Vikings' Stacy Coley, Dalvin Cook's training buddy, ready for own return from heel injury

Dalvin Cook didn't totally get away from the Vikings during a five-week vacation between minicamp and the start of this week's training camp in Eagan.

Cook and Vikings receiver Stacy Coley, both south Florida products, held their own weekly training sessions in Fort Lauderdale this past month.

"I was just with Stacy. That was it," Cook said after Thursday's morning walkthrough at training camp. "We were at a small facility just grinding. Just putting in work."

Both Cook and Coley, taken by the Vikings in the second and seventh rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, are working their ways back from injury. Cook's left knee is now without a brace during practice nearly 10 months after his torn ACL on Oct. 1.

Coley was running routes for Kirk Cousins and the Vikings' top offense during OTAs this spring when he injured his right heel. The injury sidelined Coley for the rest of the spring. Both chose to rehab this summer at Jaguar Therapeutics in Fort Lauderdale.

"Just mobility, movements with his knees and stuff like that," Coley said. "Me, just working on my heel getting back healthy. Just getting the feeling back and get used to cutting and planting."

As a rookie seventh-round pick, Coley earned a roster spot last summer as one of the Vikings' six receivers. He suited up for four games and played 47 snaps (27 on special teams) without a target. Coley had caught 10 passes for 165 yards in the preseason.

The Vikings felt highly enough of Coley to give him some first-team reps this spring alongside Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs before his heel injury.

"It felt good just being out there and competing," Coley said. "Getting used to Kirk's voice, hearing the plays — it felt good."

Coley will have a chance to not only earn a roster spot, but possibly a role in the offense. Coordinator John DeFilippo said he was impressed with Coley's spring before the injury.

"He had a couple really nice second-level releases yesterday," DeFilippo said. "We're looking forward to him having a really big camp. He has to continue what he was doing before he had the injury in the spring, because he was doing some really nice things for us."

With tape still supporting his right heel, Coley practiced during Wednesday's start to training camp. But only rookies, quarterbacks and rehabbing players are allowed before the first full-team practice on Saturday.

So Coley continues to rehab his heel with the aim of being ready to push for a bigger role when camp gets into full swing this weekend.

"I'm real comfortable now," Coley said. "I'm just ready to go out there and play."