RB Peterson Wants to Gain Weight, Vikes Hope it Won't Slow Him Down

Vikings All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson has decided to add an additional 7-12 lbs this off-season but the team's vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman was cautious when asked about the subject.

"Adrian's trying to be the best football player he can be, and I know there's a lot of still untapped potential in how much better he can get," Spielman said Thursday while talking to reporters at the NFL scouting combine. "I know the coaches and Tom Kanavy, our strength coach, and [coach] Brad [Childress], they will all monitor that to see if that's affecting him. But Adrian works extremely hard at his craft to be the best he can be. That's something that will be discussed internally."

The idea first came about at this years Pro Bowl, Peterson, the NFL's leading rusher in 2008 with 1,760 yards, explained the additional weight will help him endure the long season and make him "more explosive."

"Adrian is very lean, very lean, muscular ... maybe 5 percent body fat," Spielman said. "Whether [adding weight] helps him taking the shots that he takes ... I'm sure if he came back at 270 pounds, there would be some concern. But he's such an explosive athlete, and if you're able to add more muscle mass to what he has, it could be more of a benefit. I know Adrian is smart enough to know what weight he would want to put on before it would affect his speed and quickness. You wouldn't want that weight to affect how he is or what type of player he is."