Former Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer looking forward to 'my journey' with Vikings

Whether it was a completion along the sideline or one of a few interceptions thrown Friday afternoon, new Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer was struck by the level of detail given to him by coaches Kevin O'Connell, Josh McCown and Jordan Traylor after each snap.

"Positive play or negative play, it was, 'Hey, let's talk about it for a second,' " Brosmer said Friday at the start of a three-day rookie minicamp. "I didn't realize there were screens out here replaying the play right away; this is awesome."

Brosmer, a transfer from New Hampshire who led the Gophers with a program-record 268 completions last fall, signed with the Vikings after going undrafted.

The Vikings tabbed Brosmer to be their fourth quarterback, joining J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell and Brett Rypien, after he started 13 games in their backyard for the Gophers. O'Connell also got an up-close look at Brosmer during back-to-back pro days on the University of Minnesota campus, as NCAA rules allowed Brosmer to participate upon transferring.

"Caught my eye then," O'Connell said, adding: "A lot of it was on display today. … Efficient thrower. … I have a lot of respect for P.J. [Fleck] and his staff and how they've coached football over there. [Brosmer's] high football IQ shows up when he can arrive here, spend a couple hours in meetings and he's out there making corrections in the middle of a 7-on-7 walkthrough."

Brosmer said that final Saturday of the NFL draft, when teams were calling about signing him as an undrafted addition during the final rounds, wasn't the easiest day he's ever had.

"Long day, really long day," Brosmer said. "Now I come back to Minnesota, I'm always looking for the reason that I'm here. The people are absolutely incredible. I can't wait to find out what my journey looks like along my path here.

"There's a reason that I'm here," Brosmer added. "I do my best to try to live each day with that mentality. … I think it all unfolded the way it should be."

'It matters'

The Vikings' three-day rookie minicamp is more about precision than physicality because NFL rules limit players to shorts without contact. O'Connell said the Vikings pull back more than others knowing it's a long way to Week 1.

"I've been around some rookie minicamps where there was full-speed team [drills]," O'Connell said. "A lot of injuries, a lot of guys just fighting to make a team. … For the O-line, D-line, it's about them being ready to enter the party on Monday with our full team."

O'Connell said his message to rookies and tryout players is that "it matters," noting previous success stories that include Vikings fullback C.J. Ham making a Pro Bowl career out of an initial tryout.

"It's always important for me to start out — I always congratulate them," O'Connell said. "I want to honor the fact that these guys are going to be wearing Minnesota Vikings helmets and uniforms.

"And then I get into a lot of the stories of C.J. Ham or Ivan Pace or Gabe Murphy or Bo Richter, any of these guys, because I think it hits home when you show them a clip of Ivan Pace making an interception at rookie minicamp and then picking a ball off to seal an explosive, 3-0 win in Vegas."