How Will Toby Gerhart Fit Into Minnesota's Offense?

I think that Gerhart is definitely a great college RB. I myself will wait to see it on the NFL level before I can give an educated opinion on how he may eventually fare.

I do think though that the catching the ball part is not what is the difference between Toby & Chester. AP caught more passes last year. So I think that Toby will also be able to catch passes as well.

The thing that made Chester different and where he gets no respect is his ability to get open on 3rd downs and then catch the ball. He always found a way to put a move on the LB to get himself open by a couple of steps to catch the pass. And then he has the ability to make people miss and pick up a first down. He also had a particular way of setting up screens that was admirable.

These are the areas of Chester’s game that AP & Toby will have to replace IMO. I am sure that taking handoffs out of the backfield may not be a problem for Toby. It is yet to be seen if he can run behind our line because he definitely will need to make people miss quite often as the Vikings were at the bottom of the league in runs that produced negative yardage last year.

I agree that Toby will be different than Chester and I think that he will fit in differently than Chester. I believe that AP will be on the field on 3rd downs and he will take over most of Chester’s role while Toby will provide some 1st & 2nd down relief for AP most of the time.

I think that Chester deserves more credit for what he did and can do and that Toby is a totally different back. We’ll see what he can do in the NFL.

Not sure about his catch-and-run ability (I admit I don’t watch college football…hate it.), but I think that if he can do that well enough, we have no reason to be worried. At the very least, Gerhart should be a good #2 back that will help carry the load with AP.

I wanna see how Albert Young does as well…

Gerhart is primarily a power back with good speed and good hands so he will spell AD when he needs a rest and get some opportunities on third and short/medium. AD as we all know has power, speed, and agility but is still developing as a receiver so his role will basically be the same as before but he’ll get some more receiving opportunities.

The one phase of the game that Chester was best at was the third and long passing game. I think this role will be partly filled by either Reynaud or Young with Peterson getting some more opportunities. While I think Young may be a better overall RB than Reynaud, I believe Darius has the skill set to excel in the third and long pass-catching role. I picture Reynaud playing a role similar to that of Mewelde Moore in Peterson’s first year.

Great post Gonzo. Once Taylor left in free agency, it was destined for a big change in how the RB depth was made up. Taylor’s true value wasn’t just on 3rd downs, but that if Peterson were to, (God forbid) go down, he was a more than capable back up.

Peterson is going to step up his role in the offense with Taylor’s departure. His pass protection is improving and he showed he can be relied on more in the passing game. I would expect him to be in on more 3rd downs than previous years, but that might be just as often a combination of Gerhart/Young/Reynaud.
If anything should happen to Peterson, in the absence of a breakout season from one of the other RBs, a group will need to be able to work together to do everything a #1 running back does. One part bulldozing threat to eat up yards and one part change of pace with a dash of pass game presence. Reynaud, Young, and the Johnson’s will battle for the shifty, change of pace back. With Reynaud’s experience at wide receiver, I’d say he has the inside track for the 3rd RB position. Gerhart can be the missing battering ram with the potential to be more and is most likely taking the 2nd RB position. The battle for the back up RB is going to be a big one in camp.

will be a totally new purple offense in twenty-ten … protect #4 with the best run game in the business … peterson and gerhart are gonna pound the rock and the o-line will crush the collective will of opponents … then #4 will raise up and flex the best passin attack in the NFL (last year was just a warm-up) … then turn lose the “A.W.W.E.some4some” the most under-rated backers in the NFL and the most improved secondary (health / experience & youth) … d-cordinators nightmare … and maybe the most fun of all will be watchin the special teams be very very special … “Year Of The Vikes”!!!

Go crawl back under whatever rock u crawled out from !!.. Vikings had 2 rookie offensive lineman last year and will be better this year, Williams Wall will not drop. Pat is in his last year and did not play full time last year..Vikings rotate several def lineman in and out…And YES, Favre will have another great yr…just sit back and drive the great offense Vikings have …But U are a troll and have nothing better else to do but come on our site and talk trash…Go away troll !!!

By drafting a QB with a skill set that is more in line with the feature back, the ability to pull that feature back on 1st and 2nd downs and keep the opposing defense honest to the power running game is great. Plus, you have the option of putting gerhart in on 1st down, then putting the feature back in on 2nd and (hopefully) 3rd and short where the defense will not be able to play the pass over the run and vice versa. Should you get the 1st down on the prior 2nd down, your feature back is essentially there for you on the 1st down. The offense remains more streamlined. As long as you have a 3rd string back who’s skill set is completely different than the first two, you can throw him in occasionally as a change up pitch.

*RB ….. good lord self.

Harvin will be the chg of pace back..IF Berrian cant stay healthy and we are not forced to have Harvin play wr all time

Otherwise, it was a waste to move up to grab Gerhart in the 2nd round with backs like Ben Tate and potential QBs of the future still on the board.

Hmm, anybody remember Bobby Wade?

those other sexier qb picks would not hav improved the vikings and may not hav even made the team …

I’m not sure I really understand what your thesis is here Gonzo, but if it is that what Gerhart brings to the offense will make up for — or, more than make up for, based upon you last paragraph — the skills of Chester: I disagree. That change of pace aspect (especially receiving skills) is not so minor that they will be made up for by pure running skills in a #2 back tht duplicate our #1 back, no matter how good.

And that is protecting the QB. He was a very good back at picking up blitzes. This is a fairly complex skill set and most rooking running backs don’t have it when they get into the NFL. I know that Toby was supposed to be good at this in college but yet again it will be interesting to see if he can make this pan out in the NFL. I don’t see Harvin being brought back for passing downs, I really don’t see Young getting any time.

You all remember Tice and his Randy ratio right? Well I’m pretty sure if you had half a brain as a coach you’d want the same kind of ratio for AD. This means that for every person touching the ball in the back field who isn’t AD, your cutting into that ratio. How often did Chester really run the ball? I think Toby will be a fine inclusion to the Vikes, but I don’t think he’ll be touching the ball as much as many of you think.

My concern is not as much if he can catch out of the backfield, or pound the ball, but how can he (or any of the possible Chester replacements) fill in the backfield blocking role that Chester was so good at. Definitely one of the under-appreciated parts of his game and an area he helped AP develop over the last few years. Most rookies RBs have a hard time with blocking, especially w/ blitz pick ups and with an aging Favre. . . .