Minnesota Vikings Team Press Conferences: Ryan Kelly, Brian O’Neill, Harrison Phillips | July 28

Minnesota Vikings Team Press Conferences: Ryan Kelly, Brian O’Neill, Harrison Phillips | July 28

fun was that just to to pop the pads and and get down and dirty? Yeah, I mean I think it’s always uh it’s always a little more heightened when the pads come on. I think it’s always day two that everybody kind of settles in. You know, you feel like you’re trying to do too much a little bit sometimes when you have the pads on um day one. But um we’ll clean it up and we’ll we’ll get everything fixed and we’ll be better tomorrow. It’s kind of the way training camp is. You keep stacking days. You get incrementally better every single day and um before you know it, man, you’re a healthy team. How valuable are these days in full pads when you only get what 12 of them? Yeah, they’re huge. I mean, in season you get one. Um, you know, if you can get the full team out there after week one, it’s it’s a pretty good year for you, you know. I mean, you got injuries and stuff like that. So, um, taking advantage of it. I mean, it’s going to be a hot day, you know, so you got to push through. Um, and so I think it’s just this group has not really worked together a ton. We’ve got, you know, people kind of going in, you know, Wolf R’s been in, Donovan’s been in, Blake’s been in. Um, tackles have been new. Um, so you know, getting everybody together, the more reps we can get and as we’re getting closer to getting, you know, five guys in there consistently, uh, I think that’ll be good for us as well. What’s kind of the thing you’re trying to emphasize just to to Donovan? Obviously, he’s got some pretty tough competition to start his career against practice. Yeah, I think it’s a lot of it’s just like, you know, the tackle expects you to be at this place on this on this play. I expect you to be on this place and this play, right? And it’s the the fine details of the NFL are a little bit different than college. You know, college is you’re placing, you know, kind of an elite player, you know, once every couple weeks. Mhm. Uh this is going to be every single down every single week. So it’s really the unity of the five guys playing together as one. Um is just that much more important at this league. Um so I think that’s probably the biggest thing we were supposed to be. Um and not talking, you know, nothing wrong within like an inch, but you know, we need to be on the same level. We need to be on, you know, do this and that. So um yeah, I think he’s done he’s done a really good job. What do you think you can learn the most just from facing the quality of competition with, you know, three veterans going on the D line? Yeah, I think you know they’re they’re versatile. They’re also different in what they do. Um they’ve all got their own unique skill sets which is really impressive. Um and then playing this defense. I mean you you couple that with the defense. I mean we played them you know two play them last year before that. Um it’s a tough tough tough deal when you get behind. So um they can make things look this way and it comes from this way or you know you just you never know what’s going on. Um it’s kind of flows defense and I think to add those two pieces of that it’s pretty great. Um we just got to hold up our end of the bargain with the young quarterback. Um it makes us better. I know that u when we go out there and see our opponents, it’ll be a little bit slower because these guys are moving around everywhere. Kind of piggybacking off that, how much of it is a a factor of iron sharpening iron right now? Yeah, it’s good. Um I mean, it’s always been that way. I think, you know, the trenches make each other better. Um you know, at times we get sick of each other and u but at the end of the day, you know, we’re going to see things from them that we won’t see anybody else do. Um it’ll make us better for it. And uh you know, you’re going against great players every single day. it test who you are personally and test your group. Um and then you put, you know, the pads on for the first time, add a little heat, and you see what you’re made of. So, um it wasn’t a perfect day. We did some good things, some not so great things. Um starts with me up front. I I can be better on some things. Um and I think as as training camp goes, you just keep stacking days and um I know those guys are going to give us great looks and they’ll make us better, we’ll make them better. Um and hopefully at the end of this thing, we’re we’re rolling this way. When you talk about the floor’s defense, seems like a lot of people around the league, you know, copycat league are doing a lot of the same stuff as he wants to do with disguises. I mean, just how have you seen that change through the years and like how are you trying to guide JJ through that? I mean, I think there might be some teams that try to emulate it, but no one that I’ve seen since I’ve been in the league have have tried and successfully done it the way they’ve done it. I mean, um, you know, I played a lot of defense coordinators. I mean, there’s there’s some teams where they make things look differently, but um I wouldn’t say there’s enough as much movement as the as Flo does, you know what I mean? And it’s it’s not just that. It’s, you know, is is Andrew Vano going to be considered a linebacker or a defensive end on this play? And