This has been an odd offseason when it comes to Adrian Peterson.
The running back elected to spend most of his time training near his home in Houston -- something that was his right given the majority of the offseason program is optional -- and then irritated Vikings officials by skipping the mandatory three-day minicamp so he could attend a day in his honor in Palestine, Texas.
There was speculation Peterson wanted a new contract, something he has denied. So is there an issue between the Pro Bowl player and the team? That remains unclear. What is certain is the Vikings expect big things from Peterson in 2010. That will mean not only a big rushing season, but also improvement in his pass protection and, most importantly, a significant decrease in his fumbles. (Peterson has rushed for 4,484 yards but fumbled 20 times in three regular seasons, losing 13 of them.)
Asked about the expectations for Peterson, Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman said: "I know Adrian has worked extremely hard during this offseason, I know he has some high expectations for himself. He's the type of player who is always looking to improve and get better. I know he's looking forward to getting back to this training camp and working on some of the things that he needs to continue to work on. That should be the situation for every player."
Peterson reportedly said that he talked to coach Brad Childress and owner Zygi Wilf in an attempt to smooth over things after he missed minicamp. Spielman would not get into that subject saying, "I'll leave that between Brad and Adrian."
