To no surprise, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is making himself heard at offseason practice. To some surprise, offensive coordinator Norv Turner is, too.
As explains by Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, both Zimmer and Turner have been turning up the volume during so-called Organized Team Activities.
Zimmer is being Zimmer, letting guys hear it when they fail to do what was expected. Turner, per Vensel, got loud when the first-team offense had some confusion in the huddle and later when Christian Ponder had a pass swatted down at the line of scrimmage. (You’ll get used to that kind of stuff, Norval.)
It comes at a time when the Vikings need to get players to buy in to an approach that will entail far more yelling than former coach Leslie Frazier did. Of course, Zimmer doesn’t care if they buy in.
“I don’t worry about that,” Zimmer told reporters, via Vensel. “I don’t worry about if they are buying in. My job is to coach them hard and try to get them to be the best players they can be. You’d have to ask them if they are buying in, really. My job is to coach them.”
Unspoken in that quote? If the players aren’t willing to buy in, Zimmer will tell G.M. Rick Spielman to find some players who will.
Not every coach can pull off that kind of candor. But Zimmer’s players in Cincinnati loved him. The Vikings players likely will, too. Especially if he leads the team to success on the field.