaw's absence. Blake Brandel, who started at left guard in 2024, worked the right guard spot where Fries is projected to start.

Last month, Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips was asked specifically about Kelly's impact and described what he's added so far.

"Besides his playing value, just being an extremely strong and seasoned veteran who has kind of seen it all, understands what's happening, really smart football player," Phillips said. "But there is a level of having a veteran center with the young quarterback, where the communication from him to J.J., communicating fronts, getting calls out, sometimes even kind of seeing something, saying, 'Hey, watch this guy over here.' We can make the call or not, depending on what the QB is seeing."

The Vikings are going to be smart with their return of Darrisaw and Fries to full action, and being disciplined in that will add developmental reps for other players.

Ultimately the goal is to have five players functioning as one unit but also be prepared to have someone fill a gap if necessary. We'll learn more about some of Minnesota's newcomers after pads go on in training camp.

I'm soon to be 76 and fell in love with our Vikings in Year 1! I was a Packers fan before that. But I read Robert's note of appreciation [in the June 23 Mailbag] and wanted to share mine as well. It's been a long journey with many disappointments! But also, a great deal of excitement and fond memories! The thrill returns every new season! I'm even more excited this season because with our great owners, our management and coaches finally on the same page with a solid plan and talent, we are in the hunt for a few years! Keep it up please.

Keep the faith.

— Rocky

Thanks so much for your longtime support of the Vikings and picking this side of the Border Battle.

The Vikings have created positive intentions, but as we've seen, it's not the easiest to keep advancing the train of momentum.

Perhaps this is the season that Minnesota can make back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since the 2008-09 seasons. The schedule is daunting but the roster and coaching staff that have been assembled should have the Vikings in the hunt.

View the 2025 Vikings Schedule.

Check out the 2025 International games.

View future opponents for the Vikings.

Buy single game tickets.

Download the official Vikings App.