Christian Ponder is already taking a leadership role with the Vikings, it appears. The 12th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft has gotten some workouts set up with a couple of guys that he will (hopefully) be working a lot with once things are settled and teams can begin actually practicing.
Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting that Ponder is going to be working out with wide receivers Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice in Florida in the very near future. He had already planned to work out with Harvin, who is spending off-season time in the Tampa area, and Rice contacted him via Twitter. . .how very 21st Century. . .and asked if he could get in on the action as well. Rice apparently spends a chunk of his off-season in the Miami area.
Fowler makes a very good point. . .apparently, at this point in time, Ponder is the only person on the Vikings' roster that has a copy of new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave's playbook. Musgrave gave it to Ponder during that glorious twelve hours or so back in April where the lockout had been lifted and Ponder was meeting with the team after being drafted. He could get a copy to Harvin, who could then get copies to a whole lot of other people, which is helpful.
It may also prove to be a good thing as far as the Vikings keeping Rice in the fold as well. If Rice is a free agent, maybe he'll be impressed enough with Ponder during these workouts to stay in Minnesota rather than exploring other possibilities. Hopefully that will be the case. It certainly can't hurt, after all.