Those words showed maturity but also the teenager’s high standards.

Corteen-Coleman perched herself next to England’s coaches on the balcony for much of her side’s chase. She believed her work for the day was done, but her most consequential moment was still to come.

Ten runs were still needed when she emerged as the last batter to join Dean.

Crucially, she helped Dean run twos and, with solid defence, bettered her previous high score of one not out in The Hundred to finish unbeaten on three and sealed the win.

“I am glad I looked calm because I definitely wasn’t,” she said.

“The main point for me was to keep it really simple.”

Corteen-Coleman did not, of course, complete the win alone.

Central was the role of Dean, who admitted to exposing her team-mate more than she intended by taking singles early in the over, but otherwise played the situation well.

Much has been made of Dean’s ability to hold her mettle in chases. There has been some success but failure too – notably in the Mankad ODI at Lord’s in 2022 and the second ODI of the Women’s Ashes last year.

This time, standing in as England captain for the first time, Dean dragged her side over the line.

If England’s training camp with the army last week was supposed to develop leaders, this was Dean’s Passing-Out Parade.

“I have worked on having that calmness and being ready in any situation but that mainly came from Deano,” added Corteen-Coleman.

“If I came out and she was panicking I would have been under the pump.”

Corteen-Coleman emerged with the words of coach Charlotte Edwards in her ears. She told her to back her strengths and keep a clear mind.

That was backed up by Dean in the middle.

“She came out with good clarity,” said Dean.

“I said, ‘Yorkers have been successful for them so they will probably look to get under your bat’.

“We decided getting forward was the best option.

“Tilly is really proactive with her thinking. She has a good cricket brain.”

The Minnesota Vikings are less than 12 weeks from training camp, when roster battles will take center stage. In the meantime, the rumor mill remains ablaze, and we chronicle the most important ones each weekend.

Minnesota’s latest rumor batch centers on quarterback depth, rookie patience, and a wide receiver idea that faded fast.

This week’s edition is scattered across the board in terms of positional importance.

The Wentz Update Leads a Practical May Rumor Batch

The Purple Rumor Mill for May 10th, 2026.

Rumor: Carson Wentz’s shoulder is healed, and he’s 100% ready to go.

Talking to KFRY-TV’s Luke Gamble on Tuesday, Wentz said he was all set for 2026: “Physically, I feel great. Shoulder’s more or less behind me now. It wasn’t fun by any means, but surgery went well, and rehab’s gone really well too. So for me, it’s behind me. I’m healthy, and I’ll be ready to roll.”

Wentz’s October shoulder injury made a May return seem realistic, and he is now back.

Should the Vikings need Wentz in 2026 — ideally, they won’t — he is healthy enough to step in. It’s the primary purpose of his deal. Minnesota doesn’t require him to threaten anyone’s job or spark a quarterback controversy; they need him prepared in case unforeseen circumstances affect the depth chart.

Following Wentz’s re-signing, some fans speculated he could displace J.J. McCarthy or lead to a trade. Such notions never really made sense, as there is ample room for all three quarterbacks on the current depth chart: Kyler Murray as QB1, McCarthy as QB2, and Wentz as QB3. McCarthy has not been traded, and Wentz was never re-signed to create such drama.

Overall, Vikings fans praised Wentz for his toughness. When he returned this offseason, the reaction was largely positive because his role was clear: a proven veteran securing the QB3 spot, remaining ready, and providing the Vikings with an additional layer of protection at quarterback. Can’t go wrong.

Rumor: Caleb Banks could be a dark horse to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

ESPN’s Ben Solak sized up the Rookie of the Year stakes last week, and regarding Banks, he wrote: “No defensive tackle has won Rookie of the Year since Aaron Donald in 2014, and the only other tackle to do it this century was Ndamukong Suh. Banks is that sort of talent and an enticing bet accordingly. But he has a foot injury that’s impossible to overlook.”

“He also plays in a Brian Flores defense that doesn’t allow defensive tackles to play the sort of unhinged, penetration-oriented style that leads to sacks. Sure, the Vikings spent an early pick on Banks — but as head coach of the Dolphins in 2019, Flores used the No. 13 pick on Christian Wilkins, and he had two sacks as a rookie. It’s hard to see the path for Banks.”

Second-round linebacker Jake Golday also got some love: “Golday is an off-ball/on-ball tweener who will be stuck behind established starters at both positions: Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner at outside linebacker; Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman at inside linebacker.”

“He will undoubtedly have flashy plays in subpackages, but he simply will not see enough snaps — barring injury — to contend for this award.”

Rumor: Deebo Samuel might’ve made a lot of sense as the Vikings’ WR3.

Bleacher Report‘s Bradley Locker walked through the NFL’s top 1o free agents last week. On Samuel, he nominated the Vikings and wrote, “The Vikings put an emphasis on retooling their impressive defense in the draft, grabbing Caleb Banks, Jake Golday and Domonique Orange with their first three picks.”

