Vikings To Bring Back Bradford, Approach Peterson About Pay Cut
- As Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports observes, the Vikings have two high-profile players who are due for big roster bonuses in March: Sam Bradford and Adrian Peterson. Per Pelissero, Minnesota plans to bring back Bradford, but as we have heard for a long time, the Vikings will likely not pay Peterson’s $6MM roster bonus and instead will approach him about a pay cut prior to the bonus coming due.
Breer On GM Search, Harbaugh, Draft
When it comes to being a GM, is it more about who you know than what you know? In his latest column, Albert Breer of The MMQB spoke with one league official who suggested that the NFL’s career development advisory panel has something of a fraternity-vibe.
“It’s all full of nepotism. It’s a joke. And it starts with Charley Casserly,” the personnel man said.
Casserly rejected the idea that he, Ron Wolf, Bill Polian, Ernie Accorsi, John Madden, Tony Dungy and Carl Peterson are aiming to line up their friends with jobs, but he did acknowledge that connections help.
“It’s so different than it is with coaches,” Casserly said. “Coaches are so clearly defined. You know who calls the plays, you see them on TV, coordinators have press conferences. It’s just not like that in scouting. Are they pro? College? None of them are making big decisions. What you need is networking. It’s not politicking.”
Casserly was directly involved with the Jets’ coach and GM search process in 2015. Gang Green wound up hiring Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan – two former co-workers of Casserly’s.
Here’s more from Breer:
- Breer identified the following executives as people who could immediately jump into a GM job somewhere: Chiefs VP of player personnel Chris Ballard, Patriots VP of player personnel Nick Caserio, Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Texans director of player personnel Brian Gaine, Packers director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Trent Kirchner, Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay, Cardinals VP of player personnel Terry McDonough, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Falcons assistant GM Scott Pioli, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf.
- The widespread feeling in NFL circles is that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be back in pro football eventually, even if it’s not happening right now. For his part, Harbaugh says that he is incredibly happy as the Wolverines’ coach.
- Is Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen the next under-the-radar quarterback prospect a la Carson Wentz? It was Craig Bohl who recruited Carson Wentz to North Dakota State and he is now Allen’s coach at Wyoming. It’s hard to say whether the 6’5″, 222-pound signal caller has the same kind of talent, but his stock is rising. “He’s a big ol’ kid with a big arm, and he’s pretty athletic too,” said one AFC exec. “We gotta learn more about him, but the tools are there.” Allen, a redshirt sophomore, has plenty of time to develop.
- Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck recently predicted that Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush will be an “incredibly high draft pick” this year. Apparently, talent evaluators do not agree. “He may get drafted late because of the [lack of] quality at the position,” said one area scout assigned to CMU. “He’s an accurate thrower with deceptive athletic ability to extend plays with his feet. Not a dynamic or explosive athlete, but good enough to avoid the rush and create at times. Average arm at best, but he’s got solid touch on intermediate and deep balls. He just lacks elite velocity.”
Vikings Officially Activate Adrian Peterson
We’ve been hearing it for days, but now it’s official: Adrian Peterson is back. The Vikings announced (via Twitter) that the star running back has been activated from the injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team has waived defensive tackle Toby Johnson.
Peterson returned to practice this week, making him the Vikings’ designated player to return from IR. Yesterday, the 31-year-old declared that he was ready to play this weekend against the Colts. Sunday will be Peterson’s first game since September, when the running back was sidelined with a torn meniscus. Up to that point in the season, Peterson had only run for 50 yards on 31 carries. Of course, the 10-year veteran is one of the most productive running backs in NFL history. In fact, Peterson led the NFL with 1,485 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in 2015.
“I’m extremely hungry to get out there and help these guys win. That’s what it’s all about,” Peterson said (via Craig Peters of Vikings.com). “That’s why I do it.
“It’s not for yards or anything like that. It’s for the guys in this locker room, the sweat during training camp and OTAs,” Peterson added. “We’re brothers, we’re family. We spend so much time with each other, even more than with family, so the reason I’ve fought so hard to get back is for the guys like Chad Greenway, B-Rob (Brian Robison), Terence Newman, all of these guys in this locker room, including the coaching staff.”
The Vikings could certainly use some help, as the team has dropped six of their past eight games after opening the season 5-0. While Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon have filled in admirably during Peterson’s absence, the Vikings still rank last in rushing yards this season (954).
Johnson was added to the team’s active roster earlier this week after the team placed defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd on the injured reserve. The 25-year-old has been on the team’s practice squad all season, and he’ll presumably rejoin the organization if he clears waivers.
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson To Play This Week
Adrian Peterson was hoping to return for Week 16, but it sounds like he is ahead of schedule. Peterson says that he will play Week 15 against the Colts (via Dash Radio). 
The 7-6 Vikings have a 19% chance of making the playoffs, according to Five Thirty Eight. With three games to go against the Colts, Packers, and Bears, the Vikings will probably have to run the table in order to make the postseason.
Peterson wasn’t setting the world on fire before his injury in September, but the Vikings are hoping that they will see the Peterson of old when he takes the field this week. Backups Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata have filled in for No. 28, but they haven’t been able to get anything going on a consistent basis. With any luck, Peterson will keep opposing defenses honest and also open things up for the passing game.
For his career, the three-time NFL rushing champ and 2012 MVP has 11,725 yards and 97 rushing touchdowns on 2,412 carries (4.9 yards per carry).
