Vikings make it official, cancel minicamp this weekend

It comes as absolutely no surprise that the Minnesota Vikings have called off their minicamp scheduled for this coming weekend.

First-year coach Leslie Frazier informed his staff this morning there will be no minicamp, according to Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It was the first of what was going to be two veteran minicamps. Only one is allowed to be mandatory, but new coaches were permitted, under the previous CBA, to hold an extra minicamp in order to get up to speed with their roster.

What’s interesting is this is one of the many, many items that can be debated and negotiated in a new agreement. Who’s to say the extra minicamp will be granted under a new agreement between owners and players?

For the time being, the Vikings will have to prepare for the draft without an extra look at veterans. At least Frazier has been around Minnesota and knows the personnel. First-year coaches elsewhere, like Ron Rivera in Carolina and John Fox in Denver, don’t have the benefit of knowing much about their roster.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune