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Verfasst: 17. August 2018, 03:34Pat Shurmur's first minicamp with the New York Giants nearly had an ugly ending when high-priced left tackle Nate Solder tweaked a knee after being bumped during a helmet-swinging scuffle between defensive tackle Damon Harrison and rookie guard Will Hernandez.
Solder , who signed a four-year, $62 million contract in March, walked away from the fight on the third and final day of the minicamp on Thursday and sat on the grass after Harrison and Hernandez were separated.
Head trainer Ronnie Barnes examined Solder, and the former Patriot got up and tested the knee that seemed to be bumped by Hernandez during the altercation with Harrison.
Solder and Shurmur later said it was OK, but it could have been a lot worse. Coming off a 3-13 season, the Giants can't afford to have their highest-priced free agent hurt in a minicamp where players are practicing in shorts and no pads.
Both players were taken out of the drills, and Shurmur talked to the 29-year-old Harrison, who swung Hernandez's helmet at the rookie after a running play.
"It has been very competitive the whole camp," Shurmur said. "There are certain things we certainly can't do. We got it settled down. When scuffles break like that, in that situation, we just take them out of the practice and let them cool off."
Shurmur said helmet swinging bothered him. Hernandez wasn't shy, either. He threw punches at Harrison.
"Snacks is a very competitive guy and Will Hernandez is very competitive out there," Shurmur said. "They just kind of butted heads."
Solder downplayed the scuffle, saying he was fine.
Neither Harrison nor Hernandez was available after practice to talk about the incident.
"We just have to focus on getting better, we have to play better football, we have to be a strong unit on the offensive line , and we have to do what we can control," said Solder, who protected the blind side of Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady for seven years before signing with New York. "Those things are battles, they happen, emotions rise, and you work through it and move on."
Giants players will be on their own until the end of July, when training camp opens.
"We've talked to them about all the work that we've done to this point, and with five weeks to go, it's not time off, it's time away," Shurmur said. "So, to continue with their preparation, we're always talking to them about being a good citizen, and we say New York Giants pride for a reason. So, be very smart. Be good husbands, good fathers and be good citizens."
Shurmur said that rookies , quarterbacks and selected veterans will report to training camp on July 22. The rest of the team will arrive later in that week.
Shurmur, who replaced the fired Ben McAdoo, also re-confirmed that the Giants will practice with the Lions for a couple of days before their preseason game on Aug. 17 in Detroit.
NOTES: The biggest surprise of training camp might have been third-round draft pick B.J. Hill getting most of the first-team reps on the defensive line with Harrison and second-year tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. ... DT RJ McIntosh, the fifth-round draft pick, was at minicamp but did not take part in practices. Shurmur said he will need an undisclosed medical procedure. ... Backup quarterbacks Davis Webb and rookie Kyle Lauletta played well in short-yardage and red-zone drills.
The Minnesota Vikings put the two picks they had in the first 108 selections in the 2017 draft to productive use.
They moved up in both the second and third rounds for running back Dalvin Cook and center Pat Elflein to obtain a pair of players expected to be long-term cogs in their offense.
They'll be bargain-hunters again this time, with the 30th pick in the first round and thereafter.
Just like last year, the offensive line will be the point of emphasis.
After reaching the NFC championship game and going all in on quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, the Vikings could use some more protection for their new franchise player. So it's up to general manager Rick Spielman and his staff to, well, find another Elflein.
With the retirement of right guard Joe Berger, there's a vacancy for the Vikings to fill inside. Fortunately for them, the center-guard class is considered well-stocked. Will Hernandez (UTEP), Connor Williams (Texas) and Isaiah Wynn (Georgia) are viable options if they're still available at No. 30 on Thursday night.
There are tackles to consider, too, a scenario that allows Mike Remmers to move inside as he did in the playoffs. If they go with a guard, Remmers can return to right tackle.
"When you have guys on your roster that can play multiple positions like that , that's what gives you the flexibility to go with the best player," Spielman said.
Cornerback, tight end and linebacker are other spots to consider for depth and beyond 2018.
"I know everybody in the mock world and the experts out there are saying it's o-line, o-line, o-line, but when you look at your roster, you have to look at, 'OK, where are some other holes that you're going to have to fill?'"
Here are some other relevant angles to follow during the draft this weekend with the Vikings:
THIRTY, THAT'S SOMETHING
Standout players can be had with the 30th pick. Last year, Pittsburgh snagged Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt there.
The St. Louis Rams grabbed Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree in 2013. The New York Jets nabbed defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson from Temple in 2011. In 2001, the Indianapolis Colts selected wide receiver Reggie Wayne out of Miami.
ON THE OTHER HAND
The Vikings were part of a league-high seven trades during the draft last year, which not only allowed them to move up for Cook and Elflein but netted them three extra picks on the third day for a total of nine players.
Picking 30th in a draft that's deep at a position the Vikings could use puts Spielman in a prime situation to trade out of the first round and stockpile additional late selections while assumedly being no worse for the wear.
"If you can get that same player in the second round, but you have an additional pick, why wouldn't you do that?" Spielman said.
TECH TALK
The Vikings have been in their new headquarters for almost two months. One of the many state-of-the-art features of the new facility is the auditorium where Spielman and the scouts and the coaching staff will gather for the draft.
Instead of the standard white board with magnets for each player in the pool, they'll use an all-digital , time-saving touch screen made up of 40 different 55-inch TVs.
"I was very nervous," Spielman said. "It's the first time in I think 30 years that I have never gone without magnets. But this board has been incredible."
HITS AND MISSES
Most of Minnesota's best players were drafted on Spielman's watch, including seven starters on the defense last season that led the NFL with the fewest points and yards allowed and five starters on the most productive offense in four years under coach Mike Zimmer.
That group includes four straight first-round picks: safety Harrison Smith (2012), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (2013), linebacker Anthony Barr (2014) and cornerback Trae Waynes (2015).
Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is the glaring whiff, with only 21 catches and 215 yards to show for the 23rd overall selection in 2016. Four guards and one tackle were taken over the next 33 picks that year.
The coaching staff has lauded Treadwell's work ethic, but there's not much time left for the Mississippi product to establish himself as a viable piece of the offense with Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and newcomer Kendall Wright in place.
Diggs came in the fifth round in 2015. Tight end David Morgan was a sixth-rounder in 2016. The Vikings need more third-day successes, though, with defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson (fourth round), linebacker Ben Gedeon (fourth round) and guard Danny Isidora (fifth round) presenting such potential from last year's draft.
.
Solder , who signed a four-year, $62 million contract in March, walked away from the fight on the third and final day of the minicamp on Thursday and sat on the grass after Harrison and Hernandez were separated.
Head trainer Ronnie Barnes examined Solder, and the former Patriot got up and tested the knee that seemed to be bumped by Hernandez during the altercation with Harrison.
Solder and Shurmur later said it was OK, but it could have been a lot worse. Coming off a 3-13 season, the Giants can't afford to have their highest-priced free agent hurt in a minicamp where players are practicing in shorts and no pads.
Both players were taken out of the drills, and Shurmur talked to the 29-year-old Harrison, who swung Hernandez's helmet at the rookie after a running play.
"It has been very competitive the whole camp," Shurmur said. "There are certain things we certainly can't do. We got it settled down. When scuffles break like that, in that situation, we just take them out of the practice and let them cool off."
Shurmur said helmet swinging bothered him. Hernandez wasn't shy, either. He threw punches at Harrison.
"Snacks is a very competitive guy and Will Hernandez is very competitive out there," Shurmur said. "They just kind of butted heads."
Solder downplayed the scuffle, saying he was fine.
Neither Harrison nor Hernandez was available after practice to talk about the incident.
"We just have to focus on getting better, we have to play better football, we have to be a strong unit on the offensive line , and we have to do what we can control," said Solder, who protected the blind side of Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady for seven years before signing with New York. "Those things are battles, they happen, emotions rise, and you work through it and move on."
Giants players will be on their own until the end of July, when training camp opens.
"We've talked to them about all the work that we've done to this point, and with five weeks to go, it's not time off, it's time away," Shurmur said. "So, to continue with their preparation, we're always talking to them about being a good citizen, and we say New York Giants pride for a reason. So, be very smart. Be good husbands, good fathers and be good citizens."
Shurmur said that rookies , quarterbacks and selected veterans will report to training camp on July 22. The rest of the team will arrive later in that week.
