Good news has been in short supply for the Minnesota Vikings in 2011, so it was noteworthy to read ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero report that Vikings second-year backup running back Toby Gerhart won't require surgery after hurting his MCL in the season finale.
If Gerhart had needed surgery, the Vikings would have been looking at possibly starting training camp with Lorenzo Booker, Caleb King and Jordan Todman as their stable of healthy running backs. (And you think the Vikings offence stunk last year.)
That Gerhart should be completely healthy for OTAs and training camp is good news considering nobody knows how football-ready Adrian Peterson will be when July arrives. During the five games he was the starting running back while Peterson was injured, Gerhart showed he can be an effective player. Not Peterson effective, mind you, more like Peyton Hillis effective.
Watching Gerhart get the bulk of the carries late in the season gave me a new appreciation for his running style. I enjoyed watching him bowl over smaller defenders on his runs. He ran with more power and more confidence than we saw in his rookie year, and he showed good hands out of the backfield. During his two seasons in the NFL, Gerhart's rushing stats have been surprisingly excellent – 853 yards on 190 carries, good for a 4.9 yard per carry average. Gerhart should be fine as the Vikings top running back if Peterson's rehab from his left knee injury doesn't go so well. This is important. It allows the Vikings to focus on other issues during free agency and the draft – like left tackle, cornerback, safety, middle linebacker and wide receiver.
• As for Peterson, he was full of smiles and optimism during a Friday press conference where he and head trainer Eric Sugarman talked about his surgery and rehab so far. To hear him say his goal is to be ready for game one and that he'll be better than before once he comes back makes this Vikings fan get all tingly inside. As far-fetched as it sounds, Peterson is the one guy I'd bet could make it happen.
So why isn't Peterson spending the offseason the Twin Cities with Sugarman so he can have one of the best medical guys in football oversee the rehab on a daily basis? I know Houston is a bit warmer than Minneapolis in January, February and March, but this is a career-threatening injury Peterson has sustained. I'd want Sugarman by my side the entire time.
• Great game today between San Francisco and New Orleans. But don't you think 49ers quarterback Alex Smith looks a lot like Ryan Gosling?
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