Conversation turned to lost opportunities last month when receiver Adam Thielen talked with Vikings teammates during a virtual Bible study.
What if the coronavirus pandemic had taken their opportunity? What if Thielen hadn't turned down an internship with Patterson Dental after a successful tryout in the Vikings' three-day rookie minicamp?
Thielen considered the dreams put on hold when spring tryouts, the pipeline for the longest of long shots among unsigned rookies, were shut down as NFL facilities remain closed under coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Local players from every NCAA division are trying to stay prepared and hopeful as pro teams, including the Vikings, express uncertainty to when practices will resume and whether they'll have time for a 2020 rookie minicamp.