Vikings Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur
Q: With Stacy Coley's catch and run in last week's game, how much of that play was him knowing where his blocks are and how much was by design?
A: I think the young players were out there and they were doing a lot of things that were instinctual. I think Stacy and Rodney [Adams], the two young receivers, they played hard and they played fast. He ended up catching the route and then just running across the field. So typically once you catch the ball, to answer your question, your instincts as a runner kind of kick in.
Q: Is Coley's ability to run after the catch something you guys noticed early on?
A: We liked what we saw on tape in college. We felt like he was a guy that we wanted on our team, that's why we drafted him. We're seeing a lot of the same things that we saw from him in his college days. He's actually had a really good camp.
Q: Trying to get guys in place on the offensive line, how much easier does it get when you get guys set and have some continuity?
A: Certainty sooner is better, but we feel like we're getting good work from all the players in there. The unintended consequence of this is that they're getting used to playing with one another in different lineups, and I think that's good. We like what we've seen from the players that we got out there.
Q: Last year you guys obviously had lots of different guys working together on the offensive line. Given last year, is that a good thing to practice?
A: Well we're not practicing it by design, but I do think that there's situations where you have to adjust. Unfortunately in this game there's injuries, and we had more than our fair share. That's not an excuse, that's just the way it was. So being able to do that certainly is something that might help us down the road.
Q: What did you see out of Dalvin Cook's first preseason game?
A: The design of the preseason games is to call a game so you can see guys block and run. Along with trying to win the football game, which we did, you're trying to evaluate your players doing what they're supposed to do. In Dalvin's case, we tried to get him a few runs early. He caught the ball also well on a screen and then a flat route, so we saw those two elements to his game. They really didn't pressure us in protection, so we didn't get to see that live but I'm sure we'll see that this week. But I thought for a first outing, it was certainly something good to build on. There are areas he needs to improve, but it was a good start.
Q: What did you think of Pat Elflein his first time out?
A: I think he did similar to my comments about the young receivers. He played fast, he really blocked his guy for the most part. He had a couple of mistakes, things that we need to clean up. For the most part, it's like taking baby steps, you see them perform in practice and then the next step is to see how they perform in games. I think the young players we put out there handle themselves well.
Q: How do you think David Morgan has been doing this camp?
A: He's done a good job. We're asking him to play all three positions, the tight end, the F, and then he's playing a little bit of fullback. He's doing a good job.
Q: Is there any concern about the tight end group's youth outside of Kyle Rudolph?
A: No, there's no concern. We're hopeful that the young players will come along, and depending on what the final roster looks like we'll use the players that are available.
Q: Some people look at David Morgan as more of a blocker, how is he coming along as a pass catcher?
A: He's doing a good job. I think by his skill set he's more of a possession type receiver, but he catches the ball well and he's doing good with his blocking.
Q: Do you know why Alex Boone was not at practice today? A: I don't know. You'd have to ask Coach Zimmer.
