Fullback key to Adrian Peterson's success

[dkoby]

Well we do play the Packers again, maybe he should go for 300, we probably couldn't lose that one!

No doubt. Minimum 30 carries a game no matter how many yards he has. At this point, he IS our offense.

[Eli]

Felton was another of those one year signings, wasn't he? Hmm...

[Mothman]

Felton was another of those one year signings, wasn't he? Hmm...

"Hmmm..." what?

Felton was a one year signing but I'm not sure what you're getting at...

[dead_poet]

This was the story I was waiting to read.

Felton leading his way towards contract extension with Vikes

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The play got roars throughout Winter Park this week.

First-and-10. Lead draw to Adrian Peterson. Fullback Jerome Felton plows into Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk at the Green Bay 16-yard line -- and ends up on top of the former No. 5 overall draft pick at the 12.

"Obviously, A.J.'s a great player and he's going to make his plays," Felton said on Friday. "You've just got to keep being physical with him and let him know what kind of game it's going to be."

Felton has done plenty of that in an eye-opening season after bouncing between three teams and three less-than-ideal situations in 2011.

The Detroit Lions tendered him as a restricted free agent even though Scott Linehan's offense doesn't use a fullback and ended up waiving him at the end of training camp.

The Carolina Panthers claimed him even though they use quarterback Cam Newton for short yardage and waived Felton in November.

The Indianapolis Colts claimed Felton, too, leaving him to finish out the season on the NFL's worst team and sending him into the offseason frustrated and confused.

"I knew after last year and how last year went, it's all about perception in the NFL," Felton said. "I knew it was going to take me to get somewhere to where I could really show what I could do."

The Vikings had tried to claim Felton off waivers at least before and wanted to incorporate more lead plays in Bill Musgrave's offense.

So, in March, Felton agreed to a one-year, $750,000 contract that would pay him nothing besides a workout bonus unless he made the 53-man roster. The team stuck with him despite a DWI arrest in June and has been rewarded for its faith.

Still only 25 years old, Felton has been a major upgrade over Ryan D'Imperio, whom he beat out for the job in camp. The website ProFootballFocus.com, which breaks down tape of every NFL game, ranks Felton as the No. 3 fullback in the league. And Peterson leads the NFL by far with 1,446 rushing yards, doing most of his damage out of multiple-sets.

"There's a little bit of vindication with that," Felton said. "But I always knew what would happen if I could get in the right offense, and I think that's just developing as we go."

He's one of 10 players on the Vikings roster who could become unrestricted free agents in March and could be in line for a contract extension before then -- something including bonuses exceeding the $50,000 he had to earn on his current deal.

Asked if he feels he has accomplished everything he hopes, Felton said, "Being here this year, they've gave me a great opportunity to put good film out there. I'm just playing. I'm just trying to help us win, and whatever happens with the contract, happens with it. But I definitely feel like I've been able to show the league more what I'm about."

Such as pancaking someone 4 yards backwards?

"Yeah," Felton said, grinning. "That ain't my first rodeo."

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Note ... ings120712

[Mothman]

This was the story I was waiting to read.

Thanks for the link! Hopefully, the Vikes are already working on extending him or, if it's something Felton and his agent want to wait and handle in the offseason, hopefully Spielman will make Felton a high priority. The Vikes need to hang onto this guy.

Jim

[dead_poet]

As recently as a month ago, Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson insisted his preference was to run out of a one-back set rather than behind a fullback. These days, however, not even Peterson can deny the effectiveness and impact of fullback Jerome Felton.

Peterson acknowledged Thursday that Felton has "helped put me in position" to break Eric Dickerson's record for rushing yards in a season. As we discussed last month and can now update in this post, the numbers are absolutely overwhelming in favor of the Vikings' two-back set after years of primarily using Peterson as a single back.

When Felton leads the way, Peterson is averaging 7.7 yards per carry and has ripped off 18 runs of at least 20 yards. Out of the one-back set, meanwhile, Peterson's average is 3.6 yards per carry and he has two plays of at least 20 yards. The chart, courtesy ESPN Stats & Information, provides further details.

Full post: http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_ ... ts-himself

[dead_poet]

When Jerome Felton was lined up at FB Vikings averaged 6.3 yards per carry. Highest "fullback yardage" of any player

Jim's favorite resource (PFF) on Twitter

[Mothman]

Jim's favorite resource (PFF) on Twitter