Toby Gerhart

[backrow]

some good news from rotoworld:

Toby Gerhart has been led to believe that he's headed for a "big role" in the Vikings' offense this season.

Although Gerhart expects Adrian Peterson (knee) to play in Week 1, he believes it will be off the bench. "I'm looking like I'm going to be the starter from Day 1," said Gerhart, "and have to be the starter all the way on through until Adrian is back and ready and full-speed." Gerhart totaled an impressive 419 yards on 83 carries (5.0 YPC) in six games filling in for Peterson late last season. It's reasonable to project RB2/flex value for the first quarter of the year.
Related: Adrian Peterson

Source: ESPN 1500 Twin Cities
Jul 23 - 1:22 AM

 

[Don Wassall]

Viking Toby Gerhart: More Than Just A Backup

The Vikings have moved into game week mode, which is a welcomed time at training camp in Mankato. But what they know right now is that while Adrian Peterson tries to get back on track, Toby Gerhart is the number one running back.

Gerhart is back with a confidence that comes with a veteran presence in the league.
"It’s a little more relaxed, and kind of enjoying it. It’s training camp, it’s a grind, but you got to have fun with it. And I’m definitely enjoying it more I did my rookie year," said Gerhart.

If Adrian Peterson is healthy, he’s the number one running back. Gerhart then is number two. But what head coach Leslie Frazier likes about Gerhart is that he has the mindset that he doesn’t want to settle for second best.

"He’s been looking well. He’s been practicing well, has great confidence in what we’re doing, what we’re asking of him. He doesn’t seem like a guy who’s willing to settle for being a backup running back, which is a good thing. He’s preparing himself as if he’s going to have to start against Jacksonville," said Frazier.

So he prepares and understands. Adrian is the man, but this is his opportunity.

"As a running back, you want to touch [the football] as often as possible. And we’d love to have Adrian back, and we don’t know what’s going to happen with him, but if that opportunity presents itself for me, then I’m going to take it and run with it…literally" said Gerhart.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/08/06/viking-toby-gerhart-more-than-just-a-backup/

 

[bearclaw500]

[h=2]Gerhart showing he's more than ready to handle the load[/h]
Toby Gerhart’s upper body looks as if it has been inflated with air. Barrel-chested with thick arms and shoulders, he looks as if he swallowed a keg.
“I’ve been the same weight since my senior year in high school,†he said.
Come on. No way. He’s never resembled a toothpick, but this is not how he looked last season.
“I think last year my weight was 233,†he said. “This year they bumped my weight to 235.â€
That’s it? Two measly pounds?
Weight gain or not, Gerhart sported a different appearance when he arrived for Vikings training camp. He transformed his body this offseason while maintaining his target weight, hoping the ripped muscle look would enable him to withstand more punishment as a featured running back in case Adrian Peterson’s recovery from knee surgery hit a snag or unexpected delay.....

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/166834726.html

 

[Don Wassall]

According to Weenieworld, Peterson won't play in the Vikings' final two preseason games, which means zero carries going into the regular season. There's no way they'll start him off with a lot of carries, so Gerhart is pretty much guaranteed to get the majority of carries for the first part of the season at least. The line needs to open holes for Toby because the passing game is still a work in progress with a young QB and no proven talent at WR beyond the mercurial Percy Harven (Jerome Simpson is suspended for the first part of the season and he was a bust anyway in Cincinnati). Kyle Rudolph may become a big part of the offense, which would help a lot in taking pressure off the running game.

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's a positive article on Gerhart from Bleacher Report. I don't know about the writer's claim that the Vikings' o-line will be improved, and the passing game may struggle, but this is a good opportunity for Toby to show how good he is.


5 Reasons Toby Gerhart Will Be the NFL's Biggest Surprise at Running Back


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...rhart-will-be-the-nfls-biggest-surprise-at-rb

 

[Don Wassall]

This Bleacher Report piece speculates that Minnesota might trade Gerhart to the Cardinals, figuring they're better off getting value in return now as Toby will be a free agent after the 2013 season.

It would be great to see Toby traded to a team that would feature him or at least let him split touches with a "real" running back -- but are there any? Hell, the Arizona Cardinals are an organization that thinks it's daring to start a White player at guard. At this point Gerhart may be better off grinning and bearing it for one more season behind Peterson and then see if there's any interest in him as a free agent, though of course he has no say-so if he gets traded before then.


Toby Gerhart to the Arizona Cardinals

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...kings-could-make-at-nfl-trade-deadline/page/2

 

[jaxvid]

This Bleacher Report piece speculates that Minnesota might trade Gerhart to the Cardinals, figuring they're better off getting value in return now as Toby will be a free agent after the 2013 season.

It would be great to see Toby traded to a team that would feature him or at least let him split touches with a "real" running back -- but are there any? Hell, the Arizona Cardinals are an organization that thinks it's daring to start a White player at guard. At this point Gerhart may be better off grinning and bearing it for one more season behind Peterson and then see if there's any interest in him as a free agent, though of course he has no say-so if he gets traded before then.


