Vikings' Zimmer angling to get the most out of Robison

MANKATO – Danielle Hunter is 21, plays left defensive end and is ascending rapidly. Brian Robison is 33, plays left defensive end and is standing in Hunter's way.

Or is he?

The problem with trying to predict Vikings coach Mike Zimmer's next move is not being with him when he's thinking outside the box, especially defensively.

While some assume Hunter's rise will cost Robison snaps and possibly his job, Zimmer has been enhancing a wrinkle that features Hunter at left end and Robison next to him in a standing position in passing situations. Robison began his NFL career 10 seasons ago as a situational inside rusher next to Ray Edwards.

When Edwards wanted more money, the Vikings gave it to Robison and said bye-bye, Ray. Now, under a different regime, the top thinkers are coming up with looks that accommodate the skills of a productive leader in the golden years of his NFL career.

"He's got a lot of quickness inside against guards," Zimmer said. "He's a really good athlete in there. His athletic ability shows up even more so than when he's at end."

As for putting Robison in a two-point stance, well, it's another look to try to confuse the offense. Robison has rushed mostly from that look in training camp, but it's a good bet he will do other things when a couple thousand fans and nosy reporters aren't around to take notes.

"There are a couple of reasons we do it. I'm not going to get into the details of it. But there are some reasons."

In some situations, three-technique tackle Sharrif Floyd has left the field when Robison slides inside in the nickel. That has left nose tackle Linval Joseph, a deceptively quick inside rusher himself, on the field in a 3-4 look that includes a single safety, Robison in a two-point stance and linebackers Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks and Emmanuel Lamur.

"I don't know if it's more confusing, but it's definitely harder for teams to game plan for us," Robison said. "It just gives teams a bunch of different looks that they have to account for as opposed to when you have four guys who are in the same spot every time."

Long snapper Kevin McDermott sounded like a man who had just been given $4 million over four years.

"I love it here," he said after confirming that he had signed an extension through 2020.

Receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who suffered a shoulder injury in the first practice on July 28, practiced in pads in team drills for the first time this summer.

Asked if all the time missed hurt him, he said: "It didn't affect me at all. It's not my fault I couldn't be out there. It's God. Everything happens for a reason. You can't question God and the things he does to us and why."

Vikings receivers received a thumbs-up from a guy whose name carries a little weight around the locker room.

"The receiving corps, that group has been pretty impressive [in camp]," running back Adrian Peterson said. "They have some agile guys at the receiver positions."

Peterson said rookie Laquon Tread­well "stands out with his big body" and how he positions it to make catches.

"We'll see once these preseason games roll around what these guys are all about," he said.