”There’s some moving parts to the way our defense can be in and out of calls, and jobs are changing,” O’Connell said. “When guys like Jonathan Greenard are locked into a world-class scheme, I think it’s great for our whole team. It’s great for ‘JG’ and the defense to see a lot of what we’ve put in front of those guys come together.”
In his conversations with young Vikings edge rushers like Turner, Gabriel Murphy, Bo Richter, Tyler Batty and Chaz Chambliss, there’s an urgency that punctuates Greenard’s words.
”You’re seeing a lot more leadership,” Flores said. “Not that he wasn’t the leader a year ago; he was that, for sure. But he’s just more comfortable. Obviously, he’s a great player, and he’s practicing that way. When I say leadership, here’s one of your best players that practices extremely hard. He’s in here, doing individual [work]. He’s doing it pre-practice, he’s doing it post-practice, he’s great in the meeting room, he’s great in the walk-throughs, he’s fun to be around. He brings the energy and the vibe you want. He’s been fantastic.”
Even Greenard’s on-field chatter — never a small part of his game — is punchier. He chirps across the line of scrimmage and celebrates big defensive plays in a way that makes the challenge to the Vikings’ offense clear. The defense isn’t backing down; to move the ball, the offense will have to respond.
At the same time he preaches patience to those watching the Vikings’ practices during training camp, reminding reporters that “the sky is not falling,” O’Connell understands the charge being put to the offense.
”I think it’s a tremendous challenge for not only our young quarterback, for our whole offense, to respond in the moment, and I’d like to see a little more of that,” he said.
Source link