then you get into third down and long, you know, two years ago and we’re sitting there like, I mean, I don’t know what’s going on. Um so I think you couple all those things together um with really good players and it makes it really tough. Um, and you know, that’s kind of their their method of mythology is it’s just chaos. You know what I mean? They have great players to support it. It’s one thing to have, you know, decent players and do that, but to have really great players and do that, um, just makes it a really big challenge for us and, um, you get on the same page. I know you’ve talked about it a little bit, but what are you seeing through this first week from JJ? Not necessarily throwing the ball, but just his command of the offense so far. Yeah, I mean, I think it’s, you know, it the blocking stuff, like the the routes and all that just kind of comes. It’s I think really the important thing is how he presents in the huddle. I think he’s done a really good job since he’s got since I’ve gotten here um in the spring until where he is now. I think he’s steadily progressing as far as um his command in the huddle holding guys accountable. Um you know, just comes with the territory, man. Doesn’t matter if you’re 22 or if you’re 42. Um so we’re going to rely on each other and then it was really fun getting out there with Will today for first time with some live banging with Will. Um so yeah, it’s uh been a good start, but we got a long way to go. Blocking for Jordan, blocking for Aaron. Are there differences? Uh, not if you make a big enough hole. I don’t know. Uh, it’s too early to tell because stay first day being in pads. It’s harder to tell when you’re in shells, but um I haven’t I haven’t noticed a big difference yet. No. Brian, what are your impressions of that defensive line you’re going up against day in and day out? Oh, it’s really good. Um, I was just telling somebody that, you know, every day I get to block a allp pro edge rusher and then an edge rusher who was a pro bowler who probably should have been an allp pro who led the NFL in pressure. So, uh, I certainly feel like they’re making me better and I hope that me and the other tackles are making them are hopefully helping them as much as they’re helping us. What stood out to you about GJ so far? Uh, just his explosiveness. Um, he plays angry, which every Dlineman should. Um, he he wants it. He wants it really bad. You can see it in his eyes. You can hear it in the way he talks. Um, you can see it in the way he trained all offseason. This this stuff’s really important to him. And if it was important to everybody as is to JG, I think uh, you know, we’re in a good spot. What about JJ when it comes to McCarthy, just what stands out so far? He’s been great. I really I really been impressed so far in camp with, you know, just how he’s taking command of the huddle, how he’s taking command of the meeting rooms, uh, how he’s integrating himself, you know, little things like in the wait room, in the cafeteria as one of the guys. Um he was slinging it yesterday. I haven’t watched the film yet today. I’m just watching the guys that I’m trying to block today. But um you know, I’m really excited for him. Uh I think he’s in a great spot and you know, the only thing I can really do is give him a good clean pocket to go to work. So, uh yeah, that’s the most I that’s all I can do to help him. Ryan, as a veteran, what’s the best part of having pads for the first time? um getting to hit somebody and see kind of how many you know how the offseason training really paid off and um you know really start to shake real rust off cuz you can only do so many things on air and you know without pads cuz um you know a third and eight bull rush is going to be a third and eight bull rush and so there’s no real way to train it other than doing it. So uh it was good to get out there and get some reps. Uh got to be you know got to be sharper but that’s every day. Awesome. Thank you. Thanks guys. Off the field and see your son for the first time. Um, core memories unlocked right there. What’s that sleep schedule like for you right now? Uh, I never in my career have been pumped about sleeping at the hotel until this season. All right, tell me about your guys. Uh, when you look left, you look right, you see all this talent around you. What’s it like now playing on this defensive front? Uh well, it’s it’s been a blessing to be here for for my entire career and it’s cool to see each year new additions come in and you know to see Flo’s thumbrint on the defense uh keep standing out year after year and he kind of has these pieces that he brings in and you see career year out of guys and so um to bring in the guys specifically into my room not only the ones we acquired in for agency but the ones that we drafted we’re really optimistic about our group. Uh, I think what we need to learn on, I mean, we’re first day in pads here. So, everyone’s still trying to figure out people’s techniques and styles and the best defenses that I’ve been a part of, you learn to play off of one another. Hey, this is how this player plays a twoey. So, if I’m a three, I got to know this, that, and the third. Hey, now I’m in with uh Jonathan Allen. He plays the three technique like this. So, as a two, I should work to do this so we can complement each other better. I think that my skill set is versatile enough that I can can comp uh be a