“However, Minnesota could use more at receiver after losing Jalen Nailor to the Raiders. Samuel’s effectiveness has taken a step back over the last two campaigns, but he still finished 2025 with a 70.3 PFF receiving grade and 1.66 yards per route run.”

Minnesota later signed Samuel’s former teammate, Jauan Jennings.

Locker added, “Further, Samuel’s 6.5 yards after the catch per reception was fourth among wideouts with 95 or more targets. Next to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Samuel could help fill Nailor’s void in the slot while infusing more juice after the catch and overall creativity for Kevin O’Connell.”

Samuel would be in play for Minnesota if the Jennings contract didn’t come together. But now, the Vikings don’t need another popular wideout and cannot afford one. If any free agents are signed in the next couple of months, Minnesota might want an extra outside linebacker after Jonathan Greenard left the team via trade. Players like Jadeveon Clowney. Joey Bosa, and Leonary Floyd might make sense.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Roma fullback Devyne Rensch was on the scoresheet tonight as he helped lead the comeback against Parma to secure three crucial points at the Tardini.

After the match, Rensch discussed the importance of this victory.

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“What a crazy match, Parma is a good team, the most important thing was to win, a goal and the penalty make me even happier but I’m happy for the team. Now we’re focused on the derby.”

“Top 4? We’ve fought all season, we’ve always believed in it all together, we put a lot of effort into training even if it doesn’t show. We deserve it.”

The Minnesota Vikings have completed free agency and the draft this offseason, and regarding the roster right now, what you see is what you get. The club may make or move or two before it’s all said and done before Week 1, but the depth chart is full. Therefore, it’s time to peek at the most improved roster spots.

Minnesota’s offseason plan becomes clearer when ranking where the roster actually improved.

Truth be told, this exercise is pretty straightforward.

The Biggest Jump Starts at Quarterback and Defensive Tackle

Ranked from medium improvement to the most, here’s the list.

4. Wide Receiver

Notable Newcomer(s):
Jauan Jennings
Dillon Bell

Some might argue this should be higher, and the case for that contention would be sound.

On Thursday night, the Vikings signed Jennings, a transaction that gives Minnesota its best wide receiver trio since Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed. The purple team has employed other decent WR3s since — like Bernard Berrian, Jerome Simpson, K.J. Osborn, and Jalen Nailor — but none are quite like Jennings.

Jennings is a willing blocker and just what the doctor ordered for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Had the Vikings not lost Nailor to free agency, this spot might’ve ranked at No. 2 on the list.

Bleacher Report‘s Adam Wells on Jennings: “Jennings isn’t a burner who runs past cornerbacks, so he will need to maintain that aggressive style of play that has not always endeared him to other players around the NFL.”

“The Vikings will be more than happy to have Jennings’ aggression, attitude and swagger on their offense as they look to put together a roster capable of competing for a playoff spot in 2026.”

3. Offensive Tackle

Notable Newcomer(s):
Caleb Tiernan
Ryan Van Demark

Perhaps planning for the future or strictly picking “the best player available,” Minnesota added Northwestern’s Tiernan in Round 3 of last month’s draft. Of course, the club has Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill ready for LT and RT duty, but Tiernan inserts youth into the pipeline.

Van Demark has played 43 games in his career and can be considered this year’s Justin Skule or David Quessenberry.

Here’s the Pro Football Focus skinny on Van Demark:

• 2025: 74.4 (312 snaps)
• 2024: 53.3 (199 snaps)
• 2023: 60.2 (47 snaps)

The pass-blocking:

• 2025: 65.6
• 2024: 51.8
• 2023: 27.2

The run-blocking:

• 2025: 74.9
• 2024: 51.4
• 2023: 64.4

In the last few years, the Vikings lean on one veteran OT as a contingency plan. Now, they have two.

2. Defensive Tackle

Notable Newcomer(s):
Caleb Banks
Domonique Orange

Out with the elderly, in with the babies — was the Vikings’ mantra at defensive tackle this offseason.

The club released Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who landed with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, respectively. In March, fans wondered if Minnesota would roll with Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. The answer? An emphatic hell no.

Minnesota spent two of its first three picks on interior defensive linemen in the draft. Banks is the almighty gamble, coming off a foot injury, and most think big humans with bad feet isn’t a straightforward outcome. Still, if Banks’s foot heals and stays 100%, he has an All-Pro upside.

The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted this week on Banks’s foot injury: “Minnesota isn’t planning to rush Banks back from the most recent procedure on his fractured fourth metatarsal. The team also believes its top player health and performance staffers, Tyler Williams and Matt Duhamel, are at the forefront of recovery around the NFL.”

“Also important in the Banks discussion is the coaching component of his development when he does return from injury. All young players need different coaching personalities to maximize their skill set. Banks is different, according to Florida defensive-line coach Gerald Chatman, in that he responds to intense challenge and urgency.”

On Orange, he’s a nose tackle, and players from that position are just easier to scout for some reason or another. For the trajectory of the long-term roster, Banks and Orange instead of Allen and Hargrave is seismic.

