DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020 - AWS

DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY,
MAY 27, 2020

LOCAL NEWS: Wednesday, May 27, 2020

 Star Tribune

Some big names remain unsigned late in NFL's odd offseason
By Dennis Waszak Jr.
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-everson-griffen-among-10-big-name-unsigned-nfl-free-agents/570772572/

 SKOR North

Lucky 13? Vikings get some good and bad news in FPI season projections
By Judd Zulgad
https://www.skornorth.com/2020/05/lucky-13-vikings-get-some-good-and-bad-news-in-fpi-season-projections/

 The Athletic

Bringing sports back: How Minnesota’s pro teams are preparing a new playbook
By The Athletic Staff
https://theathletic.com/1832157/2020/05/26/minnesota-sports-ceos-return-to-play-wild-vikings-twins-mnufc-lynx-
wolves/

 Purple Insider

Why the Vikings should root for the XFL's kickoff rules
By Matthew Coller
https://purpleinsider.substack.com/p/why-the-vikings-should-root-for-the

NATIONAL NEWS: Wednesday, May 27, 2020

 Maven Media

Vikings Notes and Links: Cris Carter, Dan Chisena, Kyle Rudolph
By Will Ragatz
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-notes-and-links-cris-carter-dan-chisena-kyle-rudolph

MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Film Room: Can Harrison Hand's Size and Toughness Help Him Make An Immediate Impact?
By Vikings Entertainment Network
https://www.vikings.com/video/film-room-can-harrison-hand-s-size-and-toughness-help-him-make-an-immediate-
impa

GMFB: Is The Vikings' Success In 2020 Completely Reliant on Kirk Cousins?
By NFL Network
https://www.vikings.com/video/gmfb-is-the-vikings-success-in-2020-completely-reliant-on-kirk-cousins

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK NEWS: Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Vikings UDFA WR Dan Chisena Has Speed to Burn
By Eric Smith
https://www.vikings.com/news/dan-chisena-vikings-ufda-speed-to-burn

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 5/27/20
Some big names remain unsigned late in NFL's odd offseason

By Dennis Waszak Jr.
NEW YORK — Offseason shopping is still in full swing in the NFL.

Even with the status of the upcoming season uncertain because of the coronavirus pandemic, teams continue to
tinker with their rosters by adding players they hope will help them win — whenever or if they actually play.

Virtual workouts are being held all around the league, with some facilities beginning to reopen but still closed to
coaches and players. General managers work the phones and chat with agents and unsigned players through video
conference calls.

During the last few weeks, Joe Flacco (Jets), Carlos Hyde (Seahawks), Frank Gore (Jets), Ty Montgomery (Saints),
D.J. Fluker (Ravens) and Prince Amukamara (Raiders) have found new homes.

Other big names remain unsigned and could end up filling major needs for someone. Here's a look at some still
waiting to find the right fit — or, in some cases, for quarantine restrictions to be lifted so they can make in-person
visits before they or the teams make a decision:

EVERSON GRIFFEN, DEFENSIVE END

Minnesota's four-time Pro Bowl pick has 74 1/2 career sacks, including 26 1/2 the past three seasons, but he
exercised his option to void the remaining three years on his contract. Griffen is reportedly being patient and waiting
until he can take in-person visits. He's 32, but showed last season he has plenty left.

CAM NEWTON, QB

The former Panthers star missed all but two games last season because of a foot injury and was released in March
after Carolina failed to find a trade partner. Newton is 31 and five years removed from his NFL MVP season. He's
been posting workout videos on Instagram to show he's now healthy. Where he eventually ends up — likely as a
backup, at least at first — remains an intriguing story line of the offseason.

JADEVEON CLOWNEY, DEFENSIVE END

Many believed Clowney would be snatched up quickly by a team desperate for a pass-rushing presence. And for big-
time bucks. Instead, the 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick is still unsigned two months later and potentially looking at a
one-year, prove-it deal. A return to Seattle isn't out of the question.

LARRY WARFORD, GUARD

After making the last three Pro Bowls, Warford was cut by New Orleans earlier this month; the Saints drafted Cesar
Ruiz in the first round as his obvious successor at right guard. New Orleans also saved $7 million on the salary cap
by releasing Warford. He immediately became the most enticing offensive lineman on the market, and will likely find
a starting spot.

LOGAN RYAN, CORNERBACK

Ryan, 29, played his first four NFL seasons with New England, helping the Patriots win two Super Bowls before
signing a three-year, $30 million contract that included $12 million guaranteed with Tennessee in 2017. He set career
highs with 105 total tackles, 18 passes defensed and 4½ sacks to go along with four interceptions last season, but
Tennessee chose to move on.

ERIC REID, SAFETY

Reid was released in March after two seasons in Carolina, despite posting career highs with 124 total tackles and
four sacks. He signed a three-year, $22 million contract extension before last season, but the new-look Panthers
saved $8 million on the cap this year.

JASON PETERS, LEFT TACKLE

The big man wants to keep going. Peters turned 38 in January and reportedly has told friends he has his sights on
playing into his 40s. He had arthroscopic knee surgery that caused him to miss three games in the middle of 2019,
but bounced back and was his usual solid self the rest of the way.

DARQUEZE DENNARD, CORNERBACK

It appeared Dennard had a new home early in free agency when he signed with Jacksonville, but the three-year,
$13.5 million deal fell through. The former Bengals slot cornerback, a 2014 first-round pick, never really lived up to
his lofty draft status in Cincinnati. He was limited to nine games last season after having offseason knee surgery.

KELVIN BEACHUM, LEFT TACKLE

Arguably the Jets' most consistently solid offensive lineman during his three seasons in New York, Beachum, who
turns 31 next month, has seen a complete overhaul on the O-line by GM Joe Douglas. Beachum's fate with the Jets
was sealed after they drafted Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton with the No. 11 overall pick. He's still a more-than-
serviceable starter.

DEVONTA FREEMAN, RUNNING BACK

Freeman, one of the NFL's most productive backs during the 2015 and ‘16 seasons, rushed for 11 touchdowns and
over 1,000 yards each year. He hasn’t been quite the same player since, with various injuries limiting him to two
games in 2018 and only 656 yards rushing and two TDs in 14 games last year. Atlanta released him in March, and
there are reports he might be willing to sit out this season or even retire if no team meets his hefty contract request.

OTHER NOTABLES

CB Eli Apple, QB Blake Bortles, DT Mike Daniels, DT Marcell Dareus, K Stephen Gostkowski, DT Damon Harrison,
S Tony Jefferson, S Reshad Jones, CB Dre Kirkpatrick, RB LeSean McCoy, LB Clay Matthews, RB Lamar Miller, LB
Cameron Wake and TE Delanie Walker.

PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 5/27/20
Lucky 13? Vikings get some good and bad news in FPI season
projections

By Judd Zulgad
The Vikings are considered to be the favorite in the NFC North, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI)
season projections released on Monday. That is the good news. The not-as-good news is that the FPI has the
Vikings ranked 13th in the NFL with a projected 8.6 wins and a 54 percent chance to make the postseason.

Ahead of the Vikings are Kansas City (projected with 11.2 wins and a 94 percent chance to reach the playoffs);
Baltimore (11.0 wins, 92 percent); San Francisco (10.2 wins, 81 percent); New Orleans (10.2 wins, 83 percent);
Dallas (9.3 wins, 69 percent); Philadelphia (9.1 wins, 66 percent); Seattle (8.9 wins, 58 percent); Tampa Bay (9.1
wins, 63 percent); New England (8.6 wins, 60 percent); Buffalo (8.6 wins, 60 percent); the Los Angeles Rams (8.3
wins, 45 percent); and Pittsburgh (8.8 wins, 58 percent).

The Vikings are ahead of division rival Green Bay (8.1 wins, 43 percent) by two spots — Indianapolis (8.6 wins, 58
percent) is 14th — while Chicago (8.0 wins, 41 percent) is 21st and Detroit (6.6 wins, 17 percent) is 28th.

As far as Super Bowl favorites, FPI has the defending champion Chiefs atop the field with a 21 percent chance to
repeat. The Chiefs also were the preseason favorite by FPI last season with a 15 percent chance to win the
championship. The Ravens are second with a 17 percent chance to win the title, while New Orleans is third at 13
percent. San Francisco is at 12 percent and the fifth team is the Dallas Cowboys and first-year coach Mike McCarthy
at 5 percent.

The respect given to the Chiefs, Ravens, Saints and 49ers isn’t surprising but Dallas? ESPN’s Seth Walder explains
that FPI’s odds for the Cowboys remain consistent.

“Despite the mediocre .500 record, the Cowboys finished the 2019 season as FPI’s seventh-ranked team. That was
fueled almost exclusively by the team’s offense, which finished third in efficiency, while the defense was merely
average. The Cowboys didn’t win enough, but they were good enough.”

The Vikings, meanwhile, are given a 5.1 percent chance to make the Super Bowl and a 2 percent chance to win it.

Walder explains that preseason ratings are based on each team’s Las Vegas win total; last season’s performance on
offense, defense and special teams; the number of returning starters; coaching staff changes; and starting and
backup quarterbacks.

The FPI ratings released last May by ESPN had the Vikings in the 11th spot with a projected 8.5 wins and 44.8
percent chance to make the playoffs. The Vikings finished 10-6 and beat the Saints in the opening round of the
playoffs before being eliminated by the 49ers.

PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 5/27/20
Bringing sports back: How Minnesota’s pro teams are preparing a
new playbook

By The Athletic Staff
(Editor’s note: The Athletic Minnesota’s Jon Krawczynski, Michael Russo and Dan Hayes co-authored this story.)

The doors on U.S. Bank Stadium are engineering marvels, five walls of glass that are each 55 feet wide and stand
between 75 and 95 feet tall. An enormous hydraulic system enables them to be the largest pivoting glass doors in the
world, opening the stadium to downtown Minneapolis.

For the first four years of its existence, it was up to the stadium operators whether the doors would swing open to
allow the warm summer night to wash over a concert audience or the crisp autumn breeze to waft over 66,000
Vikings fans. As the building approaches its fourth birthday in July, it has no control over when those doors will open
again.

The NFL stadium, and every other sports arena in the Twin Cities and beyond, has been shuttered since March by
the COVID-19 outbreak. The Vikings haven’t lost a game yet to the closure, but several concerts and other big
events at the stadium have been canceled or suspended. Like restaurants, schools and businesses big and small
across the world, professional sports have been put on hold by the coronavirus in a way that they never have been
before.

The virus has put normalcy in a straitjacket and flushed large-scale gatherings down the toilet. Faced with total
upheaval to their fans, their business and their way of life, the leaders of six Twin Cities professional franchises have
formed a coalition aimed at helping the teams weather the onslaught and, eventually, emerge to restore some sense
of togetherness for a shaken community. For the first time ever, the executive leaders for the Vikings, Twins, Wild,
Timberwolves/Lynx and Minnesota United have been holding weekly video conference calls that have been part
strategy session and part support group as they grapple with a problem that few could see coming.

“We’re in the middle of the most challenging time of our careers,” Wild president Matt Majka said, “and we’re leaning
hard on each other.”

The idea for all of the teams in town to pool their knowledge and their resources came to Majka very early in the
outbreak. The Wild were playing in San Jose on March 5 when the city’s mayor first said that large gatherings were
likely to be suspended in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Coincidentally, Minnesota United landed in town on
the same day in preparation for a game on March 7 against the Earthquakes. Minnesota United CEO Chris Wright
and Majka were on the phone as the gravity of the situation started to come into focus. The Wild beat the Sharks on
that Thursday, United defeated the Earthquakes on a Saturday, left for home on a Sunday and San Jose was
essentially shut down on that Monday.

A few days later, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 while his team was in Oklahoma City to
play the Thunder, prompting the NBA to suspend play. The rest of the leagues soon followed.

Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are the only major local pro team not to lose a game to the COVID-19 pandemic yet. Their 2020 home
opener is scheduled for Sept. 13 against the Packers. (Brad Rempel / USA Today)
Faced with a problem so sweeping in scope and unpredictable in nature, Majka proposed to the group that they put
their heads together to first figure out how to proceed in a lockdown and, eventually, help chart a course to relaunch
sports in the Twin Cities.

Majka, Wright, Vikings COO Andrew Miller, Twins CEO Dave St. Peter and Timberwolves/Lynx CEO Ethan Casson
have met every Wednesday for the past two months to compare notes, exchange information and assemble plans for
the numerous return-to-play scenarios that could unfold over the next several months.

“None of us have ever been through this as leaders. None of us has ever been a part of this in any organization
we’ve ever been with,” Miller said. “It’s just trying to get information and learn from each other in how to proceed.”

They may play in different venues, have different season-ticket holders and be at various stages of their seasons, but
being at the top of some of the most popular businesses in Minnesota with passionate fan bases and high-priced
players looking for guidance is a shared experience to which few can relate.

“For me, it’s a safe haven,” St. Peter said. “These jobs, and particularly (when) you’re dealing with this type of crisis,
it can be a lonely spot. There aren’t a lot of shoulders to cry on. In our group, we’re all facing very similar challenges
and trying to do it from a leadership position. We can, frankly, let our guards down.”

“It really is a mechanism to lean on one another for advice for support, for some counsel, for some healthy debate,”
Casson said. “We’ve had good healthy debate, which has led us to a closer-knit relationship with one another.”

It didn’t take long into the group’s first meeting for everyone involved to come to the conclusion that it needed to
become a regular thing. The shared experiences combined with the unique perspectives from the different sports led
Casson to call it “one of the things I look forward to most.”

Together, they are examining every corner of their industry in an effort to help public health officials and Governor
Tim Walz chart a course for the re-opening of large-scale gatherings like concerts and games at the biggest venues
in the Twin Cities. The group is discussing everything from attendance to additional health measures — like masks,
temperature checks and how to conduct bag searches — that may or may not be required when play resumes.

“We believe we’ll form the blueprint for the return to professional sports and collegiate sports and really the return of
large gatherings in the state of Minnesota,” St. Peter said. “That’s the big reason we’ve created that is to provide a
path forward for all of us.”

Majka serves as the de-facto chairman, sending out the agendas and organizing the meetings from week to week.
Wright is working closely with the Minnesota Department of Health and the governor’s office. St. Peter works on a
task force that is looking at how Minnesota will attract major sporting events in the future. Miller and Casson are co-
chairs of a task force looking at the safety of venues in the Twin Cities, for fans, teams and everyone else that will be
in an arena on game day.

Allianz Field
March 15 was supposed to be the start of Minnesota United’s second season at Allianz Field. Instead, MLS shut
down three days earlier and is still waiting for play to resume. (Nick Wosika / USA Today)
The group also has conversations about everything surrounding the game, from local broadcasts to community
initiatives to social distancing in bathrooms and concession lines as they try to find some sort of consistency in the
environments that fans will experience whenever they are allowed to come back to watch their favorite teams. It
includes representatives from the governor’s office to keep dialogue and information flowing to leaders who will be
responsible for enacting any policies.

“There have been discussions about ticket policies that I wouldn’t bounce off anybody else but I’ll bounce it off of
these guys, employment matters in where we are in terms of retention of our staff, things of that nature,” St. Peter
said. “That part of it, the personal part of it, the level of support and candid feedback is invaluable and for me has
been the most meaningful part of these discussions.”

Casson, Wright, St. Peter and Majka all have deep roots in the Twin Cities and have known each other for years.
Miller just arrived from the Toronto Blue Jays in September. He had always planned on reaching out to his
counterparts with the other pro sports in town, but coming on board with the Vikings after the season had started
meant Miller was hard-pressed for time as he tried to get settled in.

He took a Polar Plunge with his fellow CEOs this winter, but the pandemic is what has really had him diving into the
deep end of relationship building.

“I think you’re always trying to find people who have some level of understanding of the experiences you’re going
through,” Miller said. “There are definitely times where as leaders of organizations like ours, you’re not able to as
easily find that peer group. This is a very natural peer group.”

The optimism has been building over the last few weeks for professional sports to return to play. The NBA and NHL
are exploring neutral sites for their teams to gather in an effort to limit exposure to the virus in hopes of a July launch.
Major League Baseball is negotiating with its players’ union on the parameters surrounding a return on a similar

timeline. With the Bundesliga in Germany opening this weekend, there is a growing push for MLS to get back on the
pitch, and high-ranking officials in the NFL have said the league plans to play in the fall as scheduled.

Whether fans are allowed into the venues hosting these games remains to be seen, but barring some kind of
downturn when it comes to the virus, it appears that we will at least have live sports back on television again this
summer.

“I’m really optimistic that we can play,” said Wright, whose Loons won their first two games before play was
suspended. “I just don’t know whether or not it will be with fans. I think we’ve all got to concentrate as well on not only
the immediate future, but also what this new normal becomes inside all of our stadiums.”

In so many ways, pro sports have a big target on their backs, and the novel coronavirus is drilling it right in the
bullseye. Arenas are meant to be packed, with thousands of seats measured out to the precise height and width that
will allow teams to maximize the number of fans that can fit into an arena, ballpark or stadium. Personal space is
nonexistent when a fan walks through those doors and shuffles through the mass of humanity to find his or her seat.

Think about how many times you inadvertently bump into someone while waiting in a long concession line or on your
way to a stadium bathroom. How about the germs exchanged with the person who pats you on the back after Dalvin
Cook scores a touchdown?

It’s crowded. It’s hot. But that is also part of the fun that has to be addressed before stadiums can reopen. This group
is trying to facilitate those conversations.

“A lot of different things that are an exciting and inherent part of a sporting experience are not necessarily conducive
to the right social distancing and health and hygiene that’s important today,” Miller said. “Right now we’re all trying to
figure out, what does that experience look like? How can we make it something that fans are going to be excited to
come back to?”

The unpredictability of the virus means the bosses are having to plan out a number of different scenarios. There have
been discussions about games with no fans. Miller said the Vikings are exploring the idea of having some fans in the
building whenever they are able to resume games. Wright said United has mapped out Allianz Field and determined
that, under the social distancing guidelines in place today, they might be able to allow 3,900 fans into the 19,400-seat
stadium.

“I’m not saying that that is the way that it will happen. That might happen,” Wright said. “Then what is the next
iteration of that, to ultimately returning to a full stadium of fans? We’re on a journey here and every step of this way
we have to protect every person involved with our club starting with our players and our coaching staff to our part-
time staff to our full-time staff, but most importantly to all of the fans that will ultimately visit us again at Allianz Field.”

Target Field
Whenever play resumes, fan restrictions will likely be different at open-air venues like Target Field than indoor
facilities like Target Center across the street. (Ben Ludeman / USA Today)
Miller and Casson said it was too early to share many of the details from what they have been discussing in their task
force meetings on venue safety. There are too many variables in play at this point for them to be ready to articulate
what the fan experience will look like when play resumes, if there is a fan experience at all. Right now they are
focused on eight specific categories, including entering and exiting a venue, fan services, ticketing and safety and
cleanliness.

Additional measures like masks and temperature readings upon stadium entry will likely be dictated by public health
officials.

The idea is for the entire group to be ready with information, resources and analysis if and when the governor’s office
turns to them for consultation on re-opening, with the priority being developing a plan that keeps everyone — players,
coaches, fans, media, team employees, stadium workers — as safe as possible.

“I think there will be a period of time where in each one of those categories we could make recommendations,
suggestions, consensus around each of those different things,” Casson said. “In some cases it might be very
different in one building than another depending on outdoor facilities versus indoor facilities. But if we can really focus
and drill down on those areas, we think there’s a return-to-play playbook that ultimately we can establish that came
from that presidents’ forum.”

One thing that is certain amid all the uncertainty is that, at least in the short term, the fan experience will be markedly
different than it was before COVID-19. The new normal will likely be different at Target Field and Allianz Field, two
outdoor venues, than it will be at the Target Center, Xcel Energy Center and U.S. Bank Stadium, which are largely
indoor facilities. But the hope of the group is that there will be some uniformity in guidelines and experience so as to
limit confusion or conflict along the way.

“Our job in the end is to deliver something that makes sense for professional sports in this marketplace that gives
everybody the sense that we have thought it through, that we’re providing a safe environment for our fans to return to
support our respective teams,” Wright said.

“This is about putting the fans’ fears of safety and security at ease,” Majka said. “It probably will be a different
environment, but I don’t view that as a bad thing. I really don’t.”

In March, all five bosses witnessed how sports provided an emphatic warning sign to the country that this
coronavirus was to be taken seriously. The decision to suspend leagues sent shockwaves through communities.
Now they believe that sports can set the example for responsible re-opening as well.

“We spend a lot of time on just determining what the future is going to look like and how we plan ahead for that,”
Casson said. “We know the importance of sports. We know that sports represents healing. I think we’re just
proactively working together to determine how we can potentially be part of the solution in bringing that back at some
point.”

Getting sports back, on television at minimum, would be a welcome sight for so many Americans who are struggling
right now. Having their favorite team to watch may not get back a job that was lost or heal a sick relative, but it would
be a distraction from the difficulties they are facing. Few entities in culture today bind such a wide swath of the public
as sports teams do, and there is a responsibility in that which is not lost on the leaders trying to shepherd their teams
back.

“We’re all so passionate about sports and fully believe in the power that sports has to bring people together,” Miller
said. “In this particular situation that’s obviously one of the challenges is bringing people together. We believe that
sports has the ability to bring people back and through challenging times. Through our country’s history that’s been
shown time and time again. The five of us all believe that sports in Minnesota can really be a catalyst for bringing our
community back to its feet.”

There is still so much work to be done. Through it all, a bond has formed. Any petty rivalries that may have existed
between teams that were competing for a fan’s attention, and money, in a crowded sports market are nowhere to be
found as they confront an enemy that is wreaking havoc on the American way of life. There is fellowship in the
struggle, so much so that there are plans to continue the meetings even after the pandemic subsides.

“We’ve developed a real support system to talk about some really difficult and challenging things,” Casson said.
“There’s not a lot of people to call to be able to have that type of candid conversation.”

Collectively, the group remains confident that someday down the road, arenas will be full again. Fans will roar and
players will raise their level of play because of the adrenaline derived from the din. Until that day comes, the five fast
friends will be meeting, talking, planning and collaborating in an effort to get to that point as quickly and safely as
possible.

Those giant doors, and all of the smaller ones on arenas across the Twin Cities, will open again.

“When I hang up every week, I feel better because I’ve been talking with folks that are walking in my shoes, and it
doesn’t feel so lonely,” Majka said, “and the support that I feel from those guys helps me through another week, and
I’m really grateful for that.”

PUBLICATION: Purple Insider DATE: 5/27/20
Why the Vikings should root for the XFL's kickoff rules

By Matthew Coller
Every kick return that has ever been taken back for a touchdown has a moment where the entire building realizes the
returner going all the way. He finds a hole, the crowd crescendos and he’s off to the races. Instant game-changer.

Few plays in sports compare to a touchdown return’s jolt of energy and no fan base understands it better than that of
the Minnesota Vikings. Thanks to Percy Harvin and Cordarrelle Patterson, the Vikings have the most (10) kick
returns for touchdown since 2009, three ahead of the next best team (Baltimore).

But the opportunities for that instant injection of offense have all but disappeared with the NFL’s current kick return
rules.

Last year the NFL’s leader in kick return attempts had just 32 and the entire league totaled seven returns for
touchdown. In 2009, the league leader had 66 and the NFL produced 18 awe-inspiring returns for a score.

The 2019 season saw the leader in attempts have the fewest returns since the NFL began tracking return statistics.

The decline of the kickoff return hasn’t just extracted a fun play from football, it’s taken away a tradition of specialty
players who become fan favorites like your Dante Halls, Mel Grays, Eric Metcalfs, Josh Cribbses and it’s left a black
hole in that space. For fans, all kickoffs mean now is they have time for a trip to the fridge.

But this spring, in its brief return before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the league’s second stint to an end, the XFL
offered a solution in the form of a unique return structure that saw 93% of kicks returned while vastly increasing the
safety of the play.

The start-up league offered a model for the NFL to bring excitement back to the game’s opening play without
sacrificing measures to protect players.

How the XFL kickoff came to be

You might have heard of XFL commissioner Oliver Luck’s son Andrew. Stanford kid, pretty good NFL quarterback.
Well, Andrew’s center during his college years was Sam Schwartzstein, a team captain with the nickname “Coach
Sammy” because of his ability to decipher defenses at the line of scrimmage. After his playing days at Stanford came
to an end, Schwartzstein did as one does in Northern California: He began a career in the tech world of Silicon
Valley.

So when Oliver Luck was tabbed as the XFL’s leader, he brought along the former Stanford captain to develop XFL
rules.

“Everything we did in Silicon Valley was: What problem are we trying to solve?” Schwartzstein said over the phone.
“Defining that problem with success metrics. What does success look like? And in the grand scheme of things, what
is the market telling us about the problems that we're solving. It gave us an approach that was a little bit different than
just saying, 'I want to fix [kickoffs] or why don't we have kickoffs anymore?’”

Two years before the XFL booted its first kickoff, the quickly-defunct Alliance of American Football also understood
there was a problem with kickoffs that needed solving. Their solution was to eliminate it entirely and start every
offensive possession at the 25-yard line. Schwartzstein and the XFL saw that as short-sighted. Why take away
something exciting simply because you can’t figure out a better way?

Luck asked his new rule maker: What does the kickoff look like at the moment the receiving team catches the ball?

“I watched over 100 clips of film and paused the film when the ball is caught and the plays are 3-7 yards apart facing
each other almost 100% of the time,” Schwartzstein said. “We said, let's just start the play there.”

That’s exactly what they did. Here are the rules they landed on:

The kicker kicks from the 30-yard line and must kick the ball in the air and in play between the opponent’s 20-yard
line and the end zone.

The coverage team lines up on the return side 35-yard line and the return team lines up on the 30-yard line. Each
team must have exactly 3 players outside the hash marks on both sides of the ball and cannot move until the ball is
caught by the returner.

Naturally there was skepticism.

A broadcaster commented to Schwartzstein that the league needed to be ready to switch to an NFL-style kickoff in
case their newfangled plan flopped. A friend of his was unhappy with teams no longer having the option to surprise
opponents with an onside kick. And XFL coaches, well, they were “scared sh—less” of having to figure out an entirely
new strategy.

“The best coaches are the ones who saw it as an opportunity for greatness, an opportunity to do something unique,”
Schwartzstein said. “We had eight testing sessions. We tested a throw back, double reverses, we had a lot of stuff
there that we were able to give our coaches to practice. Some coaches said they were just going to run base stuff
and just have their guys block it well but the coaches who approached it for uniqueness took that film and said: Let's
try something exciting.”

After a few weeks, something exciting is exactly what happened.

“What we saw was a reverse touchdown, we saw a return on a fake reverse, we saw a touchdown on a cross
blocking scheme,” Schwartzstein said. “The way we started looking at it was like a giant offensive line play. Inside
zone, outsize zone, reverse, cross blocking, trap, all these different things that made the play exciting. Fans may not
see those intricacies but it was evolving week to week.”

B/R Gridiron
@brgridiron
New kickoff rules = creativity 

First kick return touchdown in the XFL

(via @FOXSports)

February 23rd 2020

687 Retweets7,200 Likes
By the time the league was shut down, teams’ average starting position was higher than the NFL, they had returns
on nearly every play and the once scared sh—less coaches came to appreciate the XFL’s effort.

“At first some XFL people were like, ‘I don’t know about this,’ but by the end they all loved it,” said ESPN reporter
Kevin Seifert, who covered the XFL this spring, said.

Returners of the NFL’s kickoff heyday also took notice.

“It was genius by whoever invented it,” former Viking Qadry Ismail said. “The way XFL players executed it was cool
and I really enjoyed it. I think it can work big time in the NFL.”

Another former Viking kick returner Moe Williams hadn’t seen it. His response via text when he was sent video of the
XFL return: “That’s awesome! There it is, problem solved.”

And on the safety side, Schwartzstein said there were zero concussions reported on kickoffs. When the NFL’s
kickoffs were at their height, they made up 21% of all concussions. Recent rule changes have reduced injuries but a
big chunk of the drop in concussions is due to nearly eliminating the play.

“To the extent there would be injuries, you wouldn't attribute that to the kickoff because the functional play is not
much different than offense and defense,” Seifert said.

Opportunity

Qadry Ismail and Moe Williams became Viking fan favorites in their day. In today’s game, they might have been
playing in the XFL instead of the NFL early in their careers because the kick return specialist has gone the way of
leather helmets.

“I loved the fact that I came out of Syracuse as a kick returner,” Ismail said. “It got me on the field in college and I
became an All-American in college because of it.”

From 1993 to 1998, Ismail had more kick returns than receptions. He made returning into an art form, getting advice
from other returners, looking for ways that he could use his eyes and misdirection to set up his blocks and juke
defenders.

“It was that sense of setting up the coverage team and your guys are blocking them in a certain direction you can set
them up like a running back and then explode through the hole,” Ismail said.

It took until age 29 with the Baltimore Ravens for Ismail to become a top receiving option. In three years with the
Ravens, he racked up two 1,000-yard seasons and was second in receptions on the 2000 Super Bowl team.

Williams followed a similar path. His early role in the NFL shows you how much things have changed. He was on the
squad as a No. 2 returner who saw between 15-30 kicks per year.

“I believe we dressed about six running backs, which is unheard of, but myself and John Henry Mills and guys like
that dressed as special teams players,” Williams said. “It was really only about four guys who were expected to hit
the field on offense. But we had a vital role in special teams and it enabled us to be on the field and allowed us to
change our lives financially.”

From age 22 to 26, Williams never rushed the ball on offense more than 25 times but opportunity came knocking
when injuries eventually opened the door to a regular role on offense. He scored 11 rushing touchdowns in 2002 at
age 28 and picked up 1,389 yards from scrimmage the following year.

The XFL had players like Williams and Ismail in mind when they designed their kickoff return.

“We knew we were going to have some standout players as returners who missed the NFL because they couldn't
play receiver or other special teams,” Schwartzstein said. “We wanted to highlight those players. That was a huge
part of it.”

It’s hard not to wonder how many players missed out on chances to become the next Ismail or Williams because kick
returning isn’t a high priority anymore.

Will the XFL come to the NFL?

At the NFL Combine one special teams coach mentioned to Purple Insider that there was some buzz around the XFL
kickoff and said he would like to see it in the NFL.

“A couple competition members brought it up unsolicited at the NFL Combine just as, 'What do you think about this
XFL thing?' and they brought up the kickoff,” Seifert said. “It was the first thing that caught their eye.”

But there’s a long road between “caught their eye” and happening. Even changes that were implemented in 2018 —
which were barely noticeable to onlookers and did not improve the rate of returns — took significant time and debate.

“Whether they would say, 'Let's go ahead and steal this from the XFL,' that wouldn't be in character,” Seifert
explained. “They would want it to appear as if it was their own idea so I don't sense any momentum for that….If
another season goes by that returns are 30% or 35% and touchbacks are 60% or more maybe they will look at other
ways to do it.”

As much as Schwartzstein believes in his product, even he wouldn’t toss it into the NFL without a larger sample size
of testing.

“I think if you did it in the preseason or do some more experimenting with other spring games or college football just
to make sure it checks out,” he said. “I think it works great. I think it works perfectly. But if I was working for the NFL,
I'd want to test it there. Would it be better than what they have right now? Yes.”

So far, however, nobody from the NFL has reached out to the kickoff’s designer about his invention.

“I’d love to talk to more people about it,” Schwartzstein said.

Maybe someday.

Until then Ismail and Williams will be rooting for it.

“Not having kickoffs is an injustice to the game and injustice to the fans...bring it back,” Williams said. “Give teams an
opportunity to start games with a game-changer in the beginning.”

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 5/27/20
Vikings Notes and Links: Cris Carter, Dan Chisena, Kyle Rudolph

By Will Ragatz
Cris Carter helping provide meals to those in need during the pandemic

USA Today's Jarrett Bell has a cool story on former Vikings star receiver and Hall of Famer Cris Carter supporting
Project Isaiah, a "charitable organization established during the coronavirus pandemic to provide free, boxed meals
to people in need and keep food-service workers employed."

The project was launched in April and has provided nearly 2 million meals in communities that have been hit harder
than most by this pandemic. Carter has helped spread the word on something that hits close to home for him.

Carter has done a PSA for the project on Facebook, asked other Hall of Famers for help, called on business contacts
to donate and conducted interviews to raise awareness. “It touches me personally because I don’t know what my
family would have done 30, 40 years ago if there had been a pandemic,” Carter said. “If I was a young kid sitting
around all day and my mom couldn’t go to work and we couldn’t go to school, it would have been tough. I was going
to school for at least two of my meals.”

UDFA WR Dan Chisena hoping to follow Adam Thielen path to the NFL

Speaking of cool stories, Eric Smith of Vikings.com wrote a great feature on Vikings undrafted receiver Dan Chisena.
The former Penn State track star had just three catches for 66 yards in his college career, but he's hoping that his
speed allows him to earn a role on special teams while he develops as a football player. Chisena clocked an
incredibly fast 4.32 second 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process.

While at Penn State, Chisena had to quit the football team briefly while on a track scholarship. But coach James
Franklin let him re-join, and he went from a contributor on the scout team to making plays on special teams and even
snagging those three receptions as a senior.

"I'm going to go in and do the best that I can with the opportunities that I'm given, and do whatever I can to help this
team … at receiver or on special teams," Chisena said. "I'm just looking forward to being grateful for whatever
opportunities come my way and trying to take advantage of them and letting the things I can't control take care of
themselves.

Kyle Rudolph to participate in Peloton All-Star Ride on Saturday

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph will be one of the participants in Peloton's All-Star ride on Saturday. The event will air
on ESPN at 11 a.m. central time. Here are the details:

ESPN will air Peloton’s first ever All-Star Ride on Saturday, May 30, featuring 16 pro-athlete participants (eight male
and eight female) from across the sports landscape, all of whom are current Peloton members. The ride will air on
ESPN at noon ET and consist of two 20-minute classes, with Peloton instructor Alex Toussaint leading the men’s
division and Robin Arzon teaching the women’s division. The rider with the highest output number (the combination
of a rider’s cadence and resistance) in each of the two rides will be declared the winner for his or her respective
division. If the participating pro athletes collectively reach an output of 3,000, Peloton will donate one million meals to
the Food Bank for New York City. ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco and Peloton instructor Ally Love will provide commentary for
the one-hour special.

Notable other riders include Rory McIlroy, Gordon Hayward, Allyson Felix, and Dawn Staley.

PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 5/27/20
Vikings UDFA WR Dan Chisena Has Speed to Burn

By Eric Smith
EAGAN, Minn. — Undrafted free agents typically don't generate a ton of buzz when signing with NFL teams in the
hours immediately following the draft.

And it's likely that most Vikings fans wouldn't recognize Dan Chisena if he passed them on the street.

But the former Penn State wide receiver — and track star — now might hold the title of being the fastest player on
Minnesota's roster. Even if he admits he is a work in progress on the gridiron.

