Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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King delves into Vikings virtual WR meeting
The Vikings, like every other NFL team, are currently conducting their offseason program in a virtual world.
While Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer last week detailed how the team is conducting virtual meetings, Peter King of NBC Sports recently chatted with a few participants of the meetings.
King took a look at the Vikings 10-man wide receivers group — Chad Beebe, Dan Chisena, Davion Davis, Quartney Davis, Alexander Hollins, Justin Jefferson, Dillon Mitchell, K.J. Osborn, Tajae Sharpe and Adam Thielen — plus wide receivers coach Andrew Janocko and assistant Christian Jones.
Janocko is in his first year as the wide receivers coach after serving as the assistant offensive line coach for the past three seasons.
The 32-year-old coach told King:
"Our attitude is to turn every situation into a positive. This is the hand we're dealt—everybody's dealt the same hand. So let's find a way to turn this into an advantage. The biggest challenge, I think, is to make sure everybody understands everything you're teaching. You can't see them the way you'd see them in a room, so if anything, I over-communicate," Janocko said. "I never assume anyone knows anything. Some guys, if their internet is slow one day, or if my voice skips and he misses a point I made, I've got to be sure he tells me and we get it right. Basically, never assume the guys all have it till you get that reinforcement that they do.
"I'm fortunate in that my sister and my dad are both teachers; my dad's a teacher and a coach. I've reached out to both of them quite a bit," Janocko added. "I ask, 'How do you use this medium to keep guys engaged? That's what they say — over-communicate. I know this: We'll never take it for granted again when we're all together in one room."
Thielen, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, also offered up what advice he gives to younger players.
"I like to be able to share with the guys the little things I do to maybe help them understand a concept or a route," said Thielen, 29, who is the oldest player in the room. "I think it's gone pretty smooth. Andrew will put up the route and then some video to illustrate it … It's really not too much different from learning in a meeting room."
Thielen also told King that the COVID-19 pandemic has actually allowed him to eliminate outside distractions as he focuses on his family and football.
"The one benefit, I've found, is how much more time I can devote to my family and to my training and nutrition," Thielen said. "I'm not traveling, and I don't have a lot of things to do outside of football and family, so I feel it's been the best offseason for me as far as preparing for the season."
The NFL currently allows players to partake in two hours of virtual classroom work per day, up to four days a week.