Toby Gerhart becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season and the Vikings’ second team running back told Sports Headliners he isn’t about to predict where he wants to be employed in 2014.
“Totally open. We’ll see. It’s going to be interesting. For me I am just focused on this year. We have a good team. …”
In three seasons Gerhart has mostly warmed the bench with a close-up view of all-world running back Adrian Peterson. The exception occurred in 2011 when he started five games, mostly because Peterson was injured. That season he rushed for 531 yards and a career best 4.9 yards per carry. In his rookie year of 2010 he rushed for 322 yards but last season just 169 as Peterson dominated the offense while coming within nine yards of breaking the NFL all-time single season rushing record.
Playing behind Peterson is something like being vice president of a country with a dictator for president. There is The Man, and then everyone else falls in line. Peterson is 28 and Gerhart is only two years younger. Peterson is incredibly gifted and also motivated including his zeal for offseason training and apparent will to play at a high level for years to come.
Gerhart, an All-American at Stanford and second round draft choice by the Vikings in 2010, is a power runner with deceptive speed. At the NFL scouting combine, Gerhart said he was timed at 4.53 seconds. He spent much of the last offseason working to increase quickness and his weight is down a few pounds from his 235 of last season. “Feel quick, feel good out here,” Gerhart said after practice on Wednesday.
Gerhart also believes his skills are that of an NFL starter but his opportunities have been so limited with the Vikings where he’s accepted his role without complaining. “It’s hard to show what I can do when you get one carry in the first (quarter) and another carry in the fourth (quarter). That’s not really my style of running. I am a grind down the defense type of back.
“I hear everybody say he only averaged three yards a carry, or whatever it is. But given the circumstances and the situation that I am in, in terms of carrying the ball, I just gotta do a job and a role. It makes it tough but, hey, we’ll see what happens.”
Obviously 2013 is a year that will provide answers about Gerhart’s future. Will the Vikings ease the pounding on Peterson and give Gerhart more opportunities in the offense? Or will Gerhart’s total carries be similar to 2012 when he had a career low 50? Will the Vikings trade Gerhart between now and their opening game in September? Such a move would acknowledge what most observers already believe and that is the Peterson system will be status quo in 2013. A trade could bring the Vikings more value in return than waiting to lose Gerhart for a compensatory draft pick next year.
Whatever the answers, Gerhart has the right attitude by emphasizing the present moment and not focusing much on a future that is only partially under his control.
“Are the Vikings going to sign me back? I don’t know,” Gerhart said. “Hopefully I put enough good stuff on tape that A they want me back, or B another team wants me…we’ll see what happens.”
Worth Noting
Gerhart reportedly earns $630,000 in base salary this season, according to various Internet sources.
Gerhart talking about expectations for third-year quarterback Christian Ponder: “I expect him to continue to grow. I think he’ll grow as a leader. So far this spring he’s actually thrown the ball really well around here. He’s good with his reads, good velocity and been accurate so far. So he’s looking good this spring.”
Gerhart and two friends were fishing on Lake Minnetonka near Big Island on Monday. “We probably caught (and released) 50 bass,” Gerhart said. “It was unbelievable. There was streaks where six casts in a row I would reel in a bass. Another time there was four casts in a row. …It was one of my best fish days of my lifetime.”
The Vikings expect 200-300 members of the press at their game against the Steelers in London on September 29.
Former Viking center Matt Birk told KFAN FM yesterday morning he and his world champion Ravens teammates will receive their Super Bowl rings today. Birk chose not to join his teammates at the White House earlier this week for a Super Bowl celebration with President Barack Obama. Birk said on KFAN that the President’s comments several weeks ago saying “God bless Planned Parenthood” were the reason he chose not to attend the White House event. Birk is known for his pro-life views.
Fox Sports North will televise the minor league Kane County game against Cedar Rapids (Twins’ super prospect Byron Buxton) on Monday starting at noon. Replay Monday night beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Timberwolves forward Kevin Love said on ESPN TV yesterday morning that he and guard Ricky Rubio will workout together in Los Angeles this summer in preparation for next season.
Dave and Linda Mona have country music star Kathy Mattea booked for the fourth annual Camden’s Concert on Wednesday, July 17 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Dave e-mailed that more than $100,000 has been generated from past events to benefit cystic fibrosis research. Some revenues are generated from the silent auction, and items that will provide experiences such as great seats to a game, or riding a Zamboni are being sought for this year’s event. Suggestions can be emailed to: l.mona@creativeenvironments.net.
Some offseasons are more interesting than others, and there’s nothing boring about what lies ahead for the Wild. The club has no first round draft choice but it wouldn’t be surprising if a trade changes that before NHL teams make their picks on June 30.
Decisions will have to be made about whether to retain selected Wild free agents. Salary cap restrictions are expected to make the Wild cautious about who they bring back and also acquire, but after having a mediocre season on the ice everyone knows the team has to improve. “The single biggest need for next year is to get bigger on defense,” an NHL source told Sports Headliners.
Adding more quality players throughout the roster, including more productive scorers, is a need, too. The responsibility for making changes starts with general manager Chuck Fletcher who is being judged by an impatient owner, Craig Leipold, and skeptical fan base, according to the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The team doesn’t have a winning legacy and recently announced season ticket price increases for next year. The source said some season ticket holders are debating about renewing and could be hold-outs at Xcel Energy Center until after the schedule begins, waiting to see how the team is playing.
Although there was speculation about the job security of Fletcher and coach Mike Yeo earlier this spring, the source doesn’t believe Leipold was close to making a change. The dynamics will be different next season, though. “If the Wild gets off to a bad start, it may be the demise of the whole (coaching) staff,” the source said. “If in the first 15 games they lose 10, it will not be good.”
