Guenther & Scott on Joining the Vikings, Familiarity with Zimmer's Defense

[Viktor]

Here are four other takeaways from media sessions with Minnesota's newest defensive coaches:


Scott on similarity between the defenses at Alabama and Minnesota


After three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Scott sees crossover between Alabama's scheme and what the Vikings run under Zimmer.


"At the end of the day, it's football, and we're all doing pretty much the same thing but calling it different things," Scott said. "[But] when you look at the film of Alabama and you look at Coach Zimmer's defense, honestly there are a lot of things that marry together. So I'm definitely looking forward to being a part of this and getting back to where [the Vikings] used to be."


Guenther on his role on the Vikings coaching staff


Guenther was asked about his anticipated role as the Vikings senior defensive assistant. He noted that he only arrived in Minnesota on Wednesday and will be ironing out finer details in the days to come.


"Well, it's early on in the process," Guenther said, "but from what I understand it's helping out all three levels of the defense. I've been able to coach those three levels throughout my career. Maybe help out some things situationally game day, packages, whether it'll be situational packages, just the overall details of the scheme and the players within it.


"We have to be looking for guys who can fit our scheme, whether it be in free agency or the draft and those type of things," he added.


Scott on working with Harrison Smith


In joining the Vikings, Scott will be working with veteran safety Harrison Smith, a five-time Pro Bowler who has consistently played a crucial role in Minnesota's defense.


"Kind of like I said with … the young guys, I haven't had a chance to really dive in and dissect the film, but from afar, Harrison Smith is a guy that you probably term as a 'perennial pro,' " Scott said. "A guy that you look at who handles his business the right way and goes about it the right way. I'm excited to be a part of that journey, and I look forward to extending his career."


Guenther on tweaking existing defensive scheme


Familiarity with Zimmer's defense will be beneficial for Guenther transitioning into a new organization, and he was asked about the possibility of adding new wrinkles to the system.


"I think you've got to kind of keep moving because the offenses are changing so much in the NFL, and that's what we're going through right now … looking at how we want to tweak things based upon the landscape of the offenses that we're seeing each week," Guenther said. "It might've been different back in 2013 or '14 to now, or even a year ago, with what offenses are trying to do to the defenses. So we're always looking to find ways to improve the schematics, the techniques, the fundamentals of what we're trying to teach within this scheme. So that's what we're doing right now – full force."