Can Adrian Peterson Thrive as a Receiver in the Vikings’ New Offense?

July 19, 2014   ·   Zach Kruse   ·   Jump to comments

The 2014 season should provide the best look yet at the abilities of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson as a receiver out of the backfield. 
For a variety of reasons, Peterson has rarely been a major factor as a receiver during his seven-year NFL career. He caught a career-high 43 passes for 436 yards with Brett Favre as his quarterback in 2009, but his other six seasons include just one other year with 40 catches (2012) or 300 receiving yards (2010).
Overall, Peterson has averaged just 29 receptions for 242 yards per season since 2007. 
Last season, Peterson caught exactly 29 passes for just 171 yards, good for an average of only 5.9 yards per reception. Thirty-four running backs caught more passes in 2013. And of the 199 total players in the NFL that caught at least 20 passes last season, Peterson's 5.9-yard average ranked 192nd.
Playing in offenses generally avoidant of throwing the ball to running backs, and lacking the trust in pass protec...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com