The Vikings held their fourth practice of the Organized Team Activities (OTAs) phase of their offseason schedule on Monday, and the second one open to members of the media. It was a sunny early-June afternoon in Eagan, with temperatures in the low 80s. 15-20 mile-per-hour winds created a nice breeze for spectators, but definitely made it difficult for the quarterbacks trying to throw footballs to their intended targets.
That wind is an important part of the context when it comes to the biggest takeaway from the day, which is that it wasn't a very sharp practice for QB1 J.J. McCarthy. It was quite windy, with hats blowing off of staffers and various pieces of equipment getting blown over at times. Results in this portion of the offseason — which Kevin O'Connell commonly refers to as the "teaching and learning phase" — don't ever mean much. This is about installing plays and getting McCarthy comfortable operating the offense. Add in some rough wind conditions, and no one should be putting too much stock into a tough day.
Nonetheless, that's what it was. I was unable to attend last Wednesday's OTA, the first one open to the the media, but all accounts are that McCarthy look quite good in that practice. This one didn't go as smoothly. In live 7-on-7 action (all 11-on-11 reps were done at half speed), McCarthy threw an interception to new cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who undercut an outbreaking Jordan Addison route on the left side of the field. (Rodgers, it should be mentioned, looks very promising and is in line for a big role this year). There were also several plays where he held onto the ball for long enough that he would've been sacked in real action, then eventually rolled out or found a check-down.
In a red zone period towards the end of practice, McCarthy couldn't quite connect with T.J. Hockenson on a seam route in the back of the end zone, though it was a potentially catchable ball. He then threw incomplete to Jalen Nailor in the end zone, with Jeff Okudah breaking it up. There were certainly some quality throws mixed in — including a few connections with Justin Jefferson — and the zip McCarthy is able to put on his passes continues to be impressive. It wasn't his best practice ever, but again, that really doesn't indicate much of anything.
Here are some other observations from Monday's session: