1 August 2023
Vikings pass rusher Marcus Davenport knows last season wasn’t good enough. He somehow only posted half a sack for the New Orleans Saints, failing to finish plays despite getting close seemingly on a weekly basis.
It’s something the 26-year-old Davenport has taken to heart after signing a 1-year, $13 million contract with the Vikings this offseason.
Never mind that some of the advance metrics show Davenport might have gotten a little unlucky with the Saints at times last season. That doesn’t matter to him. He knows he has to perform with the Vikings this season.
“I wasn’t completing,” Davenport said. “I wasn’t getting there. I didn’t do it enough. That stands out.”
It should help that Davenport will get to line up opposite fellow pass rusher Danielle Hunter this season. It’s not hard to envision new defensive coordinator Brian Flores getting the most of out of that pass rushing duo. A major part of that, however, will be hinged on how well Davenport bounces back.
“You go back and every year I probably say the same thing,” Davenport said. “You always want to do better. Yeah, last season hurts, and it should. There’s highs and lows, and I’ve just got to move on from that.”
Flores impressed by Pace Jr.
Looking at what has been transpired in training camp so far, linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. certainly stands out as a surprise. He went undrafted out of Cincinnati largely because of his lack of size.
Ultimately the Vikings decided to take a chance and sign him to a contract. It seems to be working out in their favor so far.
Though more will determined in the coming weeks, the fact that Pace is already running with the second team is telling. He was a tackling machine in college, and if he can overcome his lack of size, he could be the same at the next level.
“He’s another young guy who’s really taken the information and worked hard to put it into action,” Flores said. “He’s got some built-in leverage. He’s got speed and quickness. I’m excited to see him moving forward.”
Day 5 observations
— After signing his new contract over the weekend, Hunter did not participate in team drills Monday. The team has a plan to make sure he is ready to go for the Sept. 10 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
— The most notable absence at practice Monday was backup quarterback Nick Mullens. It’s unclear why he was not present. As a result, rookie quarterback Jaren Hall got more reps than he has all training camp. It was a good thing for his development.
— It’s only been a few days and rookie receiver Jordan Addison already looks the part. He is so precise with his route running, accelerating out of his cuts with relative ease. He also consistently catches the ball with his hands rather than his body. It’ll be interesting to see how much Addison plays in preseason games, if at all.
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