good comp for whoever I’m in there with. Um I think that’s what I can bring to that is allow them to do what they want to do and then I’ll be that player that can be malleable enough to to fit the defense if that makes sense. But it’s really exciting to have this much talent around us. What’s that leadership role like? How how are the young guys pulling you to the side and ask you to get better or asking to get better themselves? I think that that’s an initiative that you you need to see out of a young player. that’s not something you want to see or that’s something you hope to see. If you don’t see that out of your young players, they aren’t going to be around for a long time. They have to want to get better. And so, if that’s grabbing me in between meetings, if that’s tapping me on the shoulder during a meeting, uh, hitting me up at the hotel at snack, we have the young guys in my room, and actually some of the young guys on the defense who don’t even play in my room, some of these young linebackers that we have are asking me questions about how do you see this block, how do you see the way they’re attacking us, and you have to have that if we’re going to count on some of those young players to contribute for us this season. This past offseason, you talked about when you guys brought in, typically in the past, you had to start at ground zero, but the players you brought in this year, you’re picking up from where you left off. Do you feel that mentality already? Uh, yes and no. I think from a mental side, 100%. Uh, today I want to go back and watch the film about how today was. Obviously, it was rusty. It was our first day. Also, with the way we’re playing our defense in new spots with more versatility, it’s kind of new for everybody. You know, I’m sure you’re seeing me move throughout the line. You’re seeing Hargrave do to different places. Jonathan Allen go to different places and um it’s almost like you’re a rookie again when you when you you’re out here. So, we’re we’re going to dial in. We’re going to watch the tape. Be very critical. Uh because I think the standard we’re going to have this year is probably the the highest standard that we’ve had in my room in my time here. Appreciate you feel like you can help Donovan Jackson develop just as a young player going against you every day. fortunate that he’s about three or four lockers down from me and so we’ll be sitting there pre-practice and he’ll ask me a couple questions or um again just the organic conversation if Ryan Kelly also sits real close to us so he and I are talking about a different scheme the way they pass it off and halfing techniques versus combos and he’s right there listening and we’ll sometimes ask in questions so um for him it’s just going to be it’s it’s tough when you’re a rookie with um a lot of expectation you want to go out there and win every single rep But in his role, he needs to get a coaching point. I I mean, I don’t want to he needs to do what his coaches tell us. What I would imagine is they’re going to tell him a thing to work on that day and he has to work on that thing. And so, if it’s a a off-hand punch, even if he’s going to get beat 10 times this today doing that, he needs to work that. And it it’s a practice for him so that he can become a better version of himself. And so, I don’t I haven’t I think he’s doing a fantastic job. But if there’s a day that he’s getting beat all the time, that’s not a worrisome thing for us. That’s him taking coaching, working on something so that his game becomes more complete. First day I’ve had some defensive players circle every year when the training camp schedule is shared. Yeah. I mean, I think especially for defensive tackles, you know, it’s so hard to, you know, strike a guy with a t-shirt on and then your hands get, you know, you can’t really show what you can do. You get the pads on, you can clearly see knockback, you can clearly see shedding. You know, the only question now is did you actually tackle him or what he ran through your arm tackle? And uh because the most important thing in this is getting better every day and the second most important thing is that every player that walks on the field can walk off the field. So we we always are are Vikings playing with Vikings. Uh but we definitely brought that physicality today. So many veterans up front and playing in some different ways like how how eager and important is it to have these days when you get the pads on? You know, we just I I think every practice is different for different players. Later players in their career, they’ve got to hype themselves up for the practice. younger players got to calm themselves down for the practice and you got everybody in between. You got some players who know that they’re going to be on this team and they’re just going to work on a specific thing. You got some players that say, “I have to flash today or I’m not going to make this roster.” And so, it’s so different for so many players, but at the end of the day, every single one of those people that they’ve brought into this organization, all 91 guys out here, is trying to get this team better. And that’s what’s important.

Minnesota Vikings center Ryan Kelly, tack;e Brian O’Neill, defensive lineman Harrison Phillips addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center during 2025 Training Camp.

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