Fifteen minutes after the Vikings wrapped up Tuesday's opening of a three-day mandatory minicamp at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson was the last veteran on the field. He held a blocking pad, walking second-year teammate T.J. Smith and rookie Tyarise Stevenson through pointers of playing in the new 3-4 defensive front.
"Just some techniques and block recognitions," Tomlinson said. "Like different tendencies you can see to pick up on. In formations, if the [running] back is away [from you], loosen up a little bit because you got more space, he's coming toward you."
The Vikings' switch to a 3-4 defensive front under coordinator Ed Donatell, which the franchise hasn't featured in decades, is no small change.