Another Vikings player has earned some national praise.
Gary Gramling and Andy Benoit host The MMQB: 10 Things Podcast and are going through NFL rosters to unveil their top 10 players at each position. The duo recently released their wide receiver rankings and had Adam Thielen at the No. 8 spot on their list.
Gramling and Benoit chatted about Thielen's rise to stardom over the past few years. The 6-foot-2 Minnesota native earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2017 after recording 91 catches for 1,276 yards and four touchdowns.
"Thielen has become a really good player," Benoit said. "And it's not just that he's a refined route runner, which he is. But he's fast."
Added Gramling: "And he's bigger. I think he's like 6-2, 6-3, something like that. He's a good physical package there."
Thielen, the only NFC North wide receiver in the top 10, also earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2017.
The next-closest wide receiver from the division on the list was Thielen's teammate, ,Stefon Diggs, who just missed the cut at No. 11.
Gramling and Benoit spent a few minutes on the podcast talking about how well the two work together.
"The way they use those guys, they are very interchangeable, so they both benefit from each other," Benoit said.
Diggs had 64 catches for 849 yards and eight touchdowns in 2017.
Vikings like Siemian's demeanor, experience at quarterback
Kirk Cousins might have grabbed the headlines this offseason, but that wasn't the only move the Vikings made at quarterback.
Minnesota also swung a trade with Denver for Trevor Siemian, who was acquired just days after the signing of Cousins.
Tim Yotter of Viking Update recently wrote that those involved with the Vikings offense had plenty of good things to say about the former Northwestern quarterback.
Yotter wrote that Vikings Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo liked what he saw from Siemian during the offseason program but added that he'd like to see him pick up the tempo a little bit.
DeFilippo said Siemian isn't alone among those that need to speed up the pace. Every offensive player, and even DeFilippo himself getting plays to his quarterbacks, fell into that category, the offensive coordinator said. It's all part of the growing pains with a new coordinator, scheme and quarterbacks.
But after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, the ball "jumped right off [Siemian's] hand," according to DeFilippo.
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer and Cousins also said they like the vibe in the quarterback room.
Zimmer said Siemian isn't "overly outgoing," but he believes the new personalities in the quarterback room are meshing nicely. Cousins agrees.
"I've really enjoyed working with Trevor. It's a blessing to have a quarterback in your room who's started [24] games, that's not very common," Cousins said. "He speaks from experience of having been there, having succeeded and having failed, and that means a great deal to me knowing that every day in the meeting room and on the sideline during games he can speak from a place of experience. He has a demeanor and disposition about him that's a joy to be around. He's positive, easygoing and very smart, so I enjoy working with him."
Siemian is 13-11 in his career as a starter and has thrown for 5,686 yards with 30 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
