Takeaways from Day 4 of Vikings training camp

Nobody should question J J McCarthy s arm strength Not anymore Though it seemed to be a knock on him coming out of college perhaps because the University Michigan boasted such a potent running attack McCarthy has consistently shown the ability to let it rip since being drafted by the Vikings In fact McCarthy definitely might throw it too hard at times which is something head coach Kevin O Connell has been working on with him during the early stages of training camp The next step in McCarthy s progression is mastering the layered throws to different areas of the field There might be a defender in front and a defender behind O Connell revealed We ve got to find a way to get that ball completed As a way to work on a few of those layered throws with McCarthy in real time O Connell opted to conduct more of a walkthrough earlier this week The slower pace offered a chance to work on various of the fundamentals I thought J J threw the ball really well O Connell stated He s working on different trajectories You re still seeing the revolutions on the ball Just not that heavy finish Here are more takeaways from Day of training camp How does J J McCarthy look Fittingly McCarthy flashed his ability with layered throws early in practice on Saturday afternoon at TCO Performance Center There was a well-placed ball to Jalen Nailor on the sideline for example as well as a pinpoint pass to T J Hockenson over the middle It got even better for McCarthy during specific work in the red zone as he fired a bullet to Nailor on a traversing highway for a touchdown followed by a laser to Hockenson in the back of the end zone for a touchdown On a free play midway through practice after the defense jumped offside McCarthy got to showcase his arm strength launching a majestic deep ball downfield that narrowly escaped the grasp of Nailor That incomplete pass stood as arguably the the majority impressive play of the practice until McCarthy connected with Jordan Addison for a -yard touchdown pass that send the fans in attendance into a frenzy Who else stood out As practice wound to a close Will Reichard got to kick specific field goals for the first time in training camp In total Reichard went of on field-goal attempts connecting from yards away at his peak The operation looked smooth as expected with Andrew DePaola snapping Ryan Wright holding and Reichard kicking That should be the battery this season barring unforeseen circumstances Elsewhere in practice Lucky Jackson got a good amount of reps with the starters which would suggest he s being given a chance to separate himself from chosen of the other receivers on the roster The best quote of the day At one point last year I counted and in one contest he lined up in seven different spots His role is wildly dynamic Head coach Kevin O Connell on the versatility of safety Josh Metellus shortly after he agreed to a contract extension The injury analysis Never mind that Justin Jefferson is being held out of practice for the time being while he nurses a mild hamstring strain He was still spotted alongside his teammates and seemed to be in good spirits The plan is to have Jefferson re-evaluated next week to chart the best path forward Aside from that Metellus sat out once again with a minor ankle injury Harrison Smith did not participate and Isaiah Rodgers stood on the sidelines for bulk of practice The good news for the Vikings is it sounds like Metellus is in the final stages of his recovery and thus he should be back at practice next week What s coming up next There will be nothing on Sunday as players get several time to recover The first practice with pads will come on Monday Related Articles Josh Metellus agrees to contract extension with Vikings Takeaways from Day of Vikings training camp Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson has mild hamstring strain Takeaways from Day of Vikings training camp How a motivated Dallas Turner prepared himself to break out with Vikings