Mitglieder » t his first opportunity to talk with the Tw

He goin Cities media" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteDaily Norsemana Minnesota Vikings communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryVikingsOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Vikings 2018 SeasonVikings 2019 OffseasonU.S. Bank StadiumMinnesota Vikings PodcastsFiled under:Minnesota Vikings 2019 NFL DraftTranscript: Conference Call with Minnesota Vikings sixth-round pick Marcus Epps He got his first opportunity to talk with the Twin Cities mediaCDTShareTweetShareShareTranscript: Conference Call with Minnesota Vikings sixth-round pick Marcus Epps Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY SportsContinuing with our series of transcripts of conference calls with the Minnesota Vikings’ 2019 NFL Draft class Irv Smith Jersey Womens , here is the call that was held with one of the Vikings’ three sixth-round selections, Wyoming defensive back Marcus Epps. Enjoy!I’d like to start by saying thank you to the Wilf family, Mr. [Rick] Spielman and Coach [Mike] Zimmer for taking this chance on me and giving me this opportunity. I am so excited to be a Minnesota Viking. I can’t wait to get up there and go to work and do whatever the team needs me to do.Q: What was this day like for you just waiting to get picked?A: It was a long process. Took a while but in the end it worked out. I went to the team I wanted to go to. Everything worked out perfectly.Q: Did you head in thinking you’d be drafted today and why is this the team you wanted to go to?A: Going into the draft, I had thought about sixth or seventh round or possibly undrafted. Just throughout the process you hear everything so you never really know. It’s unknown where you’re going to go but I had a lot of good conversations with Coach Jeff Howard. He liked me a lot and really believed in me so I knew he was pulling for me. I had real good conversations with him and Coach [Jerry] Gray. I am glad to be a Viking.Q: What did it mean to you as a walk-on to be a three-time captain in school history?A: It means a lot. To be able to lead such a great group of guys for not one or two, but three years. It was incredible that they thought of me as a captain of their team for so many years.Q: What type of experience do you have with special teams?A: Early in my career, I played a lot of special teams at Wyoming. As my years went on, they tried to phase me out a little bit more. I am definitely looking forward to playing special teams and helping the team in any way that I can.Q: How did you end up there as a walk-in?A: I didn’t have anybody recruiting me so I was thinking of going the junior college route but I had some connections. Somebody sent my film up there really late in the process. They ended up liking me but it was too late to offer a scholarship so they asked me to walk on.Q: What was it like making the switch from Los Angeles to Wyoming?A: It was different but it wasn’t anything that I couldn’t handle. I wasn’t worried about where I was at or anything like that. I was just worried about playing ball. That is what I love to do and Wyoming is the place that gave me the opportunity to do that. I wasn’t really concerned with where I was at or the culture change or anything like that. I just wanted to play ball.Q: How did your son, Braxton Irv Smith white jersey , change your outlook on life?A: It changed tremendously. You go from more of just thinking about taking care of yourself to taking care of another human. It’s definitely been different but it’s been a beautiful thing as well just watching him grow.Q: Do you look at this as an opportunity to prove people wrong?A: Yeah, definitely. He loves going to the facility. All my teammates love him and he loves to play with all of them. He plays inside the facility since he likes that so it’s been great.Q: Do you look at this as an opportunity to prove people wrong?A: A little bit. But that chip is always on your shoulder. I am just more looking forward to proving the Minnesota Vikings organization right and proving myself right and to all the people who believed in me.Q: Do you feel the pro day process helped you get noticed more?A: Definitely. Just going into the whole process of pro day I knew I had to do something to make people go back and watch my film. I worked really hard at EXOS down in Los Angeles and they got me ready to perform like that.Q: What skill do you think it was you showed you could do that you will need at the NFL?A: My versatility or my football IQ. I feel like I can play different positions anywhere the team needs me or wants me to play. I am willing to put the work in and get it done. The Vikings fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo a few weeks ago, elevating long-time offensive assistant coach Kevin Stefanski to interim offensive coordinator.He’s had that role only three games, so there’s not much to go on yet.Kevin Stefanski, interim Offensive Coordinator Stefanski has coached pretty much all the skill positions for the Vikings over his years with the Vikings, and has been a part of game planning in those roles, so he has plenty of experience coaching on the offensive side of the ball.Perhaps the best part of his resume, however Irv Smith Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , is the simple fact that Pat Shurmur wanted him to be his offensive coordinator in picking his staff this past off-season with the Giants - which the Vikings blocked.But given that Mike Zimmer is a defensive coach, and the lack of leadership and inconsistency on offense this year, maybe a more veteran guy would be the better pick.Bill Callahan, Redskins Offensive Line CoachMatthew Emmons-USA TODAY SportsOne possible candidate for Vikings offensive coordinator is Redskins offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who is reportedly ready to move on from Washington.Those of you with a good memory will remember I’ve advocated bringing him to the Vikings staff before, two years ago, but that wasn’t in the cards.But now he is rumored to be ready for a new gig, and may be the type of coach who would work well with Mike Zimmer and fit well into the Vikings situation.Being in Washington the past three years Minnesota Vikings Jerseys 2019 , Callahan will be familiar with Kirk Cousins, which is a plus.But more importantly, he is one of the best offensive line coaches in the league.Callahan is well known for making the Cowboys’ offensive line among the best in the league in his tenure there, and has done well in that role in Washington as well, and with the Jets before he was in Dallas.Everywhere he gone, he’s produced Pro-Bowl offensive linemen.Wow-imagine that - the Vikings with Pro-Bowl offensive linemen.Callahan is also a west-coast offense guy, which is what the Vikings run.He has coached both zone (Dallas) and power (Washington) blocking schemes to suit personnel.Callahan had been offensive coordinator for both the Raiders (1998-2001) and Cowboys (2012-14), and head coach for the Raiders in 2002-03 - taking them to the Super Bowl with Rich Gannon at QB his first year.It’s been awhile since he’s been offensive coordinator Irv Smith black jersey , but he’s generally had top 10 offenses when he’s been OC or HC, his first and last year in Oakland being the exceptions.In both places he’s taken mid-30s QBs with mixed results in the past (Rich Gannon and Tony Romo) and coached them into their best years.In his stint as OC then HC with the Raiders, his offense led the league in rushing (2000) and two years later in passing.During his last stint as offensive coordinator- 2012-2014 with the Cowboys - they went from ranked 15th to 5th in points scored. The Cowboys offensive line has gone downhill since Callahan left Dallas, and so has their offense - except for 2016 when Zeke and Dak took over as rookies- and some attribute that to the loss of Callahan.Callahan worked with Sean McVay in Washington, so he has been exposed to the new guard in terms of offensive thinking, is perhaps the best offensive line coach in the NFL, uses the west coast offense, knows Kirk Cousins Irv Smith Jersey Mens , and has worked with many other talented skill position players during his years as OC and HC and has led them to some of their best years.He could be a good fit for the Vikings as offensive coordinator, despite not being a young Sean McVay 2.0.He has the background and experience that could improve the Vikings offensive line and run game, while also getting the most from the wealth of talent the Vikings have at the skill positions - and provide some well needed leadership on the offensive side of the ball.There may well be a role for Kevin Stefanski going forward -there is no reason to send him packing - but a guy like Bill Callahan may bring more to the table that the Vikings desperately need offensively.Other Candidates?There may be other candidates that are a good fit for the Vikings offense among NFL assistants or the college ranks, but job one will be improving the offensive line more than introducing some new take on RPOs or other new concepts that are difficult to execute without a good offensive line to make them work.