Latecomer Peterson is making up for lost time

Latecomer Peterson is making up for lost time


MANKATO, Minn. -- Welcome to Minnesota State University, the summer home of the Vikings, where players navigate campus on rented bicycles and practice on lush, newly sodded fields.

The Vikings have trained in this town, about 90 miles south of the Twin Cities, for 42 consecutive years. You can look it up. Better yet, ask Fred Zamberletti. The team's senior consultant-team historian, Zamberletti, 74, has been with the Vikings since their inception. He hasn't missed a game (preseason, regular season or playoffs) in the 47-year history of the franchise.

But Monday's buzz was about someone making his first visit to Mankato. Rookie running back Adrian Peterson, the seventh overall pick in April's draft, was in pads for his first official practice after reaching agreement on a five-year, $40.5 million contract Sunday.

Adrian Peterson didn't get much sleep after rolling into town about 11:15 Sunday night. He met with coach Brad Childress for 15 minutes, and then talked with running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. At 6:30 Monday morning, he huddled again with Bieniemy.

Adrian Peterson missed the team's first five training camp practices, and he was a busy man during the morning practice. He took his turn during all the position drills and got a lot of opportunities -- both running the ball and catching it -- during the team periods. He appeared to pick up where he had left off during the team's offseason workouts. He stayed on the field after the afternoon practice for additional work with Bieniemy.

"He's getting extra work now and probably before he goes to bed," Childress said. "There's no 20-hours (per week) rule. This isn't the NCAA."

Given the Vikings' inexperience at quarterback (more on that later), the offense will rely on Adrian Peterson and incumbent running back Chester Taylor to carry big loads this season. One thing about Adrian Peterson that caught the coaches' attention during offseason workouts was his ability as a receiver out of the backfield.

The former Oklahoma running back wasn't walking around Monday with a swagger like some No. 1 picks do, but he certainly has a lot of self-confidence. Asked about his expectations, Adrian Peterson told reporters: "I'm the type of person, I set my bar high. I am not just going to throw out any numbers, but I can tell you I would like to get rookie of the year and MVP."

That would be some daily double.

Player on the spot
The Vikings are still waiting for wide receiver Troy Williamson to measure up to expectations as the seventh overall selection in 2005. In two seasons, Williamson has 61 receptions for 827 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, he had no touchdowns and dropped 11 passes.

An offseason visit to the Nike vision center in Oregon revealed that he had imbalanced eye strength. Nike prescribed eye exercises to help correct a depth perception problem. What kind of exercises?

"I can't tell you because of a confidentiality agreement," Williamson said somewhat mysteriously as he stood under a tent after the morning practice.

Whatever they are, Williamson says he performs them once a day. He also has been working overtime on catching passes. He invested in a JUGS machine that he keeps at home and estimates he caught 100 passes a day in the offseason. After Monday morning's practice, he stood five yards away from assistant coach Chad O'Shea, who threw a variety of "fastballs" to Williamson: high, low, inside and outside his frame.

"I'm ready. It's time," Williamson says. "Training camp is going to get me to where I want to be. The more I practice and the more balls I catch, the more confident I get. You're going to see somebody who really wants the ball this year."

That's what the Vikings have been waiting for.

Player on the rise
If the season were to open tomorrow, the Vikings would be comfortable starting second-year defensive lineman Ray Edwards at right end. While Erasmus James continues to recover from knee surgery, Edwards has settled in with the No. 1 defense.

"He had a tremendous offseason," Childress says.

Edwards has a well-proportioned, 6-5, 268-pound build that is the product of offseason training in Tempe, Ariz., where he worked with a personal trainer on his explosion off the snap and a tae kwon do expert on his hand placement. He impressed the coaches during minicamp and optional workouts and continues to improve during camp, both as a pass rusher and run defender.

"Every day, he gets a little bit better in what we ask him to do," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier says.

Position battle
It's been three years since Daunte Culpepper passed for 39 touchdowns and 4,717 yards, but that performance seems a distant memory when you look at the quarterback picture now. Competing for the starting job: second-year player Tarvaris Jackson and former Jets backup Brooks Bollinger. Between them, they have started 11 games.

Jackson started two games near the end of last season. He has a strong arm and is mobile enough to get outside the pocket and create problems for defenses if he has to run. Bollinger lacks Jackson's physical skills, but he's more experienced at reading defenses. He started nine games for the Jets when Chad Pennington was injured in 2005.

No matter who wins the competition -- it would be surprising if it weren't Jackson -- the offense can expect growing pains. During Monday afternoon's practice, Jackson looked bad and good on successive plays. After being intercepted by cornerback Antoine Winfield, he hit wide receiver Bobby Wade in stride on a go route.

"When you have a bad play, you want to come back with a good play," Jackson says.

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