Shurmur, who replaced the fired Ben McAdoo, also re-confirmed that the Giants will practice with the Lions for a couple of days before their preseason game on Aug. 17 in Detroit.
NOTES: The biggest surprise of training camp might have been third-round draft pick B.J. Hill getting most of the first-team reps on the defensive line with Harrison and second-year tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. ... DT RJ McIntosh, the fifth-round draft pick, was at minicamp but did not take part in practices. Shurmur said he will need an undisclosed medical procedure. ... Backup quarterbacks Davis Webb and rookie Kyle Lauletta played well in short-yardage and red-zone drills.
The Minnesota Vikings put the two picks they had in the first 108 selections in the 2017 draft to productive use.
They moved up in both the second and third rounds for running back Dalvin Cook and center Pat Elflein to obtain a pair of players expected to be long-term cogs in their offense.
They'll be bargain-hunters again this time, with the 30th pick in the first round and thereafter.
Just like last year, the offensive line will be the point of emphasis.
After reaching the NFC championship game and going all in on quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, the Vikings could use some more protection for their new franchise player. So it's up to general manager Rick Spielman and his staff to, well, find another Elflein.
With the retirement of right guard Joe Berger, there's a vacancy for the Vikings to fill inside. Fortunately for them, the center-guard class is considered well-stocked. Will Hernandez (UTEP), Connor Williams (Texas) and Isaiah Wynn (Georgia) are viable options if they're still available at No. 30 on Thursday night.
There are tackles to consider, too, a scenario that allows Mike Remmers to move inside as he did in the playoffs. If they go with a guard, Remmers can return to right tackle.
"When you have guys on your roster that can play multiple positions like that , that's what gives you the flexibility to go with the best player," Spielman said.
Cornerback, tight end and linebacker are other spots to consider for depth and beyond 2018.
"I know everybody in the mock world and the experts out there are saying it's o-line, o-line, o-line, but when you look at your roster, you have to look at, 'OK, where are some other holes that you're going to have to fill?'"
Here are some other relevant angles to follow during the draft this weekend with the Vikings:
THIRTY, THAT'S SOMETHING
Standout players can be had with the 30th pick. Last year, Pittsburgh snagged Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt there.
The St. Louis Rams grabbed Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree in 2013. The New York Jets nabbed defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson from Temple in 2011. In 2001, the Indianapolis Colts selected wide receiver Reggie Wayne out of Miami.
ON THE OTHER HAND
The Vikings were part of a league-high seven trades during the draft last year, which not only allowed them to move up for Cook and Elflein but netted them three extra picks on the third day for a total of nine players.
Picking 30th in a draft that's deep at a position the Vikings could use puts Spielman in a prime situation to trade out of the first round and stockpile additional late selections while assumedly being no worse for the wear.
"If you can get that same player in the second round, but you have an additional pick, why wouldn't you do that?" Spielman said.
TECH TALK
The Vikings have been in their new headquarters for almost two months. One of the many state-of-the-art features of the new facility is the auditorium where Spielman and the scouts and the coaching staff will gather for the draft.
Instead of the standard white board with magnets for each player in the pool, they'll use an all-digital , time-saving touch screen made up of 40 different 55-inch TVs.
"I was very nervous," Spielman said. "It's the first time in I think 30 years that I have never gone without magnets. But this board has been incredible."
HITS AND MISSES
Most of Minnesota's best players were drafted on Spielman's watch, including seven starters on the defense last season that led the NFL with the fewest points and yards allowed and five starters on the most productive offense in four years under coach Mike Zimmer.
That group includes four straight first-round picks: safety Harrison Smith (2012), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (2013), linebacker Anthony Barr (2014) and cornerback Trae Waynes (2015).
Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is the glaring whiff, with only 21 catches and 215 yards to show for the 23rd overall selection in 2016. Four guards and one tackle were taken over the next 33 picks that year.
The coaching staff has lauded Treadwell's work ethic, but there's not much time left for the Mississippi product to establish himself as a viable piece of the offense with Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and newcomer Kendall Wright in place.
Diggs came in the fifth round in 2015. Tight end David Morgan was a sixth-rounder in 2016. The Vikings need more third-day successes, though, with defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson (fourth round), linebacker Ben Gedeon (fourth round) and guard Danny Isidora (fifth round) presenting such potential from last year's draft.
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