Tag: ty chandler

Instant analysis of Vikings’ 26-20 preseason opening loss to Raiders

The Vikings come up short in their preseason opener against the Raiders.

The Minnesota Vikings are leaving Las Vegas with a loss in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Raiders. But they’re also leaving with some positive takeaways from a game that was well within reach before the fourth quarter ended.

Costly penalties and being inefficient on third downs were a big reason why the Vikings came out on the losing end. That isn’t exactly going to help fans sleep better at night considering this franchise is notorious for shooting itself in the foot in close game situations.

Rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. committed 30 yards in penalties on one play, and the offense was only 1-of-7 in third-down conversions.

But the bright spots came up in the running game. Kene Nwangwu looked great as a ball-carrier, but no one was more impressive than rookie fifth-round draft pick Ty Chandler, who finished with five rushes for a team-high 50 yards.

He also had a 56-yard kick return.

Todd McShay once said he believed Chandler has starting potential in the NFL. If Sunday’s game is a glimpse of what’s to come, the former North Carolina prospect could be positioning himself as more than just a backup for the Vikings years down the road.

Along with the early glimpses of hope at running back, the team also got a good look at the backup quarterback battle between Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond.

Both made some good plays on the night, but it’s hard to walk away from that game and not be more impressed with Mond. Considering everything he went through last season with all of the drama involving former coach Mike Zimmer, this was a great statement game to prove he’s a legitimate threat to take the top backup role.

He finished the game 9-of-14 for 119 yards and two touchdowns, while Mannion threw 8-of-12 for 79 yards.

The Vikings sat 10 of their starters, including quarterback Kirk Cousins (COVID), Justin Jefferson, Danielle Hunter, Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius Smith.

So there’s still a lot of intrigue in seeing what coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense actually looks like with all of the pieces on the chessboard. Perhaps there’s still hope for a sneak peek in next Saturday’s preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.

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WATCH: Vikings Rookie Ty Chandler run circles around Raiders

Ty Chandler is already looking like a draft steal.

The first preseason game is an opportunity to make a great first impression.

Back in 1995, legendary Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis made a great impression on the first kickoff of the first game. He leveled the return man and set the tone for his Hall of Fame career.

While the story of rookie fifth-round pick Ty Chandler has yet to be written, his NFL career certainly looks to be off to a great start after his performance in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.

On his first play, Chandler showed great patience and explosiveness on a simple zone run.

He had a couple more nice runs on that drive as well.

His most impressive play came on a kick return after the Raiders scored a touchdown to take a 16-6 lead.

Chandler showed great contact balance at the beginning when he got blown up. He bounced the return to the right and took it 56 yards. That return led to a Kellen Mond touchdown pass to Albert Wilson.

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Vikings Madden NFL 23 ratings for rookie draft picks

How do the Vikings’ rookies stack up on Madden NFL 23?

Madden rankings are not the be-all, end-all, but they do mean something.

The rankings are an algorithm that takes each metric and aggregates it to an overall number. The higher certain metrics are, the higher your overall rating is.

Some mean more than others. For example, throwing accuracy means a ton for a quarterback’s overall ranking but next to nothing for a tight end. Because of that, a really good player might be ranked lower than you think he should be.

The other element of these rankings are that Madden usually is a year behind players. One example is Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase who, despite a major breakout season, was ranked as an 87.

A long track record of success is the best way to receive a higher ranking. The same theory goes with rookies. Their rankings are inherently lower because they haven’t played a snap in the league. Each of the 10 Vikings draft picks now have their first ever Madden Ranking.

Here’s how they ranked amongst each other.

Vikings RB Ty Chandler won’t muddy the waters for Alexander Mattison

No need to rush things with Chandler

It shouldn’t take Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Ty Chandler long to start making some noise at the next level, but don’t expect things to get loud enough for him to supplant Alexander Mattison right out of the gates.

Let’s pump the brakes.

Mattison isn’t a cap casualty or some on-the-bubble player that could end up as a surprise cut ahead of the 2022 season. I wouldn’t expect the Vikings to look to move him, period, unless another team came out of nowhere and floated an offer they couldn’t pass up.