Adrian Peterson Returns To Practice
He’s back. Adrian Peterson is on the field practicing with the Vikings this morning, the team announced. The Vikings now have a three-week window to evaluate how Peterson practices before deciding his status. He is now officially the team’s designated player to return from IR.
Peterson, the Vikes’ all-time leading rusher, has been recovering from a torn meniscus he suffered against the Packers in Week 2. He recently said that he would only return to the Vikings if they were in the playoff hunt and they kept their chances alive on Sunday with a win over the Jaguars.
As the Vikings make their playoff push, they could certainly use Peterson. The question is, which Peterson will they see on the field? Will it be the Peterson who was unstoppable down the stretch of the 2015 season, or will it be the very below-average Peterson that started the 2016 season with 31 carries for just 50 yards? It would be easy to doubt Peterson given how mediocre he looked early on in the year, but he has been counted out before and has always proved the doubters wrong.
The Vikings face the Colts this Sunday, but Peterson has said that he is eyeing the Green Bay game on Christmas Eve for his return.
For his career, the three-time NFL rushing champ and 2012 MVP has 11,725 yards and 97 rushing touchdowns on 2,412 carries (4.9 yards per carry).
Vikings Lose MyCole Pruitt Off PS
- The Bears have signed tight end MyCole Pruitt off the Vikings‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispacth, while Chicago announced that it has cleared a roster spot by waiving defensive back De’Vante Bausby. Pruitt, a 2015 fifth-round pick, has played in 18 games over the past two years.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Reshard Cliett
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Blaine Clausell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Mario Alford
Indianpolis Colts
- Signed: T Pierce Burton
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Kyle Carter, T Marquis Lucas
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Justin Zimmer
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Adam Gettis
- Cut: OL Laurence Gibson, RB George Winn
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Anthony Denham
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Shaquille Riddick
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT Mitchell Van Dyk
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB David Fluellen
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL A.J. Francis, DB Shakiel Randolph
- Cut: DL Trevon Coley, DB Lee Hightower
Vikings’ Adrian Peterson To Practice This Week
Last week, Adrian Peterson said that he would not return to the Vikings if they were not in the playoff chase. After getting a W against the Jaguars on Sunday, Peterson is leaning towards taking the field. Peterson says that he to practice this week (link via John Shipley of the Pioneer Press).
“I plan on practicing this week to really get my legs under me and get a good feel on where I’m at,” he told Dash Radio. “So, this week is going to be big for me. My plan, and my vision, is to be back for the Green Bay game (on Dec. 24). That’s what I’m envisioning. Of course, the perfect scenario would be we win out and I’m able to rest up for three weeks, and be ready for the playoffs. That’s the perfect scenario. But I’ll be out there this week practicing, and I’ll go from there.”
Peterson is attempting to come back from a major tear to his meniscus, which isn’t an easy task. Of course, Peterson has defied the odds in the past and has shown that he can recover from injuries faster than your average human.
Now at 7-6, the Vikings have a slim chance beating out the Packers and toppling the Lions for the NFC North crown, but they still have a 19% overall chance of making the playoffs, according to Five Thirty Eight.
Vikings Place DT Sharrif Floyd On IR
When defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd went down with a knee injury in the season opener, the Vikings figured they would be without him for a little while. They didn’t realize that the injury and subsequent surgery would cost him the entire season. The team is placing Floyd on injured reserve, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). To take his place, tackle Toby Johnson has been promoted to the 53-man roster. 
The Vikings have had a number of significant injuries this season, including those suffered by Adrian Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater, Andre Smith, and Matt Kalil. Without Floyd, the Vikings have had to rely on Shamar Stephen as a starter on the interior next to Linval Joseph. Joseph has enjoyed a quality season, but Stephen is ranked as just the No. 87 defensive tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus. Fellow DT Tom Johnson has been decent, however, and is ranked No. 47 in the NFL.
Floyd, 25, was a first-round pick in the 2013 draft. Since then, he has appeared in 44 games with 24 starts, missing two games in 2014, three games in 2015, and just about every game in 2016. He’s under contract through 2017 after Minnesota exercised his fifth-year option worth $6.757MM.
2017 NFL Draft Order Through Most Of Week 14
The final month of the regular season will dictate the playoff futures for teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs, and Raiders. For other teams, the postseason is a statistical impossibility. Already, the Jets, Jaguars, Browns, Rams, Bears, and 49ers have been mathematically eliminated. The Chargers, Saints, Panthers, Eagles, Bengals, and Cardinals are not technically out of it, but their chances are remote.
Here’s where those teams and the others not currently ticketed for the playoffs stand in the draft order (Note – Ties are broken by strength of schedule):
- Browns 0-13
- 49ers 1-12
- Jaguars 2-11
- Bears 3-10
- Rams 4-9 (pick belongs to Titans)
- Jets 4-9
- Panthers 5-8
- Chargers 5-8
- Saints 5-8
- Eagles (pick belongs to Browns) 5-8
- Cardinals 5-7-1
- Bengals 5-7-1
- Bills 6-7
- Colts 6-7
- Titans 7-6
- Vikings (pick belongs to Eagles) 7-6
- Packers 7-6
- Redskins 7-5-1
- Ravens 7-5 (Note – The Ravens play their Week 14 game tonight against the Patriots.)
- Dolphins 8-5
Strength of schedule via SB Nation.