Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Preview: Roster, Dates, Location and More

The Minnesota Vikings' quest to become the first team to host a Super Bowl begins on July 23 in Mankato, Minn.

The Vikings are aiming to eradicate the stench of a bizarre 2016 season that began with similar Super Bowl hopes after rolling through the first five weeks and ended with them losing eight of their final 11 games.

General manager Rick Spielman bolstered the roster more than a dozen rookies and free agents that could play key roles, namely on the offensive side of the ball with running backs in Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook and two offensive tackles in Mike Remmers and Riley Reiff.

Defensively, head coach Mike Zimmer — who battled eye issues this offseason but is not expected to miss any time — wants his unit to be more "reckless."

MORE: 2016 NFL Production by College: Cal, USC and Michigan State Led the Way

“I’m going to try to be a little more reckless defensively this year, a little more aggressive," the fourth-year coach said. “Well, we’re pretty disciplined the way we play up front. Maybe if I let those guys go a little bit more, they’ll make some more negative plays."

That emphasis on aggressiveness began this offseason but it will be fully implemented at the end of the month in Mankato when the Vikings open camp.

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Vikings Training Camp Location

Minnesota State University, Mankato – Mankato, Minn.

The Vikings will head 80 miles southwest to Mankato for the 52nd-straight year, where they'll live, practice and hold all team activities on the campus of Minnesota State University.

They will also use the Mavericks' football stadium, Blakeslee Stadium, to hold a night scrimmage on Aug. 5.

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Vikings Training Camp Dates

Rookies — along with some quarterbacks, injured players and those who haven't accrued a full season of experience — will arrive on Sunday, July `23. All other players will report on Wednesday, July 26.

The first group of players will actually begin practicing on July 24, while their first full-team practice is Thursday, July 27, two weeks before they open the preseason against the Bills on Aug. 10.

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Vikings Training Camp Roster

As of now, the Vikings appear ready to enter training camp with an 89-man roster, one below the limit. It's highly likely the will add a 90th player before opening camp, or during the early days of camp.

They'll have a whopping 39 first-year players, most notably running back Dalvin Cook, their second-round pick and replacement for Adrian Peterson. Ageless cornerback Terence Newman is one of three players with at least 10 years of experience.