Vikings open training camp trying to forget 2018 slide

The start of the Vikings' second training camp in Eagan on Tuesday bore little resemblance to the fashion in which the team opened the season a year ago. Soaring expectations gave way to a subdued demeanor at the team's practice facility, as General Manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer attempted to deflate the narrative that the arc of 2018 would hold any bearing on what would happen in 2019.

"I don't know if it's any different from any other year," Spielman said. "If you come into a season without a sense of urgency, you're probably in the wrong business. I think every year, if you talk to 31 other teams going into these opening day news conferences, everyone expects to go out there and win a championship, or else you shouldn't be in this business. The expectations and the pressure are no different from they are any other year."

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-open-training-camp-trying-to-forget-2018-slide/513105322/