Toby Gerhart to the Arizona Cardinals

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...kings-could-make-at-nfl-trade-deadline/page/2

I guess I don't follow it much but I can't remember too many mid-season football trades. Heck there hardly seems to be any trading in the NFL.

The linked article is written in the manner of a typically clueless sportwriter. Gerhart is not going to be traded. He is going to languish on the bench in Minnesota until enough people forget he was a good runner and then be cut. If Peterson does go down they will slowly work Harvin into the mix to replace him. If that doesn't work they will make running back a "priority" in next years draft.

No team is going to give the Vikings anything for a White running back. It's never been done in 50 years why would it happen now? The Arizona management as Don mentioned is not White friendly, nor is the team, so bringing a White guy in to carry the rock is out of the question for many reasons, not the least of which is racial politics on the team.

I think this article is just more trolling for them to purge another White runner from the game. Gerhart has gone from being an invaluable insurance back up to an injury prone Adrian Peterson, to trade bait. Next step is losing the back up job (already in progress) and a minor injury away from being cut next summer.

 

[Highlander]

I'm still holding out hope that Jim Harbaugh will grab him when he becomes a free agent. I know Jim has morphed into a wigger since he became head coach of the 49'ers, perhaps a requirement of being allowed to work in the NFL as retribution for being a very White-friendly head coach while at Stanford.

Toby was, incredibly, but not unexpectedly, in a similar situation when he came out of high school and Harbaugh was the only one that gave him the opportunity to play RB, unlike Wigger-Pete Carrol who wanted him as a fullback at USC. Harbaugh knows first-hand how talented Toby is and I hope he hasn't become too much of a wigger (as a requirement for him to be allowed to coach in the NFL) to not grab him when he becomes available.

 

[jacknyc]

JIm Harbaugh definitely understands how talented Gerhart is. But the Niners are pretty set at RB.
I think the Packers could make better use of him right now.

 

[Leonardfan]

It would be fun to see Toby lined up behind the beast Anthony Sherman who actually should be an RB as well.

The funny thing about the Cardinals is they drafted two guys - Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams with 1st and 2nd rounds respectively yet they both suck. Williams is injury prone and Beanie Wells is a flat out bust. I hear no one in the media criticizing Wells for being the immense bust he is - he was so hyped up in college and leading up to the draft. He runs soft and is not a hard runner.

Gerhart needs to get out of Minnesota - the fumbles early in the season did not help his cause but he is still a very talented runner who deserves more than to be riding the bench behind an injured RB who is not 100% yet still commands all the carries.

 

[seattlefan]

This article is from last Thursday but Gerhart might get a shot again this season if AP keeps testing his luck:

For the second straight week, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson took Thursday off because of a sore left ankle.

But even though he said it was “hurting consistently†he was confident he’d be able to play both Sunday against the Cardinals and on a short week against the Buccaneers next Thursday.

“Since I twisted it up and it happened, it’s been hurting consistently,†Peterson said, via Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com. “Then we go out and play, it re-aggravates it, just the cutting and different things you’re doing out there. So, it’s sore, but you’ve just got to push through it.â€

Peterson sprained his ankle against the Titans two weeks ago, and took fewer reps in practice. He looked well against the Redskins, with 129 yards on 24 touches, but said he could feel it the next day.

“It was a little worse, waking up that Monday and just feeling the beating you put on it the previous day,†Peterson said. “It wasn’t already healed 100 percent going into the game. So, when you’ve got a nagging injury like that, you’ve just got to stay on top of it, get the rest, continue strengthening it — just do the necessary things to get you through that push to Sunday.â€

By taking care of himself now, he’s hoping the long break on the other side of the short week will enable him to be himself in the second half of the season.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ankle-hurting-consistently-but-plans-to-play/

Why not give Gerhart 5-10 carries a game if his ankle is hurting?

 

[jaxvid]

This article is from last Thursday but Gerhart might get a shot again this season if AP keeps testing his luck:



http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ankle-hurting-consistently-but-plans-to-play/

Why not give Gerhart 5-10 carries a game if his ankle is hurting?

It really looks like the Vikings have soured on him. Not exactly sure why. They were good about giving him the carries last year. I think if Peterson goes down they use Harvin instead. And Peterson getting hurt is Gerharts only chance of an NFL career at this point.

 

[jacknyc]

Peterson is running well, so they no reason to use Gerhart (in their minds)
I still don't know why they even drafted him.
Gerhart needs to go to another team. He has no future with the Vikings.

 

[Wes Woodhead]

I still don't know why they even drafted him.

They drafted him for the same reason the Chargers took Jacob Hester, and the Rams took Brian Leonerd. To make for damn sure he doesn't end up in the record books.

 

[backrow]

It really looks like the Vikings have soured on him. Not exactly sure why. They were good about giving him the carries last year. I think if Peterson goes down they use Harvin instead. And Peterson getting hurt is Gerharts only chance of an NFL career at this point.

I'm guessing the 3 fumble quarter did that (only 2 fumbles stood). not sure, but after this game, i said to myself, well, that's it for Toby.

