Vikings training camp recap, Day 11: Rondale Moore among standouts

Coming off of Monday’s night practice and an off day, the Vikings were back to their regularly-scheduled programming on Wednesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. It wasn’t the most eventful session, but here’s what I noticed, starting with an impressive day from a new wide receiver.

Due to Justin Jefferson’s current hamstring injury and Jordan Addison’s three-game suspension to begin the regular season, there are real opportunities for other wide receivers to step up into a bigger role in the Vikings’ offense. One of the players who is in the mix is Rondale Moore, a former second-round pick who the Vikings signed to a one-year deal this offseason. He’s coming off of missing all of last season due to an ACL injury, but he’s healthy now and looks as explosive as advertised.

Moore was one of the standouts of Wednesday’s practice. He burned Dwight McGlothern on a go route for a touchdown in red zone 7-on-7 action, creating plenty of separation for Sam Howell (who threw a great ball). In 11-on-11, Moore caught back-to-back passes from Howell, including an acrobatic grab on a throw that was a bit low and towards the sideline. He then got some work with the first-team offense and got open for a pass from J.J. McCarthy.

Moore is only 25 years old and is looking to emerge as a contributor in the Vikings’ offense. At just 5’7″, he’s a remarkable athlete who has all kinds of acceleration and agility with the ball in his hands. He caught 135 passes over three years with the Cardinals and also carried the ball 52 games. Assuming he makes the Vikings’ roster, he’s got a chance to be a fun weapon as a gadget player, traditional slot receiver, and perhaps as a punt returner as well.

J.J. McCarthy had a solid practice. It wasn’t a high-volume day for him in terms of total reps or pushing the ball downfield, but he mostly looked good — outside of one ill-advised pass that resulted in an interception.

The connection between McCarthy and Addison has been a strong one all camp, with Addison elevated to the WR1 role during Jefferson’s absence. Those two connected several times on Wednesday. McCarthy threw a dart to Addison into a tight window over the middle of the field in the initial 11-on-11 period, then found him for another chunk gain towards the right sideline in a move-the-ball drill. They connected a couple more times in the final period of practice.

But not every McCarthy throw intended for Addison was completed. There was a back-shoulder throw in 7-on-7 that was broken up by Isaiah Rodgers, who made an athletic play to get his hand on the ball. And later on, McCarthy made a poor decision when he double-clutched and tried to check the ball down to Addison underneath. The throw was behind Addison and picked off by linebacker Blake Cashman. That’s one of those learning moments for the Vikings’ young quarterback.