Access Vikings morning walkthrough: Vikings and virtual reality, Harrison Smith talks on hold and more

On most mornings, we walk you through what's going on with the Vikings.

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

— The Vikings, even their old-school coach Mike Zimmer, are embracing virtual reality to help make practice plays more realistic in the film room.

— Harrison Smith says that he and the Vikings won't be negotiating a new deal until after the season, and he's not a fan of the fifth-year option.

— The Vikings feel Mankato is still their best option for camp after a half century here, so they are in talks to extend their contract.

— For some reason, Teddy Bridgewater is getting little love in offseason quarterback rankings. But Norv Turner thinks his QB is "top-flight."

— Monday's camp practice was highlighted by a big catch from Cordarrelle Patterson and a heated moment between a pair of notable starters.

— What do the team's three new defensive ends have in common? Length.

AROUND THE NFC NORTH

— Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy, who went wing-walking on a biplane in March, is now posting pictures of himself sledding down volcanoes.

— Get ready to groan. "The Packers haven't had to use a first-round pick on a wideout since Javon Walker in 2002 because they keep hitting home runs and never striking out," writes Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel.

— The Bears turned to the Arena Football League to find a returner.

The Vikings are sticking to their usual schedule, with the walkthrough at 10:30 a.m. and practice running from 2:45 p.m. to approximately 5 p.m. But today is the day the pads come on, so practice will have extra oomph. Well, assuming they still practice outside. It's a wet one in Mankato this morning.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT