Minnesota Vikings defensive back Jarrad Page would seem like quite an all-around athlete. The Vikings player was originally drafted into the NFL in 2006 as a seventh round pick for Kansas City. He also played for the Patriots and Eagles.

Surface of an American football ball.
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He seems to have some serious baseball skills as well, as after an open tryout, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed Page to a Minor League contract to play outfield. Jarrad Page played baseball at UCLA and was drafted three times by MLB teams as a center fielder. He chose to play football and did not sign with any of the MLB teams. I think the open tryouts the Dodgers hold in Arizona are always exciting, as you never know who is going to show up and surprise everyone.

I think it would be great for Jarrad Page to actually make the Dodgers and start for the team, it would certainly be good for publicity and attract attention. Unfortunately, I think he’s going to be cut by the Vikings for lack of results and when you look at his college baseball stats, he wasn’t that good.

The six foot tall, 225 pound safety went to school at UCLA and is listed as an “unrestricted free agent” with the Vikings. He played only five games for Minnesota in 2011, after playing six games in Philadelphia. The Eagles cut him after he missed four tackles during one game. He spent 2010 with the New England Patriots and his previous four seasons with the Chiefs.

Page was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002, the Colorado Rockies in 2005 and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2006. In 2002 he went in the fifth round, in 2005 it was the 32nd round and in 2006 it was the seventh round. At UCLA, he didn’t have great statistics, he only had a .199 average with four homers and 28 RBIs in 199 appearances at the plate.

It will be interesting to see where this goes. If really successful, Page would be the first NFL player to later be named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. There have been eight former MLB players who went on to be inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame, including Deion Sanders.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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The Minnesota Vikings are in the midst of a youth movement that will involve completely rebuilding their roster this offseason. Not only will disappointing players be let go to make way for younger talent, but veteran starters could also get the axe to make salary cap space for the incoming fresh meat.

That, however, doesn’t mean that the Vikings are ready to part ways with every veteran player. Of their numerous unrestricted free agents this offseason, only a choice few are expected to return for the 2012 season. Although their plans have been kept under wraps for most of the offseason, it’s becoming apparent that the Vikings aren’t interested in seeing outside linebacker Erin Henderson leave via free agency.

According to Tom Pelissero of ESPN1500, the Vikings have made it clear that they intend to have a contract in place for Henderson before free agency begins on March 13. The two sides have reportedly made progress on a “bridge” deal that could keep Henderson in Minnesota for another two or three seasons.

As of Tuesday night, no handshakes were in order as Henderson continues to contemplate testing the free agency waters before tying himself down to Minnesota for a couple more years. Pelissero, however, believes that the length of the contract could be a sticking point for Henderson.

Since joining the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland back in 2008, Henderson has slowly asserted himself as a quality contributor at the weakside linebacker spot. After spending his first few seasons with the Vikings mostly on special teams, Henderson finally broke the starting lineup in 2011 and made the most of his opportunities. He finished the season with 70 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Although he struggled at times and received limited playing time, he played with unmistakable passion and was one of the few consistent components of the Vikings’ disappointing defense.

Despite the Vikings’ interest in keeping Henderson around, his big brother E.J. might not be so lucky. Considered an injury liability at age 31, the older Henderson brother is set to be a free agent and might not get a new contract from the Vikings given his price tag. That could also be a factor in whether or not the younger Henderson opts to stay in Minnesota.

It’s obvious that the Vikings realize what they have in Henderson. There’s no need to leave another gaping hole in their defense when there’s a worthy candidate who simply needs a new contract.

With just under a week to come to terms with Henderson on a new deal, the Vikings should be able to get it done.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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The Minnesota Vikings have the daunting task of completely overhauling their roster ahead of them this offseason. Although free agency and the 2012 NFL Draft will certainly help them achieve that, there is still one other talent pool that they can tap into before the beginning of the 2012 season: undrafted free agents.

On Monday, the Vikings began the process of scouting some potential undrafted free agents when GM Rick Spielman and several other team officials attended the University of Minnesota Pro Day.

Among a sea of 27 local NFL hopefuls were eight former Golden Gophers, including running back Duane Bennett, offensive lineman Chris Bunders, defensive tackles Anthony Jacobs and Brandon Kirksey, tight end Eric Lair, wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight, cornerback Kim Royston and linebacker Gary Tinsley.

Joining the Vikings’ staff among the spectators were scouts/coaches for the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks.

Even though most of the participants had exceptional workouts, a few Gophers really made their presence felt.

One of the biggest standouts was Jacobs, who impressed scouts with a 4.7 40 time, 10.1 inch broad jump and a 35.5 inch vertical jump. For a player of his size (6’2”, 291 pounds), those numbers really say a lot about the type of athlete that Jacobs is.

Bennett also made scouts take notice when he put up 28 reps during the bench press, equaling the highest mark by a running back at the recent 2012 NFL Scouting Combine.

“I was banking anywhere 25 or greater,” Bennett said. “But when I knocked out the first 15, I was kind of like ‘Oh, wow. I’m really going up there.’ I kind of caught myself off guard.”

The other standout of the day was Lair, who posted consecutive 40 times in the 4.5 range and turned in a 36.5 inch vertical jump. Despite admittedly begin nervous, Lair turned in a terrific workout and was pleased with the results.

“Today went fantastic,” Lair said. “Better than I thought it would be. I did well in my position drills, even though I didn’t catch many balls over the break. But yeah, I did better than I thought I would.”

When all was said and done, a number of prospects had increased their draft stock and given themselves reason to believe that they might hear their names called on draft day. Until then, all they can do is stay in shape and prepare mentally for what their futures hold.

“All these kids are going to be late-round, free-agent type guys,” Spielman said. “Hopefully, there will be some guys that we’ll definitely invite or maybe sign in college free agency.”

Although it’s unlikely that many former Gophers will get drafted in late April, the Vikings will give a number of them an opportunity to tryout during their rookie camp the weekend after the draft.

“I think that’s huge as far as the relationship with all the state of Minnesota and all the states that are our neighbors,” Spielman said. “If they have some players that we can help out or take a look at, we should definitely do that and we do do that.”

As evidenced by the Vikings’ signing of former Gophers cornerback Marcus Sherels back in 2010, those rookie tryouts can be just the stepping stone a budding NFL talent needs.

For those 27 potential NFL prospects, the waiting game begins.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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When the Minnesota Vikings made a trade with the Washington Redskins back in July 2011, it was expected that they would be sending two draft picks as their part of the deal. In return for veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb, the Vikings agreed to send a sixth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft as well.

Now, it has been decided that the conditional 2013 draft pick won’t be trading hands after all.

According to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com, an NFL source confirmed on Saturday that the veteran quarterback did not meet the minimum playtime threshold with the Vikings necessary to send the extra pick to the Redskins.

McNabb was a part of 348 of the Vikings’ 1,037 gradable offensive snaps (33.6 percent) in 2011. Although that amount was apparently close to meeting the needed percentage of snaps, it was not enough to activate the conditional pick.

After starting the first six games of the season (only one win) for the Vikings, McNabb was benched during their mid-season loss to the Chicago Bears and replaced by 2011 first-round pick Christian Ponder. McNabb never saw the field again in 2011 and was eventually waived by the Vikings on Dec. 1. McNabb is currently a free agent.

Despite giving up their 2012 sixth-round pick, the Vikings still currently possess a total of eight draft picks in the 2012 NFL Draft, including a sixth-rounder and extra seventh-rounder from other trades. The Vikings are also expected to receive a couple compensatory picks due to losing wide receiver Sidney Rice and defensive end Ray Edwards via free agency in 2011. The compensatory picks, however, won’t be awarded until sometime in March.

In the end, the Vikings only had to give up a sixth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft for the disappointing six games that they got out of McNabb. Even without having to give up the second pick, the Vikings still paid too steep a price for what they got in return.

Let’s hope that the Vikings use their draft picks more effectively this season than how they used that sixth-rounder back in July.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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When Leslie Frazier was given the head coaching job of the Minnesota Vikings on a fulltime basis, he knew that his team was at a competitive disadvantage with his team’s three NFC North rivals. However, he thought the Vikings could use the sensational running of Adrian Peterson and a hard-hitting defense to register at least a couple of upsets within the division.

It was not to be. Peterson did not get enough help and the defense was not very hard hitting. The Vikings went 0-6 in the NFC North. Improving that record and the 3-13 mark they had during the season—including a putrid 1-7 at home—will require significant work during the offseason.

Peterson suffered a torn ACL last December and while he plans to be in uniform by the Vikings’ season opener, the Vikings may not have him at full strength until at least four weeks into the season. Backup running back Toby Gerhart is a solid No. 2 running back who averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Vikings are married to Christian Ponder at the quarterback spot and backup Joe Webb appear solid, but they need to get him help on the line, particularly at the left tackle spot. Charlie Johnson had to take on that role last year and he’s a hard worker and a competent fill-in. However, he’s not a starting left tackle and general manager Rick Spielman has to realize that.

Left guard Steve Hutchinson is not the player he was at guard and if he does not retire he will probably get cut from the team. Right guard Anthony Herrera is also not likely to be with the team in 2012. As a result, the Vikings will need two new guards. Center John Sullivan had a solid year, but he’ll have problems next year if the guards don’t improve.

On the defensive side, the Vikings simply can’t cover quality receivers and they must improve the cornerback position. Antoine Winfield has slowed down because that’s what happens to 35-year-old cornerbacks. On the other side, Cedric Griffin can’t stay in the lineup for long periods because he has two bad knees.

Middle linebacker E.J. Henderson is a solid tackler, but he will probably find greener pastures as a free agent. The Vikings will also look for an outside linebacker to play opposite Chad Greenway, who still has range and decent speed.

Reference:

CBS Sports—Minnesota Vikings team page

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/page/MIN/minnesota-vikings

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The 2011 NFL regular season is over and a 3-13 record has landed the Minnesota Vikings as far away from a trip to the playoffs as they could have imagined.

So now that the 2011 campaign has come to an end, the Vikings have their sights set on preparing for the 2012 season. Although free agency doesn’t start until the first week of March and they still have over four months before the 2012 NFL Draft, the Vikings made some of the only moves they could make to secure players for the future.

On Monday, the Vikings signed all seven of their practice squad players to reserve/future contracts. Once the regular season ended after their loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Vikings had one week to sign members of their practice squad before they became free agents. With these signings, the Vikings have secured their seven young talents at least until the 2012 preseason.

Among those signings were wide receivers Kris Adams and Kerry Taylor, guards Chris DeGeare and Butch Lewis, cornerback Reggie Jones, linebacker Tyrone McKenzie and tight end Allen Reisner. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

The only one of these seven players to see the field this season for the Vikings was Reisner. Although he enjoyed two stints on the Vikings’ practice squad in 2011, Reisner also appeared in six games and caught one pass for five yards.

DeGeare is the only other player besides Reisner that was signed today who has seen game day action in the NFL. Drafted by Vikings in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest, DeGeare played in eight games (five starts) throughout the 2010 season.

McKenzie was a third-round selection by the New England Patriots in 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jones spent his rookie 2010 season with both the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins. The rest of the Vikings signees were all rookies this past season.

These seven players will all be around when the Vikings open up team workouts in a few months with the opportunity to earn a roster spot for the 2012 season.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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The nightmare is finally over.

The Minnesota Vikings have finally found the end to their disappointing 2011 season, losing 13 games and a large chunk of their dignity in the process. At least they can hang their hats on knowing that they didn’t go out without a fight.

The Vikings played their season finale on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Playing for nothing more than pride and draft positioning, the Vikings came out and left everything they had to spare from this dismal season out of the field. Through all four quarters, they battled on, never taking their eyes off of the task at hand.

“I expressed my appreciation for the fight they’ve shown throughout the year, as difficult as it has been,” Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier said. “To show the resolve they have to keep coming back and fighting – you just don’t always see that when you approach the month of December in the fashion that we [did].”

Unfortunately, their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the Bears and their stout defense, who ended the season at 8-8 after a close 17-13 victory over the Vikings.

The headline story for the Vikings, however, wasn’t the fact that they lost or that they ended the season at 3-13. Instead, it was Vikings defensive end Jared Allen who stole the show from the Bears.

Allen, who came into the game with a league-leading 18.5 sacks, was on a mission to hunt down Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season record of 22.5 sacks. Although it seemed nearly impossible at first, Allen was soon nipping at history’s heels.

Through three quarters of play, Allen had notched 3.5 sacks on Bears quarterback Josh McCown and had Strahan’s record within reach. Unfortunately, the game situation and the Vikings’ lack of offensive success didn’t allow Allen many more opportunities. When the game was over, Allen had 22 sacks on the season. He may have fallen short of the NFL record, but the Vikings’ team record for most sacks in a season was his.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to have the Vikings single-season record,” Allen said after the game. “To be in the same breath as [Chris] Doleman, Alan Page and those guys – this organization has a history of just dominant defensive linemen, so to be at the top of that is a true honor.”

Former Vikings defensive lineman Chris Doleman previously held the record at 21 sacks, but is glad to have Allen take his place at the top of the Vikings sack list.

“You can’t not be happy for a guy like that,” Doleman said on Allen breaking his record.

Regardless of Allen’s run at history, the Vikings still fell short on the scoreboard.

Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder struggled while he was in, throwing for 28 yards and one interception while completing four of his ten passes. After Ponder was knocked out of the game with a right hip pointer, Joe Webb was inserted into the lineup. Despite throwing two interceptions, Webb completed 17 of his 32 passes for 200 yards and continued to give the Vikings reason to believe that he might be a better option than Ponder.

Running back Toby Gerhart, filling in for the injured Adrian Peterson, carried the ball 15 times for 67 yards before falling to a sprained MCL.

The Vikings’ offensive stud of the game was wide receiver Percy Harvin, who caught 10 passes for 115 yards and ran the ball five times for 13 yards. His five-yard touchdown scamper was the only trip to the end zone on the day for the Vikings.

Apart from Allen’s 3.5 sacks, four other Vikings managed to notch a sack against the Bears. Linebacker Chad Greenway and defensive linemen Kevin Williams and Brian Robison each had one, and linebacker Erin Henderson added half a sack. Cornerback Cedric Griffin played well after a couple weeks of riding the bench, adding two tackles and his first interception of the season.

Although the Vikings limited the Bears on offense, their inability to capitalize on opportunities to put points on the board was costly. Add that to their three turnovers, and you’ve got a disappointing 17-13 loss to put the lid of this 2011 season for the Vikings.

It was the last game that the Vikings will play at the Metrodome and possibly in Minnesota. It was the last game that the Vikings will have 13-year veteran tight end Jim Kleinsasser donning the horns. It was the last game that the Vikings had to gain some confidence heading into the offseason and, much like the other 15 previous games, they fell short.

The Vikings will now look towards the future as their offseason gets under way. With numerous holes to fill and a plethora of decisions to make, the Vikings front office will certainly be busy in the upcoming months.

It’s always darkest before the dawn, and the Vikings will be working hard this offseason in hopes that the sun rises a little on their 2012 campaign.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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Last Saturday, against the Washington Redskins, fans watched in horror as Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson’s knee broke the laws of anatomy. Unfortunately for Peterson and the Vikings, the consequences might be costlier than just missing the last game of the 2011 season.

After undergoing an MRI, it was revealed that Peterson had torn both the ACL and MCL in his left knee, among other damage.

Peterson underwent surgery on Friday to repair the torn ligaments and the procedure was a success.

“We’ve received word that Adrian underwent successful knee surgery with Dr. James Andrews and is now resting comfortable,” the Vikings announced Friday afternoon. “Adrian is in our thoughts, we wish him a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him when he returns to Minnesota.”

Typically, this type of injury would take anywhere from eight to nine months to heal before the knee could begin to undergo any sort of physical exertion. The Vikings, however, have already made it clear that they expect Peterson back and ready to go to kick off the 2012 regular season in September.

Despite all of the optimism radiating from the Vikings’ front office and staff, I still have my doubts that Peterson is going to return as the same running back that carved up NFL defenses for the past five seasons.

Don’t get me wrong; I’d love nothing more than to have Peterson suited up and ready to wreak havoc at the beginning of the 2012 NFL season. He’s the centerpiece of the Vikings’ offense and the prime building block for the future of this franchise. But to be so optimistic about an injury that could hinder Peterson for the rest of his life seems a bit naïve.

To illustrate my point, I call your attention to the Daunte Culpepper fallout of 2005.

Arguably the last quality quarterback the Vikings could call their own, Culpepper was on the verge of carving his own niche in the NFL. He was coming off of a 2004 season that saw him throw for 4,717 yards while setting the since-broken NFL record for total yards in a single-season by a quarterback with 5,123. The Vikings’ former first-round pick was a three-time Pro Bowler in his first six years in the NFL. For Culpepper, everything was falling into place until one fateful day in 2005 against the Carolina Panthers.

During a Vikings’ mid-season matchup with the Panthers, Culpepper had his knee taken out, tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in the process. I won’t bore you with any numbers, but it’s safe to say that Culpepper was never the same player after rehabbing from the devastating injury. He spent a few more years jumping from team to team in the NFL before finally settling for the UFL, where he still struggles to dominate against much weaker opposition. Prior to the start of the 2011 NFL season, Culpepper made himself available to quarterback-needy NFL teams, and not a single team bit.

Although many will argue that Peterson will be fine considering that he didn’t pull off the tear trifecta a la Culpepper and he’s a different breed of athlete, a knee is a knee. Regardless of the person or their will to persevere, a knee simply isn’t supposed to bend that way and damage like that is usually a life-long limitation.

A big reason as to why Peterson is so great is his ability to cut on a dime and burst through the hole with overwhelming strength. That relentless power and explosiveness that he runs with makes him so dangerous. However, with a knee injury of this magnitude, that explosiveness and burst are gone. No stable knee equals no bowling over defenders with ease. Without strong, healthy knee ligaments, Peterson can’t cut properly and the Vikings’ homerun threat is degraded to a one-dimensional back who is better off watching from the sidelines.

The biggest factor at this point will be how Peterson’s knee responds to the rehabilitation and whether or not the Vikings wait until he’s as ready as can be. The worst thing Peterson could do is play prematurely and cause even more damage to the knee. Especially at a wear-and-tear heavy position like running back, Peterson’s at horrible risk of causing irreparable damage if he plays before the knee is 100 percent healthy.

The Vikings will play Peterson when they feel he is ready, and he’s a smart enough player to not insert himself into the lineup before his knee is properly prepared to take a beating. The main concern, though, is whether or not we’ll ever see the lethal version of No. 28 again.

If there’s any player who can bounce back from an injury of this magnitude and still play at the same level, it’s Peterson. He’s as elite of an athlete as they come, and he’ll be working non-stop offseason to get himself primed for football. Add in the training prowess of Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman and you’ve got a recipe for success. I reiterate, though: there’s a reason knees don’t bend sideways.

I’m not rooting for him to fail; I’m just trying to prepare you for the reality that All Day may never again play like the All Day so many Vikings fans have come to know and love.

Could this be the beginning of the Toby Gerhart era in Minnesota? Only time will tell.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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The Minnesota Vikings already lost one of their franchise players in a game where they were already eliminated from playoff contention when Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and MCL against the Washington Redskins on December 24, 2011. Should they take another chance with the man that they drafted with the 12^th-overall draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft?

Christian Ponder is expected to start in Minnesota’s 2011-12 regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears on January 1, 2012. Doctors have cleared him to play as he has passed all the necessary tests following a concussion that he suffered against the Redskins. The injury occurred when Redskins linebacker London Fletcher put a powerful hit on Ponder when the game was tied 10-10.

Ponder admitted that this was the second concussion that he has had in his football career. The Vikings invested heavily in Ponder when they selected him with their 12^th pick. Ponder was the fourth quarterback taken after Cam Newton, Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert.

I’m a bit surprised that the Vikings don’t err on the side of caution. Concussions can be unpredictable. It doesn’t help that Steve Hutchinson won’t be protecting him against a Bears’ defensive line that includes Henry Melton and Julius Peppers. Hutchinson was placed on injured reserve with his own head injury.

Ponder doesn’t need to rush back. Joe Webb has outperformed Ponder in his past two outings. Webb completed 4-of-5 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins. He also had a rushing touchdown as he led the Vikings to a 33-26 victory after Ponder left the game. The Vikings were also trailing 21-0 to the Detroit Lions before Webb led them within a couple yards of a comeback. The Vikings eventually lost 34-28 after a facemask penalty went uncalled.

That doesn’t even include his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Webb outplayed Michael Vick while the Eagles were gunning for a first-round bye. The Vikings won 24-14.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier gave his support for Ponder as the starting quarterback. According to Frazier:

“I think you always want to do whatever is best for your team and whatever gives your team the best chance to win. Right now, Christian being our starting quarterback, that’s our belief.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the Vikings handle their quarterback situation heading into the 2012-13 season. The front office will obviously favor Ponder because of what they invested in him. However, it may be difficult to keep Webb benched if he continues to take advantage of these situations.

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The late-season roster chances continue to roll in for the Minnesota Vikings.

On Tuesday, the Vikings placed veteran left guard Steve Hutchinson on the Injured Reserve list. Hutchinson, who’s been dealing with a concussion for the past couple of weeks, wasn’t progressing at a quick enough rate to play on Sunday. Instead of allowing a roster spot to go to waste, the Vikings elected to end Hutchinson’s 2011 season early.

Hutchinson is in the final year of his seven-year, $49 million contract that he signed back in 2006. Although he’s still valuable as a seasoned blocker and veteran presence out on the field, his talents continued to dwindle year after year to the point where he might not be worth the asking price. There’s a very good chance that the Vikings won’t bring Hutchinson back at the end of the season.

In the instance that Hutchinson’s days as a Viking are over, it’s likely that Minnesota will move current left tackle Charlie Johnson inside to play guard while setting their sights on a new left tackle either via the draft or free agency. If they stay in their current draft position (No. 3 overall), there’s a definite possibility that USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil could be wearing purple and gold by late April.

Taking Hutchinson’s place on the active roster is rookie running back Jordan Todman. Originally a sixth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers, Todman excelled during the 2011 preseason but failed to make the 53-man roster once the regular season began. After clearing waivers, the Chargers signed him back to the practice squad with hopes that he would eventually inherit the third-down back role that Darren Sproles deserted. The Vikings, however, lured him away from the Chargers’ practice squad by offering him a spot on their active roster.

With the addition of Todman, the Vikings are preparing for a 2012 season that could potentially start without All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson. After suffering a severe left knee injury last Saturday, there’s some doubt that Peterson will be ready when the 2012 regular season finally arrives. In essence, it’s a move that is focused on the future.

In the meantime, Todman will act as the Vikings’ emergency running back in the case that something happens to both Toby Gerhart and Lorenzo Booker. Fellow rookie running back Caleb King was promoted to the active roster on Monday, but isn’t expected to dress on Sunday when the Vikings host the Chicago Bears.

The Vikings have been stockpiling young talent for the past few weeks and the addition of Todman is no exception.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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The “same team, different face” routine continues for the Minnesota Vikings with only one week left until their disastrous 2011 season comes to an end.

A day after discovering that All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson has torn both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medical collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee, the Vikings have placed their offensive workhorse on the Injured Reserve list.

With such an awful diagnosis comes a dreadful timetable for Peterson’s recovery. The Vikings are optimistic that he will heal ahead of schedule, but it’s unlikely that he will be at full strength once the 2012 regular season gets under way. An injury of this magnitude usually takes anywhere from 8-9 months before the knee can be fully operational.

Peterson is expected to undergo surgery to repair the ligaments within the next 7-10 days.

Taking his place on the active roster as the Vikings’ third option at running back is rookie Caleb King. A former Georgia Bulldog who slipped through the cracks of the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft, King has spent the entire 2011 regular season as part of the Vikings practice squad. With Peterson out, the Vikings needed a fresh set of legs to provide support to Toby Gerhart and Lorenzo Booker for their final game of the season. Considered a huge project at running back, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Vikings give King an opportunity to prove that he’s NFL-worthy when they take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday.

Also moving up from the practice squad is second-year tight end Mickey Shuler. Signed to the practice squad back in late-November, Shuler was originally a 2010 seventh-round draft pick of the Vikings before he was waived and picked up by the Miami Dolphins. While with the Dolphins last season, he played in six games (two starts) and hauled in two passes for 44 yards.

In order to make room for Shuler on the active roster, the Vikings have waived rookie tight end Allen Reisner. An undrafted rookie out of Iowa, Reisner has played in six games for the Vikings this season and caught one pass for five yards.

With only one game left on the agenda, the Vikings will be looking to give their young, unproven players opportunities to earn themselves a 2012 training camp spot. Look for both of these former practice squad members to have their names called at some point against the Bears.

As for Peterson, all the Vikings can do is hope that he returns next year as the same running back that terrorized the NFL for the past five years. If there’s any player-trainer duo that can get it done, it’s Peterson and Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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Here’s the situation; the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams are all currently tied at two wins apiece. If both the Vikings and Rams lose this upcoming Saturday, all three will have identical records of 2-13. At that point, the Colts will still be in possession of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

However, if the Colts win their third game next weekend and the Vikings/Rams remain at two wins apiece through the final week of the regular season, the Vikings would then take over control of the No. 1 pick.

In case you’ve been oblivious to the headlines, there’s a certain player that has already declared himself eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft that makes this No. 1 overall pick extremely valuable. That player is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

Considered by many NFL scouts to be the greatest quarterback prospect since Payton Manning, Luck has proven throughout his three years as Stanford’s starting signal-caller that he’s more than worthy of the hype. Combining elite passing skills and intelligence with outstanding athleticism, Luck is a nightmare for defenses. He is one of the few quarterbacks to come out of college in the last few years who can read coverages with ease and makes quick decisions based on his reads. There’s plenty more, but you get the point.

Despite how tantalizing of a talent Luck is, a certain dilemma would arise for the Vikings if the No. 1 pick happened to fall into their laps.

Seeing as Luck is a quarterback, what would the Vikings do with their current starting quarterback, Christian Ponder, who they already spent their 2011 first-round pick on?

The first option would be to stick with Ponder and draft a different player with that No. 1 overall pick. Although that seems logical after the Vikings already committed to the former No. 12 overall pick this season, but how does a struggling team like Minnesota pass up on one of the most intriguing quarterbacks to come out of college in the last decade? Ponder has displayed some flaws this season, whereas Luck has the potential to be as elite of a quarterback as you can realistically ask for. The decision would be favorable in the locker room, but could the Vikings front office really deal with the constant “what if we had Luck” thoughts going through their heads?

The second option would be drafting Luck and getting something out of Ponder via trade. In this scenario, the Vikings not only get the best player to enter the pro ranks in years, but they also have the opportunity to get some value out of Ponder through a trade. This move might not sit well in the locker room after much of the Vikings squad built their confidence around Ponder’s promotion to the starting quarterback role, but Luck would be able to persuade them to believe that the Vikings made the right choice.

For those of you wondering why the Vikings couldn’t pick Luck and keep Ponder around as a second option: it wouldn’t work. Luck is too intriguing to let him sit on the bench behind an unproven player. Ponder is a talented young quarterback who is too valuable to let him hold a clipboard when other teams could give you something in return for him.

The third and final option for the Vikings would be to trade away the pick and hope that missing out on Luck doesn’t come back to bite them. The one positive aspect to this option would be the king’s ransom that they could expect in return for the No. 1 overall pick. Who knows what some team desperate to land Luck would be willing to give? Not only would they most likely receive a handful of draft picks, but veteran talent could also be thrown into the equation in an attempt to sweeten the deal. The negative aspect: the Vikings would still have Ponder and no Luck.

Don’t get me wrong; I like Ponder and what brings to the Vikings’ offense. But the possibility of Luck donning the horns is too exciting to pass up just because they already have Ponder on the roster.

If the Vikings did decide to draft Luck, the next logical step for them would be bolstering their horrendously depleted offensive line. Arguably their weakest position, the offensive line would need massive upgrades if the Vikings planned on getting the most out of Luck’s talents. There’s no way Luck can work his magic with the porous blocking that the Vikings currently have enlisted. Whether it’s through the draft or via free agency, that front five needs to improve in a big hurry even if they stay with Ponder.

Of course, this is all hypothetical. The Colts still have to win their last game and the Vikings still have to lose their last two for any of these options to come into play. A little speculation never hurt anyone, though.

