Taylor playing part of 'ultimate professional'

MANKATO - This much has been made clear about the Year 2 edition of Adrian Peterson: He's a far more complete player than the running back who rushed for an NFC-best 1,341 yards in 14 games last season and earned offensive rookie of the year honors.

An offseason of work has made Peterson a more adept receiver and, maybe most important, a far better blocker in passing situations.

Assuming this is true, we're left with two big questions. What is Chester Taylor's role going to be, and how are the Vikings going to keep the veteran happy?

A year ago, Taylor started four of the first six games and the two in which he did not he missed because of injury. Vikings coach Brad Childress relented in late October and moved Peterson into the starting role, but even then Taylor replaced Peterson in most passing situations because he was considered a superior blocker.

If that's no longer the case, Taylor's job could become even less defined. Eric Bieniemy, the Vikings' running backs coach, knows he faces a tough balancing act but didn't seem concerned when asked about it Saturday.

"Chester's role is still the same. His role has not changed," Bieniemy said. "Chester is one of the better backs in this league. We've got to find ways to get him out on the field and utilize him. Obviously, we have a very good player in Adrian Peterson, but also we have a very good one in Chester Taylor. The thing about it is there are not enough balls to go around. You can only have one. But there's room for Chester on the field."

Through the first week of training camp, Peterson has gotten the majority of the reps with the first-team offense. Although using the two together would seem like an opportunity to cause headaches for defenses and get both playing time, Childress doesn't seem to have a great interest in doing so.

Taylor could wind up being a nice bargaining chip in any potential trade discussions but his presence, along with Peterson's, does give the Vikings a great luxury. Last season, the two set a franchise record for rushing yards by a duo with 2,185. Taylor accounted for 844 of them.

Both players missed two games apiece because of injury. That fact, along with general wear and tear, has caused many NFL teams to try to find 1 and 1A-type running back tandems as opposed to a clear-cut starter and backup.

The tricky thing with Peterson is that he appears on the brink of superstardom and could be the best running back in the league this season. Taking him off the field might not be an option at times.

Taylor, meanwhile, is entering the penultimate year of a $14.1 million ($5.6 million guaranteed) free-agent deal he signed with the Vikings in 2006 to escape the shadow of then-Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis. Taylor rushed for a career-high 1,216 yards and set a Vikings record with 303 carries that season. He clearly was worn down by December but there was no question he was the man.

That is no longer the case. "Every week is tough because one guy may get more carries than another," said Bieniemy, who spent nine seasons as a running back in the NFL. "You've got to go in that room on Monday and play the role of counselor."

Bieniemy praised Taylor's attitude and work ethic and made it clear he doesn't think there will be any problems. Taylor stayed away from the majority of the Vikings' practices during Organized Team Activities this offseason but word is he worked out with Eagles running back Brian Westbrook in Baltimore. Taylor appears to be in excellent condition.

As for how Taylor feels about the situation, that's a good question. Taylor, known as a good guy internally by those with the Vikings but a rather moody person around the media, declined two interview requests for this story.

"I think he has become the forgotten soul of this team, and the thing that everybody needs to understand is that Chester is the ultimate professional," Bieniemy said. "He comes to work every day, he understands what we're doing, what we're trying to accomplish and what is important. And that's winning."

Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@startribune.com