The Minnesota Vikings have Adrian Peterson back this season and he could sit out this preseason if Mike Zimmer wants to be cautious and this comes as Mike Wallace, Jerick McKinnon, Kyle Rudolph, Matt Asiata and Cordarrelle Patterson give Teddy Bridgewater some solid pieces to work with on offense for coordinator Norv Turner.
The Vikings had a decent season in 2014, but things were tough without Peterson in the mix and now the running back is in camp and ready for Minnesota. While Peterson being in camp seems normal now, for a time during the offseason it looked like Peterson played his last game for the Vikings. Peterson was mentioned in trade talk and reportedly was upset about his contract, but now he has a new deal with more guaranteed money and a trade is likely off the table.
According to NFL.com, Peterson said that he did not feel as "explosive" as he usually does when he was in minicamp earlier in the offseason. Zimmer said that Peterson showed "no rust" in camp when he came back and that may be true, but he also missed nearly all of last season and will need time to get his feet back. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Peterson could be held out in the preseason, as Zimmer said that he does not think it will be necessary for Peterson to play based on all of his past experience.
The team wants to be cautious with Peterson, as he is not 30 and is coming back from playing in just one game last season. The Vikings have solid depth with Jerick McKinnon and matt Asiata, as both players got plenty of work last season with Peterson out. Peterson said that he feels "great" and that he is aiming for over 2000 yards again. Peterson rushed for 1266 yards last time he played a full season and he has scored 22 touchdowns over his last two full runs with the Vikings.
Bridgewater is coming in for year two and having Peterson in for the whole year should be a huge help. The team has also added Mike Wallace to the mix and that should take pressure off players like Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph. Wallace never quite clicked in Miami and he now has the chance to bounce back in Minnesota after two disappointing seasons. Wallace comes in after putting up 67 catches last season but only went for 862 yards and he will be looking to get back to his Steelers numbers when he was over 1000 yards in back to back seasons. Wallace said that this offense is a better for for him and that he should be able to pick things up fast.
