The Minnesota Vikings concluded their first mandatory minicamp practice, and it was an eventful one. The Vikings made two roster moves by signing tight end Giovanni Ricci and extending tight end Josh Oliver on a three-year deal. 

Once they got on the practice field, the focus shifted to the return of left tackle Christian Darrisaw, which was a great, yet unexpected sight to see, considering the conservative nature of the team’s medical staff.

Brian Flores talks about Dallas Turner going into year two

Despite most of the focus being on the offensive side of the football, we got to hear from defensive coordinator Brian Flores answer questions about multiple subjects. One of them was about edge rusher Dallas Turner, who has been a popular player among fan discussions.

He didn’t have the greatest rookie season for the Vikings in 2024, but, as Flores talked about, producing early isn’t the only thing that rookies have to deal with.

“Dallas, we talked a lot about him last year, his growth throughout the season last year, and he’s just kind of built on that. You know, nobody talks about that rookie season where you’re in college, and then you’re training, and then it’s combine, and then it’s the draft, and then you jump right in and new everything, new house, new ride to work, new everything. So, he’s much more comfortable, I would say, in this environment.

“He knows what the expectations are. He’s got a high standard for himself, and that’s a great place to start. But he also knows he’s got to work a significant amount to get to that standard. I think all of our guys do at least come in and really gotten into a routine that’s, I think, allowed him to put his best foot forward and put himself in position to have the type of season that he wants to have, the type of season we want him to have. So, all positive with him. Definitely some growth, or a lot of growth from him, from his standpoint, and excited to see where this goes.”

We can’t beat around the bush here. Everyone involved would have preferred Turner to have a more productive rookie season on the field. With the success of both Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, it just wasn’t in the cards.

“The best thing you can do, and I think Dallas did this, is just soak up that information, and the two guys he had there, I mean, they’re very different. So, the skills that JG has, the energy that JG brings, the skills that Gingkel have, has the energy that he brings. You know, the different ways that contribute to the team. Dallas is coming into his own. As far as you know, how he’s been contributing. It can be in a variety of ways, as a rusher, as a dropper, on the ball, off the ball, in different packages. So you know, we’re excited about his versatility, but also his growth.”

However, his productivity behind the scenes and getting himself ready for this year is a huge factor. He reportedly broke up a pass downfield in practice today and looks significantly stronger.

Things are looking up for the Vikings and Turner, especially with how the edge room is currently constructed.