Pretty Good Articles Today on RBs Cook and AD

[HappyViking]

I admit I love AD; always have, always will.  I know many here think Cook will easily make us all forget about AD, but I don't buy it.  I'll accept it, but I'll believe he's that kind of player when I see it.  Cooks looks ok after 3 games, but I don't see the splash plays that AD and Moss made in the preseason of their rookie years.

Anyway, here's a nice article about Cook: link
“It was definitely fun, getting that first carry,” Cook said after
the game. “Once you get that out of the way, you can really get going
and play football.”
He prides himself on versatility.
“Going
out there and catching balls,” Cook said. “If they split me out wide,
if they free-release me out of the backfield, whatever it is, I just
have to help my team win games. That’s what they brought me in for.”
Here's article on the "humble" AD.  He's just another player on that Saints team.

“Of course it’s strange, but anything you want, you work for,” Peterson
said. “I’m not the type of guy – no matter my status – to come in and be
like, ‘Hey, I’m the first guy now.’ Mark, he’s been here for a long
time, so I’m OK with that. I’ve been the guy for 10 years. I’m
comfortable and confident with my ability and what I’m able to do, so I
don’t let things like that bother me.”

[Guest]

I don't think anyone is saying Cook will replace AD as a runner or as one of the best RBs in the last 20 years, but its ok to be excited about Cook's potential as fans. He might be more versatile. He also might be a better pass blocker already. Just have to move on from AD as he's not a Viking anymore and is in the twilight of his career. I'm certain he'll have a handful of very Adrian Peterson like runs over the course of the year....maybe just not as many as usual. He also won't be the workhorse in New Orleans, more of a RBBC thing.

[Guest]

Remember the time AD picked up a blitzer like Cook demonstrated last Sunday?

Me either...

AD was one of the best pure runners I've seen in my 50 years of watching football... But he was damn near one dimensional...Cook will he a far more complete back...

[Guest]

I've seen AD pickup blizters, and I've also seen AD do well on swing passes then running folks over afterwards.  I'm not ready to anoint Cook at being better than Murray or McKinnon let alone AD.  Remember "Flashy"?  He was supposed to be the next great #84, or at least better than Harvin.

I'm happy we got a guy with potential, but so far he looks nothing more than Ok.  But in fairness to Cook, the entire starting offense has been so bad, it's difficult to find anyone playing well right now. 

Just saying I'll believe Cook is better at scoring TDs, extending drives, putting fear in opposing defenses than AD when I see it.

[Guest]

So often it is the fit that counts.  I am hoping that Cook fits the Vikings better than Peterson fit the Vikings, especially in the later years with the team.  I don't see Cook being the next great running back of the league but I don't think we need him to be.
I almost feel like we wasted Peterson's talent by focusing the offense on him rather than building around him so we were a balanced attack.  Of coarse, much of Peterson's years were during the period of the "quarterback carrousel" so he was the only offense we did have.

[Guest]

It's not about Cook being superior to AD and making us "forget about him".  It’s about our RBs for once having a decent scheme fit and our
offense being balanced, because all the players are aligned within the offense, so that we are playing without being severely handicapped on offense.  If we see both passing offense and rushing
offense being top 20, that will be a dramatic improvement, even though it
wouldn’t be splashy.  If anything, I’d be
hoping that Bradford/Bridgewater make the QB the center of our offense rather
than a RB.