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Minnesota Vikings ready to run down Adrian Peterson?

By Kevin Parvizi

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According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson has decided to end his holdout after being upset with the organization for what he perceived to be a lack of loyalty. Nobody bought it, he had no leverage, and he will finally report to Vikings OTAs today after making himself look even worse.

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Contrary to what AD seemed to think, the Vikings were extremely loyal to their star back, as they rejected what were probably unsavory trade offers from other teams looking to land an impact player. Peterson will make $12.75 million this season, but, much to his chagrin, nothing will be guaranteed on his remaining contract. There’s just about no way the team pays him $14.75 million and $16.75 million in 2016 and 2017, respectively, so after unsuccessfully angling for some guaranteed money in 2016, the 30-year-old is essentially returning to the field in a “contract year”.

Furthering the notion that the Vikings wanted him back for this season- but don’t have long-term designs on him- is a report from the NFL Network’s Albert Breer. Per Breer, the Vikings are planning on building the offense around Peterson and will feed him around 350 carries, under the presumption that assembling a host of extremely fast receivers (they traded for Mike Wallace this season to go with young, potential playmakers Jarius Wright and Charles Johnson, as well as likely gadget receiver Cordarrelle Patterson) will finally allow him to see softer “boxes”.

In Peterson’s last full season in 2013, he ran for 1,266 yards and ten touchdowns with about 4.5 yards per carry as an encore performance to his 2,000-yard season in 2012. Peterson was almost as good in 2013 despite the much more modest production, as he was forced to face stacked boxes due to a total lack of a passing game (as well as the fact that the Vikings line didn’t maintain its elite work in 2012).

For the first time since Brett Favre briefly played under center in Minnesota, Peterson has a legitimate franchise quarterback  to work with in Teddy Bridgewater, who impressed last season and only got better as the year progressed. Bridgewater has the accuracy and uncanny decision-making skills to get the ball to a deep group of weapons, thus increasing the potency of each of Peterson’s carries.

Breer’s report that the Minnesota Vikings view Peterson as a centerpiece of their offense isn’t a surprise, because most running backs who are viewed as one of the favorites to lead the league in rushing yards are generally 300+ carry workhorses. But just as the Dallas Cowboys fed DeMarco Murray a ridiculous number of carries last season before letting him walk this offseason, so too could the Vikings run down AD for one final season.

Regardless of whether or not Rick Spielman and the organization view Adrian Peterson as more than a one-year star at the age of 30, the Vikings are going to use his future Hall of Fame talent to try and build a playoff run. They finally have a good QB, they have the pass-catchers, and they have a defense filled with young impact players like Xavier Rhodes and Anthony Barr. Mike Zimmer and everyone else in the organization know that they can make some noise this year, and it’s why they stuck with Peterson despite all of his annoying complaints (not to mention his sketchy character).

Dec 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs the ball in the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals beat the Minnesota Vikings by the score of 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowksi-USA TODAY Sports

Zimmer’s role in all of this can’t be underestimated, as he was the one who spoke with Peterson when the running back was especially upset with the organization.

Not only is Zimmer an incredible mind on the defensive side of the ball, but he’s helped the Vikings make some great decisions on draft day to go with his vital role as a peacemaker.

In addition to the 350-ish carries that Breer reported today, it will be interesting to see how many receptions Peterson gets.

They have plenty of mouths to feed despite the lack of a clear standout guy, so perhaps touted offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who did well in his first season running the offense, will give Peterson a nice diet of receptions (that’s something he mulled over last offseason) to go with what should be a huge workload on the ground.

The Vikings have a promising and incredibly athletic young back in Jerick McKinnon, but it doesn’t seem like they intend to take the ball out of AD’s hands.

Next: Adrian Peterson will dominate

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