After getting selected in the second-round of the 2010 NFL Draft, RB Toby Gerhart has been a very dependable caddie for Adrian Peterson.

Sep 9, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Toby Gerhart (32) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Metrodome. The Vikings defeated the Jaguars 26-23 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Gerhart is a workhorse of a running back who offers above average pass-protection.  He is also entering a contract year with the Minnesota Vikings and their ability/need to resign him may not be priority with Adrian Peterson’s remarkable comeback leaving very few carries to be had.

As ESPN 1500 Twin Cities’ Tom Pelissero mentions, Gerhart is a potential candidate to be traded this offseason.  There are teams currently searching for starting running backs like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and the St. Louis Rams who could value an established player like Gerhart over a prospect.

If traded before the draft the Vikings would be lucky to pull more than a fourth-round pick, in my opinion, but in this draft that fourth-round pick has pretty good value.  Even if they don’t trade Gerhart on draft day, they could still use a day three selection on a running back and consider trading Gerhart in training camp as Pelissero states.

In my latest mock draft, I have the Vikings using a seventh round pick on Pittsburgh Panthers’ RB Ray Graham.  Graham has the ability to develop into a great NFL third-down running back.  The Vikings were high on RB Jordan Todman, who was signed off the Practice Squad by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Not only do the Vikings have to think about the future in regards to the positions depth but they also need to replace Percy Harvin who operated as a pass-catching threat when lined up out of the backfield.  Harvin was also the primary kick return specialist.

The Vikings could look even earlier in the draft, say rounds 3 or 4, at a player like Clemson’s Andre Ellington who is a dual threat as a runner and receiver or Stanford’s Stepfan Taylor who is a solid between the tackle runner with outstanding protection skills.  Another option could be Oregon’s Kenjon Barner who is an explosive running back that can be a dynamic return threat in rounds 4 or 5.

Having 11 draft picks in 2013 allows the Vikings to be able to address a position like running back without ignoring other pressing needs on both sides of the ball.

Aug 17, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) on the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at the Metrodome. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-US PRESSWIRE

If you checked out this week’s SidCast – and I don’t know why you wouldn’t; that Sid is such a dynamic personality – you watched the venerable Mr. Hartman drop a somewhat disturbing piece of knowledge on Viking Nation. Sid says that despite all the Vikings’ public talk about Adrian Peterson’s fast progress in returning from knee surgery, the team is actually sort of worried about him and is considering holding him out of the September 9 season opener.

According to Hartman, the other factor in the Vikings’ shut-down-Peterson thinking is their confidence in Toby Gerhart, who they believe could be a #1 running back if given the chance. For the doubters, Hartman backs himself up by reminding everyone that he and he alone predicted Peterson would be held out of preseason despite reports that he might play this Friday against San Diego.

This is a somewhat depressing development for fans who dearly want to believe the upbeat reports about Peterson’s progress. But perhaps it would be a good idea to dial back expectations. The hero myth of Peterson – that he’s some kind of superman who can magically heal his body and return faster and stronger than ever – is nice for a story but doesn’t have much to do with the reality of rehabbing from major knee surgery.

The fact is that, outside of wanting to give the fans something positive to cheer for in a year that figures to be rather dismal otherwise, the Vikings have no reason whatsoever to rush Peterson back. Their desire to keep the fanbase engaged is probably why they keep dangling these overly-optimistic goals in front of us only to apparently change their minds at the last second. The smart thing now would be to doubt everything they say about Peterson. Cause clearly it’s all PR and bullcrap. Behind the scenes, they already know when Peterson will be returning, and that day is possibly a lot farther off than many fans want to believe.

But how much farther off? That depends on how much faith they have in Toby Gerhart. If Hartman’s report is true, that faith is at least strong enough for them to consider holding Peterson out until week 2. But if they’re willing to do that, why not hold him out longer? Why not place him on PUP and sit him until week 7? That would really irritate the fans, but it might actually be the most prudent course of action.

We’ll just have to stay patient on this one. Sooner or later, we’ll get to see Adrian Peterson on the field again. The important thing isn’t when that happens, but how strong Peterson is when it does happen.

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Jun 19, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs drills by himself at Vikings Minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

The Vikings play their first preseason game this Friday against San Francisco and, to no one’s surprise, they will do so without Adrian Peterson. Peterson has been on active/PUP all training camp as he rehabs his knee  and there is no plan to change his status before Friday, so obviously he won’t be getting in the game (even Adrian can’t talk THAT fancy). The Vikings aren’t going to rush Adrian back especially in the preseason. We’ve heard the team wants him to see at least some action before the regular season opener but I have to believe that’s more wishful thinking than anything.

Toby Gerhart will get the start in Peterson’s place, but as Tom Pelissero tells us, Gerhart’s reps will be limited as well (aren’t starters’ reps always limited in the first preseason game Tom?). It’s probably prudent to keep Gerhart’s workload as small as possible given that he is also coming back from an injury (and if Adrian suffers a set-back in rehab, well, Toby’s pretty much all we have running back-wise).

We might see buzz-worthy Jordan Todman Friday but he’s coming back from an ankle himself so who knows. Lex Hilliard figures to see the bulk of the carries if Todman can’t go, with UFA and official inspiring athlete Derrick Coleman also in line for some snaps.

Now might be a good time to remind everyone of the preseason schedule. Here it is:

Friday August 10th @ San Francisco (8 PM CT WUCW)

Friday August 17th vs. Buffalo (7 PM CT KARE)

Friday August 24th vs. San Diego (7 PM CT KARE)

Thursday August 30th @ Houston (6 PM CT KARE)

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