The most significant part of the Minnesota Vikings' offseason program begins on May 26, when the team will hold 10 organized team activities and a three-day mandatory minicamp in a four-week stretch. Before that begins, we're taking a position-by-position look at the Vikings' roster and some key battles to watch:
Position: Running back
Who's new: The Vikings signed running back DuJuan Harris in March after the Packers released him and added fullback Blake Renaud as an undrafted free agent.
Depth chart:
1. Adrian Peterson: Assuming he's playing for the Vikings -- and at this point, it appears the only way he won't be is if he holds out -- Peterson returns as the focal point of the ground game. There will be a role for some younger backs, but make no mistake: Peterson will be the featured back. The Vikings aren't planning to pay him $12.75 million this year to have him be less than that.
2. Jerick McKinnon: After a promising rookie season was cut short by a low back injury he sustained while lifting weights, McKinnon's role could change in Year 2. He caught 27 passes and appeared to be tougher between the tackles than many thought he'd be. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings use McKinnon with Peterson on the roster; if McKinnon can become more of a big-play threat, particularly in the passing game, he could be a nice complement to Peterson.
3. Matt Asiata: He led the team with 882 rushing and receiving yards and scored 10 touchdowns in 2014. Now, Asiata is in a contract year and will have to co-exist in a crowded backfield. The Vikings liked what he did as a pass protector and a receiver last year, and he showed he could gain the tough yards. He might wind up reprising some of those roles this year, especially if the Vikings want to keep Peterson from taking a few hits.
4. Harris: The 5-foot-7 running back probably had the best game of his career against the Vikings in the 2013 NFC wild-card round; he's shown he can catch the ball out of the backfield and return kicks, but he'll have plenty of competition for a roster spot.
5. Joe Banyard: The 26-year-old did some nice things toward the end of the season, catching nine passes in the Vikings' final six games. He'll fight for the extra yard and has shown some versatility. But the Vikings have enough of a stockpile that Banyard will have trouble earning a spot.
Fullback
1. Zach Line: It doesn't seem like the Vikings would have kept Line on the 53-man roster all season -- when he was only active for one game -- if they didn't have a plan for him. He showed some ability as a receiver out of the backfield, and though the Vikings could use tight ends Rhett Ellison and MyCole Pruitt out of the backfield, Line might be versatile enough to carve out a niche for himself.
2. Renaud: He's making a transition from linebacker to fullback in the NFL. At 6-foot-1 and 246 pounds, he'll pack a punch, but he's got plenty to learn about playing offense and might wind up on the practice squad if the Vikings want to keep him around.
Position battles to watch: The main thing we'll be watching here is how the Vikings divide the duties in the backfield. That will be easier to figure out if Peterson shows up for OTAs or minicamp; if he doesn't, practice time for the running backs probably won't look much different than last year. Peterson's presence will be the major storyline of the next few weeks, largely for what it says about the state of his relationship with the team. But if he is on the field, we could get a preview of how the Vikings plan to manage what looks like an impressive stable of running backs.