Would the Vikings pick Luck? I’m not sure even they know. Will the Vikings get the No. 1 pick? We can’t know until next weekend. Will this be one of the biggest topics flying through the Vikings’ blogosphere? Undoubtedly!

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I’m going to use this line again. The injuries continue to pile up for the Minnesota Vikings as this 2011 season continues to wind towards its disappointing end.

This past Sunday, when the Vikings lost 42-20 to the New Orleans Saints, veteran guard Steve Hutchinson went down with a concussion that could potentially sideline him for the final two games of the season.

In hopes of healing the wounds that the injury bug has left behind, the Vikings signed former USC guard Butch Lewis to their practice squad on Tuesday, Dec. 20. This, however, isn’t Lewis’ first go-around with the Vikings.

After going undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, Lewis spent training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs and was signed to their practice squad shortly after failing to make the final cuts for the 53-man active roster. Throughout the first month of the regular season, he was on and off of their practice squad before getting the final axe from the Chiefs on Oct. 6.

On Oct. 26, the Vikings signed Lewis to their practice squad in hopes of providing some depth to their heavily-depleted offensive line. He remained a part of the Vikings’ practice squad up until a week ago when he was waived to make room for two new additions to the team’s wide receiver corps.

Now back with the Vikings, Lewis will work as an extra body along the offensive line for the team to take advantage of throughout the week. Although it’s unlikely that he’ll see the field in the next two weeks, there’s potential to earn himself a training camp invite when the Vikings begin work for the 2012 season.

Lewis will join fellow guard Chris DeGeare as the Vikings’ two practice squad offensive linemen.

In order to make room for Lewis, the Vikings have subtracted wide receiver Owen Spencer from the practice squad. Spencer, who was one of the wide receivers signed when the Vikings initially waived Lewis, is an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina State. He was brought in along with fellow undrafted rookie wide receiver Kris Adams, but apparently didn’t do enough to earn another week with the team.

Only two weeks to go until this nightmare of a season is over.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

I know that there’s this sort of rivalry between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers, but somehow their hatred seems to consistently spur treachery.

The Vikings have had a number of players make the move from Wisconsin to Minnesota over the last few years, including quarterback Brett Favre (indirectly) and kicker Ryan Longwell. So who would have guessed that a mere practice squad player would refuse to ditch the cheese and don the horns?

Packers’ practice squad wide receiver Tori Gurley has reportedly turned down the Vikings when they offered him a spot on their active roster.

“If you look statistically, their season is going to be over in three weeks,” Gurley explained. “We’re already locked to have a playoff spot. I’m learning from some of the best wide receivers in the game right now. The way our offense is clicking, the grass isn’t going to be greener on the other side. So just learning and taking it one day at a time, my opportunity is going to come.”

Despite his apparent enthusiasm about sticking with the Packers, the team still gave him a raise in hopes of keeping the practice squad player around.

It seems a bit naïve to pass up an opportunity for a promotion, but this isn’t the first time Gurley has turned down a potential suitor to stay with the Packers this season.

When it comes down to it, there were two options for Gurley: stick with the 13-0 Packers where he’ll probably remain as a practice squad roster until the end of the season or join the Vikings for their remaining three games and hang up the cleats by the first week of January.

Although it seems like the logical choice to choose the jump to someone else’s active roster, I’m sure Gurley had his reasons for staying in Green Bay. Whether it was the potential to play for a playoff team who’s clearly a favorite to make it to the Super Bowl or the possibility of being a small part of only the second undefeated team in NFL history, I’m sure he made the right decision for himself.

Packers’ starting wide receiver Greg Jennings was injured last week, which could mean a potential promotion for Gurley if Jennings doesn’t recover in a timely manner. There has also been speculation that veteran Donald Driver could be pondering retirement, which could also open a door for the young pass-catcher.

Regardless of the possibility that all of those reasons potentially outweighed the chance to be one of the better wide receivers on the Vikings’ roster, the choice is made and window has closed.

In case you are unaware, Gurley is an undrafted rookie out of South Carolina who decided to forgo his junior and senior seasons only to not hear his name called on draft day. During his two years with the Gamecocks, he caught 75 passes for 905 yards and six touchdowns.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.