Adrian Peterson, who didn’t even belong to the Vikings two weeks ago, is being called the “face of the franchise.”  Tarvaris Jackson, a second round pick a year ago, can now be branded the “arm of the franchise.”  Together Peterson and Jackson have two NFL starts.   

A.P. and T-Jack will be fun to follow for more reasons than their nicknames as they try to use their arms and legs to generate production in a Vikings offense that frequently struggled last season including a three first down performance against the Green Bay Packers.  Yes, there will be other storylines in training camp and early fall but the 22-year-old Peterson and 24–year-old Jackson will almost assuredly have more to do with the team’s offensive revival than other players. 

Linemen and receivers must contribute for the offense to improve. Management is hopeful that converted center Ryan Cook will become a player at right tackle.  Center Matt Birk, left guard Steve Hutchinson and left tackle Bryant McKinnie remain what they were last season, a trio with huge upside.  Second round draft choice Sidney Rice, with speed and athleticism, boosts the potential at wide receiver where the Vikings are rebuilding. 

The reality in regard to the line is Peterson, one of the great running backs to come out of college in the last 15 years, can make his blockers look very good.  A handful of elite running backs have always had the ability to make their linemen more productive than normal. 

Peterson was so good at Oklahoma he almost won a Heisman Trophy as a freshman. During his first season, the one year he was free from injury, he broke the NCAA freshman running record and the school single season rushing mark.  He gained 1,925 yards.  In three years with the Sooners he ran by and over tacklers with an angry demeanor and combination of power and speed seen only among the greatest college runners. 

Vikings coach Brad Childress described Peterson as “electric” and is already an admirer. “We are obviously elated to have this guy,” Childress said on draft day. “He is an explosive football player that can take it to the house every time from any point on the football field. He has that type of speed and ability.” 

The Vikings could have drafted Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn instead of Peterson.  Quinn was highly regarded before the draft and although he slipped to No. 22, he was still the second quarterback taken.  The Vikings chose not to bail out on their commitment to Jackson who compiled these stats as a rookie in four games: 81 pass attempts, 47 completions, two touchdown passes and four interceptions. 

It’s almost done in a whisper but knowledgeable sources talk with near reverence about Jackson’s skills: the strong arm, quick release and fast feet.  There’s probably near consensus that he has the physical skills to be a premier quarterback in the NFL.  But then comes the question of whether he can process all the physical and mental aspects into a package that makes him the Vikings’ QB for a long time.

Playing quarterback at a high level in a player’s second year is asking a lot, more than NFL history teaches us to expect.  Jackson didn’t play much last year and much of his career was spent at Alabama State, a second tier college football school.  All of that probably doesn’t help but Jackson could play effectively enough, allowing for inconsistencies, to win and hold the starting job for the 2007 season.  That will qualify for progress for Jackson and the Vikings. 

Former Viking assistant coach Dean Dalton, now an NFL media expert, is a Jackson admirer.  He said Jackson has an “incredible work ethic,” with a “fabulous attitude.”  He praised Jackson’s “natural and innate leadership skills.” Dalton suggests the Vikings will be wise not to place too much management and execution of the offense on Jackson in 2007.

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It obviously doesn’t have the potential of the NBA’s all-time greatest player rivalries, but Randy Foye and Brandon Roy could have something going in the years ahead. No, it won’t be Russell versus Wilt, or Bird and Magic.  Still, there are some “seedlings” that could make Roy versus Foye interesting to watch. 

In last year’s draft the Timberwolves chose Roy, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, with the sixth pick and immediately traded him to Portland for the draft rights (through Boston) to Foye, a 6-foot-4 combo guard.  Last week Roy was named by a media panel as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year while Foye, the seventh pick in the draft, finished fifth in the voting. 

Roy led all NBA rookies in scoring at 16.8 points per game. He became a starter for Portland and impressed scouts with his ability to score inside and out.  In a recent article in the Sporting News an NBA scout said that in a 2006 draft do-over scenario his first three picks would be Andrea Bargnani, Tyrus Thomas and Roy.

Foye didn’t make the scout’s top five picks.  Foye had an okay rookie season, sometimes starting and also being an early sub off the bench. Perhaps most encouraging were his fourth quarter performances. He scored 48% of his points (398 of 832) in the fourth quarters and overtimes. In those late game situations he made 48.2% of his field goals, 39.3% of three point field goals and 87.5% of free throws. His game averages in those categories: 43.4%, 36.8% and 85.4%. He averaged 10.1 points and 2.8 assists per game.

Fred Hoiberg, Timberwolves general manager, was asked about Roy and Foye.  “I think both those guys are going to be tremendous NBA players,” he said. 

What was the team’s thinking in letting Roy go to Portland?  “I won’t give (you) exactly what our thought process was on it,” Hoiberg said. “But we saw Randy as a guy who was going to find a way to get to the rim…a guy who could break down the defense…to create for himself and also create for his teammates.” 

Although the Wolves need a backcourt leader and star at the point guard position, Hoiberg doesn’t categorize Foye as just a playmaker.  “He’s a combo guy,” Hoiberg said.  “He can play one (point guard) or two (shooting guard). It’s going to be an important summer for him to develop new aspects of his game.  It’ll be big for him to play in the summer league with Craig (Smith) and Rashad (McCants) and develop chemistry with these guys and to keep working.  He needs to be more consistent with his outside shot.  He needs to get better with his ball handling but I thought he progressed a lot last year. …” 

Hoiberg said Foye “has expressed a desire to be a great player.”  Roy is already headed in that direction.  On Tuesday Roy and Foye were named to the NBA’s All-Rookie team, selected to the first team as voted by the league’s coaches. The two play for Western Conference rivals, teams that are trying to build for playoff success.  They play similar positions and come to think of it, their last names rhyme.  Stay tuned.

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It’s expected that Randy Foye will be the Timberwolves representative at the NBA draft lottery in New York on May 22 in Secaucus, New Jersey. 

Tony Dungy, the former Gopher quarterback and Vikings assistant coach who was in Minneapolis last night to speak at the University of Minnesota’s annual alumni celebration, has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. 

Vikings second round pick Sidney Rice talking on draft weekend about the possibility of becoming a starting wide receiver:  “There’s no telling. I’m going to come in and give 100% and be ready to go when I get there. I’m going to fight for a starting position, and I’m not going to count myself out.” 

Former Gopher Thomas Vanek, 23, is turning heads in the NHL.  During the regular season, his second in the league, he led Buffalo in goals with 43.  In the playoffs he’s already scored five goals for the Sabres, a Stanley Cup favorite. 

Ralph Jon Fritz, a WCCO TV sportscaster for parts or all of five decades, is host of the Out N’ About show seen at 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays on Ch. 4.  Fritz makes 18 shows per year with 54 segments. 

St. Thomas won its fourth consecutive MIAC softball tournament championship last weekend and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. St. Thomas junior pitcher Maria Bye was named the tournament MVP. Bye pitched 12 1/3 innings during the playoffs, allowing only one earned run and six hits. She finished the tournament with a 0.57 ERA and 12 strikeouts. As a hitter, Bye was five for eight (.625 average) with five runs batted in.  

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