"I think my speed is just a God-given ability that I've had all my life," said Chisena, who was clocked at a blazing 4.32
seconds in the 40-yard dash by a handful of draft websites. "It was great with track, and obviously in football you
can't just be fast. You need to be a complete player in order to play at the highest level, so that's a good asset to
have, but I need to continue to develop in other areas of the game.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity," Chisena added. "I think my speed is something that was able to catch the eyes of
some coaches, particularly on special teams, being able to make an impact in that area of the game while continuing
to develop as a wide receiver."

Chisena was on Penn State's roster for three total seasons in college, with a gap in the middle. He redshirted his
freshman year in 2015, then returned to the program in 2018 and 2019.

dan-chisena-2560
@danchisena/Twitter
He played in 14 total games over two seasons, with his three receptions for 66 yards all coming in 2019 as a senior.
Chisena delivered his biggest impact on special teams.

"My biggest role, I would say, was at the gunner position on punt team," Chisena said. "Running down and trying to
force fair catches or pin the ball inside the 10.

"We did pretty well in that phase of the game," Chisena added. "It's something I had a lot of fun with and really
enjoyed and was something that I hope I can bring to the special teams here in Minnesota."

But as noted above, there were a few years where Chisena was not on the football team. Instead, he was an All-
American sprinter for the Penn State track and field team.

He helped the Nittany Lions place ninth in the 4x100-meter relay (39.15) and 13th in the 4x400-meter relay (3:04.17)
at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Chisena, who helped his team set school records in both of those
events, also played a factor in Penn State winning the 2017 Big Ten Conference team championship, as well as a
conference title in the 4x400 relay.

Vikings 2020 Undrafted Free Agents in Photos
View photos of the Vikings 2020 undrafted free agents.

The reason Chisena didn't double dip in both sports? His track scholarship prohibited him from doing both.

"I walked on to the football team at Penn State my freshman year, and I was going to play football and run track
there," said Chisena, a Pennsylvania native who won high school state titles in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay as a
senior. "The opportunity came about after my freshman season, when I was running in the spring and I could get a
scholarship for track, but I wouldn't be allowed to play football on a track scholarship.

"Ultimately, [I] made the decision to help out my family financially and try to excel at one sport instead of be average
at two and decided to run track for a couple years."

But football remained steadfast in Chisena's mind while he excelled on the track. His passion for football led him to
visit Penn State Head Coach James Franklin after the spring of 2018.

"Ever since I left football, I really missed it," said Chisena, who was an all-conference wide receiver in high school. "I
grew up playing football since third grade and always knew that at some point I wanted to play again.

"In my junior year of track, I ended up getting hurt, and that kind of made me sit down and think about what I wanted
the next year and a half of eligibility to look like," Chisena added. "I approached Coach Franklin about rejoining the
team, and he gave me that opportunity, which I was extremely grateful for, and just had the past year-and-a-half or
two years now of being back on the football team."

The transition wasn't an easy one. Chisena said he had to condition his body to run routes rather than simply
sprinting straight ahead.

"It was a challenge for sure. I'd been running straight for three years and hadn't run any routes or anything like that
the entire time," Chisena said. "It was difficult at first, but it was great that first season back. I was on the scout team
that entire year, which I honestly loved. I loved that role.

"I loved being able to help the team in whatever area I could," Chisena added. "For me personally, I got to go against
our starters every single day that first year and go against our top defensive backs every day in practice. I feel like
that helped me kind of get my feet back under me and allowed me to transition into having a more substantial role
this past year, my fifth year."

Chisena played in 12 games as a senior in 2019 for a Penn State squad that ended the season ranked ninth in the
country.

But with limited reps over the past two seasons, Chisena needed another way to get on the radar of NFL teams. He
did just that at the 2020 SPIRAL Tropical Bowl, which was held in mid-January in Florida.

Chisena showed off his speed and pass-catching ability with five receptions for 155 yards, including lengthy
touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards. He was named the game's MVP.

Chisena said he expects to begin his NFL career battling for a roster spot through special teams, similar to what
fellow wide receiver Adam Thielen did.

Thielen Talks About Preparing For A Unique Season, Adding Jefferson Combined With Losing Diggs, More
For comparison's sake, Chisena and Thielen are of the same build. Both are around 200 pounds, although Chisena
is 6-foot-3, an inch taller than Thielen and with more speed to burn.

And who knows where Chisena's football path will lead him in the coming months and years.

But it's already been quite the journey for the former track star turned NFL hopeful.

"I'm going to go in and do the best that I can with the opportunities that I'm given, and do whatever I can to help this
team … at receiver or on special teams," Chisena said. "I'm just looking forward to being grateful for whatever
opportunities come my way and trying to take advantage of them and letting the things I can't control take care of
themselves.

"I just had really great conversations with a couple of the coaches, just between coach Andrew [Janocko], the
receivers coach, and Coach [Marwan] Maalouf, the special teams coordinator," Chisena added. "[I] … had great
conversations with them and felt really comfortable with them. Obviously, it's just a great organization I've heard
great things about and just a great, great city. A lot of good things going for it."