Vikings' Peterson is second for another award

By JUDD ZULGAD and CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune staff writers

Last update: January 7, 2009 - 12:18 AM

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Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had some pretty good company in finishing as a runner-up for the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

Peterson and Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, voted the NFL MVP by the AP last week, both received nine votes to place second behind New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. Brees, who received 22 votes, threw for 5,084 yards this season, 16 fewer than Dan Marino's 1984 record.

Just as with the MVP award, the offensive player of the year honor is voted on by a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. Peterson, who led the NFL with 1,760 yards this season, tied for fourth in the MVP voting and won the 50th annual Bert Bell Award as the professional football player of the year.

A new approach

Left tackle Bryant McKinnie said he has hired a personal trainer for the first time to work with this offseason. McKinnie, who lives in Miami, just completed his seventh NFL season.

"I'm getting older, so I need that during the offseason," McKinnie said. "When you're older, you don't bounce back as fast as you do when you're 23."

McKinnie's 2008 offseason included his arrest for participating in a brawl outside a Miami nightclub that led to his four-game suspension at the start of this season. McKinnie has a March 16 trial date on four charges, including one felony.

A frustrating season

Wide receiver Sidney Rice said the right knee injury he suffered in Week 2 "crushed" his season.

Rice finished with only 15 catches for 141 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games after catching 31 passes for 396 yards and four TDs as a rookie.

But Rice never became a big part of the offense.

"I think I was able to help the team in some ways," he said. "I caught maybe half the passes as I caught last year. The same amount of touchdowns, but it slowed me down a lot."

Rice said he doesn't believe he will need surgery to clean up his knee this offseason, but he will have it examined again to make sure. "The main thing for me this year was my knee," he said. "I have to work on getting it healthy. I want to come into Mankato [training camp] with no injuries."

A significant loss

Heath Farwell might have helped prevent the Vikings from giving up an NFL-record seven special-teams touchdowns -- four on punt returns. "I'd like to think that, but it doesn't work that way," Farwell said.

Losing Farwell because of a torn right anterior cruciate ligament in the opening preseason game proved to be a major loss.

The linebacker had been voted the Vikings' top special teams player in 2006 and '07. "I knew it was going to be [a big loss] because he's also one of the leaders on special teams," punter Chris Kluwe said. "Just having him out there kind of gives that extra little energy to everyone. I'm really hoping he's going to be back there next year."

Farwell is confident he will be back next season, although he's not sure it will be in Minnesota. He will become an unrestricted free agent in late February. Farwell continues to rehab.

"I'm doing everything. I'm sprinting, I'm backpedaling, shuffling, change of direction-type stuff," Farwell said. "No pain. The doctors say I'm way ahead of schedule. It's not even been five months yet. Most guys don't even start running until five months."

Etc.

• Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is scheduled to interview for the Denver Broncos head coaching job today and likely will meet with the Detroit Lions on Friday or Saturday. The St. Louis Rams have been granted permission by the Vikings to speak to Frazier but no interview has been set. There was a report the New York Jets might also be interested in Frazier, but a person with knowledge of the situation said the team has not sought the Vikings' permission to speak to him.

• The Vikings signed safety Roderick Rogers (Wisconsin) and cornerback Marcus Walker (Oklahoma) to reserve/futures contracts. Both finished the season on the Vikings' practice squad.