Brian Flores will continue putting his stamp on the Vikings defense when training camp opens next week and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips offered some thoughts this week on how the process has played out thus far.
Flores replaced Ed Donatell as the team’s defensive coordinator after the Vikings finished 28th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed last season. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Phillips said there were things he liked about playing for Donatell but that he and the other members of the defense have enjoyed the changes that Flores introduced over the course of the offseason.
“I loved the way that [Donatell] talked about partnerships and connections and, some of the things that we did, it was a fun season last year,” Phillips said. “But moving into this year, man, the offseason program has been really good. There’s guys flying around, guys excited about the different packages and different personnel and the versatility that we have as a defense right now.”
The Vikings were able to win the NFC North despite their defensive shortcomings, but the Lions are currently the betting favorites for the coming season. If Flores’ changes lead to a leap in performance on defense, the Vikings’ chances of running it back will look better.
