Tag: Ryan Wright

Ryan Wright wins NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

The Vikings punter got recognized for his excellent play on Sunday

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The Minnesota Vikings had some impressive individual performances on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins but arguably none of them were more impressive than rookie punter Ryan Wright. The NFL agreed and awarded him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Wright was impressive on Sunday as he became the second punter since 2016 to punt 10 times with his tea getting the victory. The other was Denver Broncos punter Corliss Waltman in week three against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Over his 10 punts, Wright averaged 44.1 yards per punt and nailed six of them inside the 20. His most impressive kick came early in the game when the Vikings were pinned at the six yard line. Wright kicked the ball over 80 yards in the air for an official long of 73 yards.

It’s not the best thing in the world to have a Vikings’ best player in a game be the punter, but it’s also great to see the purple and gold have a player that can flip the field.

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WATCH: Rookie Ryan Wright blasts a 73-yard punt

The rookie has become a weapon for the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings made a surprising move during training camp when they cut veteran punter Jordan Berry in favor of rookie Ryan Wright out of Tulane. So far this season, that decision seems to be playing out really well.

On his second punt of the game, the Vikings had the ball inside the five-yard line. Wright took it upon himself to flip the field and did so with a 73-yard blast that pinned the Dolphins back much farther than expected.

With the Vikings offense playing as poorly as they are, having Wright playing this well is a good sign moving forwardl

Vikings convert clever fake punt vs Saints

The Vikings went into their bag of tricks for this play

You don’t always see teams try to convert a fake punt but the Minnesota Vikings did just that on Sunday morning.

With the Vikings offense sputtering and struggling to string together successful drives, head coach Kevin O’Connell and special teams coordinator Matt Daniels decided to pull a trick out of their bag of goodies to try and spark the offense.

Vikings rookie punter Ryan Wright is a former high school quarterback and does a good job hitting rookie wide receiver Jalen Nailor for his first catch in the National Football League.

The drive continued after the conversion but stalled after a couple of penalties. That led to a Greg Joseph field goal to put the Vikings up 19-14.

The Vikings have spoken often about being more aggressive and trying to take advantage of situations and thy did just that on this fake punt.

7 Minnesota Vikings get their jersey numbers

Multiple player numbers were announced on Thursday

Seven Minnesota Vikings, whether new or tenured, got their new jersey numbers on Thursday.

  • The most anticipated jersey number change was rookie punter Ryan Wright who went from 66 to 14, which was previously worn by Sean Mannion.
  • New Vikings wide receiver Jalen Reagor will be wearing number 5.
  • New Vikings defensive tackle Ross Blacklock will wear number 96.
  • Defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard goes from 79 to 93 previously worn by Jaylen Twyman.
  • Defensive tackle Twyman, now on the practice squad, goes from 93 to 51.
  • New practice squad wide receiver Travis Toivonen will wear number 87.
  • New practice squad cornerback Tay Gowan will wear number 31.

With new quarterback David Blough just added to the practice squad, there will be at least one more number announced in the coming days.

Jordan Berry knows his spot on roster is far from guaranteed

Berry will have to fight for his job in 2022

Jordan Berry will have a new number and new competition when entering the 2022 season as the presumed starting punter for the Minnesota Vikings.

However, the veteran special-teamer knows better. He has been around long enough to figure out that nothing is ever guaranteed in the NFL. The line between a starting punter and an unsigned free agent is very thin.

It doesn’t help matters that he’s 31 years old and right in the middle of a regime shift. Throw in the fact that the Vikings just signed rookie free agent Ryan Wright to a deal and things are sure to get interesting throughout training camp.

“You’ve got new coaches and they didn’t really know me, so that’s obviously going to be part of it,” said Berry, when speaking with the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson. “But the other part is I probably wasn’t the most consistent compared to what I want to be.

“I had like a decent year, but there’s definitely room to improve always and obviously once you get in the 30s, you could start slacking off, too. Some guys drop off pretty quick when they get older, so they’ve got to cover their bases. But I’m feeling pretty confident in myself.”

Assuming Berry ends up with the job, a brand new No. 16 jersey is awaiting him after he gave up No. 3 to Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who was looking to return to his college roots at Mississippi State.

But the competition will be stiff.

Wright averaged 47.5 yards per punt at Tulane last season, while Berry averaged 46.5 yards with the Vikings. Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels has made it abundantly clear that this is a legitimate competition.

And the same goes for veteran kicker Greg Joseph and incoming rookie Gabe Brkic. These aren’t just camp bodies to fill up space on the roster. Like Joseph, Berry’s contract could be in jeopardy if he gets beat out on the practice field by his younger counterpart.

But experience also matters in these competitions, and there is a wide gap when it comes to punting at the highest level. Berry will lean on that edge in hopes of carving out a spot of his own on the new-look Vikings’ roster.

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Highlights and notes from Week 2 Vikings OTAs

Another week in the books for the Vikings

Another week is in the books for the Minnesota Vikings’ organized team activities.

Last week was all about integrating the rookies and veterans on the field together in helmets and shorts. This week consisted of more drills and an attempt towards putting a pretty bow on everything by seeing new concepts in action.

You still have to be careful to not overreact to some of the things emanating out of OTAs since it’s still so early in the process. We’ll have a real sense of where players are at once they’ve actually had time to digest things and the pads come on.

But the buzz in Minnesota right now is undeniable. There’s a different level of excitement surrounding this Vikings team—and for good reason. The hope is that big things are ahead under the guidance of head coach Kevin O’Connell, who knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl. And it all begins with preparation.

Here are some highlights and notes from Week 2 of OTAs.

Nine undrafted rookie free agents agree to terms with Vikings

Vikings load up on undrafted rookies.

Another NFL draft is in the books, but the work continues for the Minnesota Vikings with the team announcing they have agreed to terms with nine undrafted rookie free agents.

The names on that list are Virginia Tech receiver Tre Turner, Wake Forest linebacker Luiji Vilain, Tulane punter Ryan Wright, Miami (OH) safety Mike Brown, Appalachian State receiver Thomas Hennigan, Toledo running back Bryant Koback, Miami linebacker Zach McCloud, Sacred Heart center Josh Sokol and Tulsa defensive tackle Tyarise Stevenson.

The Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson reported the Vikings sifted through a “variety of options” at punter. So the team appears determined to bring in direct training camp competition for current punter Jordan Berry.

They ultimately settled on Wright, who averaged a career-high 47.5 yards per punt after 51 punts in 2021.

Vilain is also a name of interest on this list considering his disruptive capabilities on the defensive front.

He led the Demon Deacons with eight sacks last season, while also compiling nine tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.

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