1. Quarterback

Notable Newcomer(s):
Kyler Murray

You don’t have to be the almighty Murray stan to appreciate the Vikings’ value during his onboarding. Minnesota paid $1.3 million for Murray; the Arizona Cardinals are paying Murray to play for the Vikings. That is not spin. That is the truth.

Over the course of a 17-game season in his career, Murray averaged these numbers:

• 3,997 Passing Yards
• 30 Total Touchdowns
• 11 Interceptions
• 67.1% Completion Rate
• 623 Rushing Yards

Last year, J.J. McCarthy produced 11 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His team still finished 9-8.

Murray at $1.3 million might be the best value in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Multiple waves of free agency have come and gone, and in NFL speak, the wire is down to slim pickings, except for some aging, once noteworthy stars like Tyreek Hill. All the productive young players have found new employers. For the Minnesota Vikings’ sake, seven players from the 2025 roster remain unsigned.

The productive departures are gone. These names remain in limbo.

Here’s a peek at those men in alphabetical order.

Familiar Vikings Veterans Still Waiting for Their Next Shot

Who’s the most likely player to rejoin the Vikings, perhaps on the practice squad?

Zeke Correll | C

Merely mentioned for full disclosure, Correll was a Vikings practice squad candidate last summer. He then suffered an injury in August and spent the entire season on injured reserve.

Minnesota waived him on March 13th and now has Blake Brandel, Michael Jurgens, and rookie Gavin Gehardt lined up for the center spot in 2026.

Fabian Moreau | CB

As a CB3, Moreau quietly had a solid 2025 season. He allowed a 54.2 passer rating in 11 games, a performance that largely went unnoticed due to his lack of name recognition. Minnesota should consider bringing him back as a CB4-CB5, especially if he remains a cost-effective option.

Matt Nelson | OT

Nelson remains largely anonymous in the NFL, typically occupying a practice squad role, providing swing depth, or filling in during emergencies. Unsurprisingly, he remains unsigned after the initial wave of free agency. He will likely have to wait until a team requires additional personnel for training camp.

Jeff Okudah | CB

Okudah had a difficult stint as Minnesota’s CB3, hampered by concussions and poor play. When on the field, opposing quarterbacks frequently targeted him, exploiting his struggles. The former third overall pick appears to be in the later stages of his career, with the “2020 draft bust” label now firmly attached.

The Viking Age‘s Adam Patrick on Okudah last month: “Unfortunately, multiple concussions resulted in Okudah only appearing in six games with the Vikings last season, but even when he was able to get on the field, his performance wasn’t anything close to what Minnesota was hoping to see from him.”

“Now that concussions could potentially be a lingering issue, and the fact that he just hasn’t been good during his tenure in the league, his career in the NFL could already be nearing the end, despite it beginning just six years ago.”

Brett Rypien | QB

In May 2025 — so, a year ago at this time — Rypien was the Vikings’ QB2, believe it or not. The rapid change in circumstances now sees him seeking a QB3 role elsewhere, likely with a team looking for an inexpensive veteran for camp in the coming months.

Harrison Smith | S

The Vikings “released” Smith in March, but his tenure in Minnesota is not necessarily over. Smith performed well late in 2025, making a 2026 return seem plausible, even if only for situational play.

Can one truly imagine the Vikings winning a Super Bowl in 2026 with Kyler Murray under center, while Smith watches from home? The thought should be unsettling for both fans and Smith himself.

The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted on rookie safety Jakobe Thomas as a possible Smith replacement this week, “Can Jakobe Thomas be the new Harrison Smith? In 2025, Thomas entered the transfer portal. He had played safety at Tennessee, mostly in a role that asked him to focus on deep coverage. The University of Miami’s staff kicked the film over to defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman.”

“He believed the Hurricanes could weaponize Thomas’ all-around abilities more powerfully. Thomas took to the idea. Part of the intrigue, for him, was the fact that one of his heroes, a fellow product of the state of Tennessee named Harrison Smith, was asked to play multiple roles in the Vikings’ defense.”

Thomas was direct fruit of the Jonathan Greenard trade.

Lewis added, “Thomas is now playing for Smith’s longtime NFL team. Smith’s status remains up in the air, but O’Connell said Friday that one of the elements of Thomas’ pre-draft visit was watching film of Smith.”

“The reps Thomas takes with the full roster will be telling. The Vikings selected him in the third round, but he was one of the team’s priorities when the draft began.”

John Wolford | QB

Wolford served as the Vikings’ emergency QB3 last season, when injuries and crappy play hit the quarterback room. He will not return in 2026. At best, Wolford might secure a practice squad position or serve as emergency quarterback insurance for a new team.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

5′ Barcelona go through on the left with Marcus Rashford, who swings a low cross into the box. However, Real Madrid left-back Fran Garcia recovers in time to prevent any danger.

A minute later, Barcelona attack again, but this time it’s Raul Asencio who recovers and makes a superb tackle! Remember, Asencio came in last-minute after Dean Huijsen felt discomfort during warm-up.

FCB 0-0 RMA