Under spotlight with Irv Smith out Conklin could see an expanded role at tight end after Irv Smith (knee) underwent a procedure Wednesday that will likely sideline him for the entire season, Adam Schefter of ESPN re... Impact The Vikings traded for Chris Herndon on Tuesday, but the team mostly seems to be counting on Conklin to shoulder the burden of the No. 1 tight end. Head coach Mike Zimmer mentioned that Smith's injury will impact formation usage, with the Vikings likely using more three-wide sets than they did last season when Smith, Conklin and Kyle Rudolph were all on the team. Still, Conklin could be looking at 50-plus snaps per week even in a more spread-out offense, given that Herndon, 2019 undrafted free agent Brandon Dillon and waiver pickup Ben Ellefson are the only other tight ends on the roster. Conklin won't blow anyone away with his 4.8 speed, but he caught 19 of 26 targets for 194 yards last year. He returned to practice Monday after dealing with a hamstring injury for much of training camp.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE