Posts tagged: adrian peterson

Peterson Is Coming Along After Surgery

May 18, 2013, by 7 comments

After Adrian Peterson overcame his gruesome knee injury last offseason to lead the league in rushing, I suspect many people have actually forgotten he had surgery this offseason, and have no concerns about his ability to recover.

Still, after carrying the ball 20-plus times in his last five games after suffering a sports hernia, we shouldn’t neglect how important he an his health are to this team.  According to Leslie Frazier, however, Peterson is coming along nicely following his hernia surgery.

“It’s kind of happened not by his choice. As you know, he had the abdominal strain late in the season and that’s kind of slowed him this offseason as far as being able to kick it into overdrive and being able to do things the way he wants to do it,” Frazier told NFL Network this week. “So that’s kind of slowed him down a little bit, but he’s just about back to 100 percent, doing everything that he needs to be able to do to be in the best shape he can possibly be for this season.”

Frazier didn’t sound at all worried about Peterson’s ability to be fully ready when the regular season rolls around, but he did indicate the team wants to be more balanced regardless of Peterson’s medical status, and expects his team to be better in the passing game than they have been in the recent past.

What’s next for Toby Gerhart?

May 15, 2013, by 28 comments

It’s been three years since the Minnesota Vikings traded up to make running back Toby Gerhart a second-round pick.

Since then, he’s done nothing to prove that he’s capable of being a reliable option behind Adrian Peterson. On top of averaging a pathetic 3.4 yards per carry last season, he failed to display the power and vision that made him a top prospect coming out of college. And we all remember that disastrous fumble-fest against the San Francisco 49ers…

Unless Gerhart magically flips a switch in 2013, the Vikings will part ways with the former Heisman Trophy runner-up. What avenue they decide to take, though, is TBD.

The first, and most appealing, of the Vikings’ options is trading Gerhart, who could be an intriguing addition for a team looking to implement some power into their ground game. While the former second-round pick won’t fetch much after three underwhelming seasons, getting something for Gerhart instead of letting him walk via free agency seems logical.

The other option is severing ties with Gerhart now and avoiding disaster. Let’s talk hypotheticals…

Let’s say – knock on wood – Peterson goes down in 2013 and is forced to miss significant time due to the injury. In that instance, the Vikings would have to rely on Gerhart to carry the load with no other proven running backs on the roster. While he has been serviceable in the short-term, he’s too inconsistent and inefficient to start more than two or three games. Avoiding that situation might be a good option for Minnesota.

If the Vikings did go with Door No. 2, a free agency acquisition would become a must. The only other ball carriers currently on the roster are Matt Asiata and a handful of undrafted rookies. Not exactly comforting in terms of depth. There are several capable options – Ahmad Bradshaw, Michael Turner, Javon Ringer – wading in the free agency pool who could fill the void.

It’s something to consider moving forward, especially with Gerhart likely headed elsewhere in 2013.

Peterson Part Of Bizarre TMZ Video

April 3, 2013, by 4 comments

Adrian Peterson is used to making NFL defenders fall down on the football field, but his most recent stroll caused a TMZ reporter to take a stumble on a sidewalk.

Peterson was being his normal congenial self while on a stroll in Washington D.C. when a TMZ  paparazzi decided to ask Peterson a really, really stupid question.  After a very intuitive and safe answer came from Peterson the cameraman was the victim of a vicious orange sidewalk cone jumping out and tripping him.

“Down goes Frazier!” Peterson can be heard saying towards the end.  Enjoy!

NFL Rule Change: No More Truck Stick

March 20, 2013, by 13 comments

Back in my pre-children Madden playing days, I used to think it was unfair that my truck stick allowed me to run for 2,000 yards a season with Adrian Peterson, but if I still gamed that guilt would’ve gone away after the season he had last year.

Adrian Peterson is famous for giving defenders “the business” during a run, lowering his head and trucking whomever is in his way, as he was raised to believe that if he were hitting them harder than they were hitting him, then he would not only be a better running back but he would remain a healthier one.

The NFL approved a new rule today that will create a spot penalty (that is, penalized from the spot of the infraction, not the line of scrimmage) of 15 yards if a call carrier uses the “crown” of their helmet when engaging a defender.

The Vikings, for obvious reasons surrounding their $100 million running back, opposed the rule vocally at first.  However, citing an overwhelming amount of evidence at the owners meetings, they ended up being one of the 31 teams to vote in favor of the rule change.  Leslie Frazier said the vote was cast with player safety in mind.

Many other news outlets will dissect the new rule, and I am content leaving that to them, and how it might impact the game.

All I wanted to say is this:  Thanks for giving Adrian Peterson yet another obstacle to truck.

That is all.

The Best Movie You Will See This Summer

March 17, 2013, by 13 comments

A lot of good looking blockbusters are poised to release this summer, but I just tripped across this trailer (thanks to some great Twitter followers) and I thought I’d pass it along for all of you to enjoy.

 

Hell, I’m already looking forward to the sequel!

Loadholt Re-Signs With Class

March 12, 2013, by 5 comments

There has been a lot of negativity floating around about the Vikings decisions lately, and I am as guilty as anyone on this point, so I thought I’d share some truly classy comments with you from Phil Loadholt, as transcribed by Mike Wobschall:

“I love being in Minnesota, love the community, and my family feels really at home,” Loadholt said. “It’s been great settling in Minnesota and calling it home. I was drafted here, and I wanted to come back and finish what we started here. I have a good feeling about where things are going with this team. We’ve just got to continue to build on what we’ve got and keep improving.”

“It was important to keep the consistency we have on the line,” Loadholt said. “The more we keep working together the better we will be as a group. If we continue to stay healthy and work hard we can reach our goals.”

Having the best running back in the league makes blocking a lot more fun,” Loadholt said of his fellow Oklahoma Sooner. “Adrian makes everyone’s job easier and knowing what he can do makes you want to work even harder.”

Rumor has it that Loadholt played the free agency game like anyone would, leveraging the division rival Bears against the Vikings, but it is refreshing to see some seemingly genuine comments about the organization be pleasant ones.  Loadholt will be part of the Vikings roster for years to come, and he sounds excited about that.

Peterson Not A Fan Of The Harvin Deal

March 11, 2013, by 11 comments

I am still in the process, as is Brett, of getting a grasp of all the details surrounding the Percy Harvin trade and contract before weighing in with my full opinion.

Running back Adrian Peterson isn’t waiting though, and his review isn’t glowing:

 

Peterson then put a little more of a positive spin on the situation by giving Harvin a friendly sendoff Twitter style:

 

Peterson is right to feel like he got kicked in the stomach.  The offense just took a big step backwards by losing a Pro Bowl receiver and high quality running back, not to mention the special teams just lost an All-Pro return man.  The Vikings are sure to take some steps forward on offense in the coming months, but the offseason started with one giant step backwards.