The latter is unlikely to happen because every interested team knows they’ll have a shot at landing him without giving up assets in 2023, when his contract expires with the Vikings.

As for Minnesota, why even consider moving a player that has consistently proven to be one of the best backup running backs in the league? If the team is truly in a win-now mode, it would be smarter to keep a player like Mattison around as an insurance policy for Cook.

Yes, Chandler is the sort of versatile running back with the potential to become a longstanding part of the Vikings offense. People have been singing his surprises long before the 2022 NFL draft.

But this is also an opportunity for him to come in and learn the ropes without the pressure of being thrown into the mix right away.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell loves two-back sets on the field, and there’s a good chance the No. 2 option is going to see more work than in previous years with the team. There are probably plays already being drawn up with the expectations of utilizing both Cook and Mattison on the field together to create mismatches against opposing defenses.

Chandler will have his chance in the future with Mattison likely leaving in free agency next season. Some running back-needy team will come along and offer him the sort of money that lures his eyes away from Minnesota. We saw it during free agency this year with tight end Tyler Conklin, who came off his rookie contract and signed with the New York Jets.

Of course, that’s assuming the Vikings don’t have a surprise trade with Cook in mind for a cheaper and more cap-friendly deal with Mattison, who is still only 23 years old.

The 2022 season is all about keeping the best parts and building a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl. If Cook wasn’t around, Mattison would be considered one of the “best parts” for the Vikings.

Perhaps the same will be said about Chandler in the next year or so, but it’s way too early to be singing that tune right now.

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POLL: Which rookie will make biggest impact for Vikings in 2022?

Who will make the biggest impact right out of the gates?

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The Minnesota Vikings approached the 2022 NFL draft with the thought of winning right away.

They already signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a one-year extension, restructured a few contracts and brought in key veteran additions to the roster. The Vikings are basically a new coat of paint on the same car because they’re convinced they already have the foundation in place to compete for a Super Bowl.

Part of that belief stems from the hope that their incoming rookies are capable of stepping up and contributing right away. It’s everyone from first-round draft pick Lewis Cine to lauded undrafted rookie free agent Luiji Vilain.

First-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finessed his way up and down the draft board to maximize the number of bites at the apple the Vikings had this season. In total, their actual draft class consists of 10 players, and they also agreed to deals with at least nine undrafted players in the immediate aftermath.

Which rookie will make the biggest impact for the Vikings in 2022?

We’ve listed the entire draft class and Vilain as the options above. But if there’s another undrafted rookie you think belongs here—like Gabe Brkic or Ryan Wright—let us know in the comments section here or on our Facebook and Twitter page.

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“It taught me a lot”: Former Tar Heels running back Ty Chandler discusses transfer to UNC

Former UNC running back Ty Chandler discusses the lessons he learned in his career, including what he learned from the transfer portal.

The transfer portal has been a long and windy road for multiple prospects in multiple sports. Over the past two years, however, it has become the main recruiting area for most college coaches looking for impact players.

Look no further than former UNC football running back [autotag]Ty Chandler[/autotag]. The Tennessee running back transferred to North Carolina for the 2021 season and had a breakout year.

Chandler rushed for 1,092 yards with 13 touchdowns in his lone season at UNC and put himself in line for a selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

And with hard work comes reward as he was taken in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings.

Chandler discussed his decision to transfer and the lessons he learned along the way with Vikings.com.

“It has taught me a lot,” Chandler said. “It has taught me the beauty of hard work and just speaking stuff into existence and watching stuff come to fruition. It has been a grind, it has been a process, but I feel like with every step I’ve just gotten better along the way and met great people along the way that are willing to help and continue to push me toward that success. So I’m grateful for everybody I’ve crossed paths with and everybody who has helped me benefit and gain success on the field. So it has truly been a blessing, making transitions and like I said meeting new people and getting a chance to play with new people and learn from other individuals.”

Prior to his lone season at UNC, Chandler had totaled just 2,046 yards in four seasons at Tennessee. He also had 13 combined touchdowns in his Tennessee career — the same total he had in his one season in Chapel Hill.

Chandler heads to the Vikings with the opportunity to learn after one of the best young running backs in the game, Dalvin Cook. There is also potential for early playing time due to the injury history Cook has seen in his early career.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Vikings officially announce signings of five rookie contracts

The Vikings make five rookie contracts official.

Heading into the two-day rookie minicamp, the Minnesota Vikings have officially announced the signings of five rookie contracts.

So that officially makes half of the Vikings 2022 NFL draft class now under contract with the team.

The names on the list includes safety Lewis Cine, receiver Jalen Nailor, tight end Nick Muse, defensive end Esezi Otomewo and running back Ty Chandler.

According to the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson, offensive guard Ed Ingram and linebacker Brian Asamoah are not expected to agree to terms before minicamp, which means the two players will be participating under the injury protection agreement.

Cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., the second-round pick out of Clemson, is still waiting to get his contract done as well.

Meanwhile, rookie offensive tackle Vederian Lowe was reported to have agreed to terms on a deal on Thursday.

We’ll see how the other contracts shake out over the weekend as the rookies kick-start minicamp at the Performance Center on Friday.

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Todd McShay believes Vikings got a starting RB in Ty Chandler

The future is bright for Ty Chandler.

NFL draft analyst Todd McShay was singing rookie running back Ty Chandler’s praises the moment his name came off the board after being selected with the No. 169 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.

“I love this guy—one of my favorite players in the entire draft class,” McShay said on the live broadcast draft panel at the 2022 NFL draft. “I’m surprised he’s at pick five, and I would say congratulations, Minnesota, you’ve got a starting running back. But they’ve already got a pretty good one in Dalvin Cook. So, a great backup—let’s put it that way.”

McShay has been calling Chandler a future steal for months.

It makes sense considering Chandler has playmaker written all over him after clocking a 4.38 40-yard dash time. The ability to shake defenders out of their shoes is there, along with the versatility of being both a runner and a receiver on the field.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell could let his offensive creativity run wild with a player like Chandler in the backfield.

The best part about the situation is the fact that the young running back will have time to develop. Dalvin Cook is the runaway starter right now in Minnesota, and Alexander Mattison, who is playing on an expiring contract, is one of the best backups in the league.

At the very least, Chandler could be coached up as the next player to fill the void if Mattison leaves next year. Depending on his development, he could be someone to potentially supplant Cook if the “win-now” effort fails, and the Vikings are forced to hit the reboot button. That could lead to them parting ways with many fan favorites, including Cook.

The Vikings were going to have to address running back at some point, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked the board to get a player with the sort of game-breaking speed that gives defensive coordinators cold sweats at night.

Chandler’s only hang-up coming into this year’s draft is the fact that he was part of a running back committee at Tennessee before transferring to North Carolina. However, as a Tar Heel, he was finally unleashed in his last college season for 1,092 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

This is one of those picks that could be looked back on one day as a major steal for the Vikings.

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Here’s a look at the full Vikings 2022 NFL draft class

The Vikings’ 2022 draft class is set

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft as Vikings general manager is being treated with mixed reviews.

Many are happy with the way he worked the board and addressed specific needs for the team. But some were turned off by the in-division trades and decision to pass on some of the marquee players in the draft.

Sure, there were some questionable trades in the beginning, but Adofo-Mensah did a great job of making up for those deals with solid draft selections.

He addressed the shoddy defensive backfield with multiple players, increased the offensive line depth, boosted the defensive front and added a few skilled position players. From that perspective alone, it’s safe to say it was a productive debut for a first-time GM.

Here is the Vikings 2022 draft class.

2022 NFL draft: Vikings go offense at No. 169 with RB Ty Chandler

This running back can flat out fly.

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The Minnesota Vikings are adding another dynamic playmaker to one of the best offensive backfields in the league with North Carolina running back Ty Chandler.

This is a tremendous value pick for the Vikings in the fifth round with a player capable of stepping on the field and contributing right away. At the very least, they could build him up to take over the lead backup duties behind Dalvin Cook if Alexander Mattison leaves in free agency in 2023.

Chandler was churning up yards like butter in his final college season—1,092 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He also ran a 4.38 40-yard dash.

This running back can flat out fly.

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