 

[FootballDad]

This article is from last Thursday but Gerhart might get a shot again this season if AP keeps testing his luck:



http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ankle-hurting-consistently-but-plans-to-play/

Why not give Gerhart 5-10 carries a game if his ankle is hurting?

Can't have no white boyz threatening a BLACK position! Dis beez ourz pozishun!

 

[bearclaw500]

Article in the Minnesota paper about Toby Gerhart and his lack of carries. I made a comment in the comments section of the article. It will be interesting to see how many thumbs up or down I get tomorrow. (feel free to pile on, if you are motivated). The best part of the article was Toby's comment. If you read between the lines, I think he is bacially telling the Vikings that he is out of there after next year, but sugar coating it. Here is his quote below.
:arms:

"I get a lot of people saying, 'Hey, look at the bright side, you're staying healthy. Maybe next contract, you'll get an opportunity to carry the ball somewhere,'" Gerhart said. "We'll see what happens. But right now, I want to do whatever I can to help this team win. It's been a good year."


http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/180273371.html

 

[icsept]

Adrian Peterson is having by far the best season of his career this year. He no doubt had a picture of Toby posted on the wall in his rehab facility. In the three years before Toby, Peterson had 19 fumbles, but only 4 in the three years since Toby arrived. Toby is getting half as many carries as he got in his rookie year, despite his excellent performance last year. Toby is gone after this year, and it will be interesting to see if Peterson still demands 95% of the carries next year.

 

[sport historian]

Adrian Peterson is having by far the best season of his career this year. He no doubt had a picture of Toby posted on the wall in his rehab facility. In the three years before Toby, Peterson had 19 fumbles, but only 4 in the three years since Toby arrived. Toby is getting half as many carries as he got in his rookie year, despite his excellent performance last year. Toby is gone after this year, and it will be interesting to see if Peterson still demands 95% of the carries next year.

Most any RB wants 95% of the carries if he can get them. So would Gerhart.

 

[Don Wassall]

Peterson has been called a "racist" in posts even though he hasn't said or done anything in that vein that I'm aware of. It happens that he was highly motivated to work extremely hard at rehabbing from his serious knee injury and did so far sooner than anyone thought he could. Maybe the thought of Gerhart taking his job helped motivate him, but I don't think he wanted to lose his job to anyone else, period. We ought to be fair enough to recognize the mental toughness Peterson possesses to go along with his talent.

Gerhart's in a bad situation, but it's certainly not Adrian Peterson's fault.

 

[dwid]

Peterson has been called a "racist" in posts even though he hasn't said or done anything in that vein that I'm aware of. It happens that he was highly motivated to work extremely hard at rehabbing from his serious knee injury and did so far sooner than anyone thought he could. Maybe the thought of Gerhart taking his job helped motivate him, but I don't think he wanted to lose his job to anyone else, period. We ought to be fair enough to recognize the mental toughness Peterson possesses to go along with his talent.

Gerhart's in a bad situation, but it's certainly not Adrian Peterson's fault.

Well he did fumble the ball 18 times in the 2 years before Gerhart's arrival (2 of those were in the playoffs), and only fumbled it once each of the following 2 seasons. This year he has two, still not that much, especially when you consider he already has 1k. I would say he is definitely motivated by the presence of Gerhart. I don't think his job was ever in jeopardy but his workload should have been reduced a little with the way Gerhart has performed combined with the injuries Peterson has had. If he is truly afraid of losing his job to Gerhart and not just a few touches then that must confirm that Gerhart is an extremely talented back, lets just hope something can happen similar to the Michael Turner situation.

However, even Michael Turner wasn't reduced to such a low workload as a backup to Ladanian Tomilson in his prime, getting 57, 80, and 71 carries the years before he went to Atlanta (his rookie year the only exception with 20 carries). I doubt that he will instantly wind up in a Michael Turner situation though, being that he went from backup to leading the league in carries the next season. Gerhart's workload as far as touches right now this season look more like Lorenzo Neal's rather than Turner the years Turner was playing second fiddle. Turner's carries were more spread out throughout the season while Gerhart's have mostly come due to the injury of Peterson the past few years and I think we've had this same conversation about how little Gerhart is getting for the season only for Peterson to get injured for a few games.

Hopefully he can AT LEAST wind up in a timeshare after his contract is up.

 

[sport historian]

Adrian Peterson is having by far the best season of his career this year. He no doubt had a picture of Toby posted on the wall in his rehab facility. In the three years before Toby, Peterson had 19 fumbles, but only 4 in the three years since Toby arrived. Toby is getting half as many carries as he got in his rookie year, despite his excellent performance last year. Toby is gone after this year, and it will be interesting to see if Peterson still demands 95% of the carries next year.

John Riggins went to Redskin coach Joe Gibbs before the 1982 playoffs and said, "Give me the ball."

 

[Don Wassall]

Another article speculating about Gerhart being traded before his rookie contract runs out after next season.


Is Toby Gerhart Headed For The Trading Block?


The Minnesota Vikings’ offense has been a world of extremes through 12 games this season, with the struggles of quarterback Christian Ponder in recent weeks falling on one end of the spectrum and the outstanding season running back Adrian Peterson is having as he defies the odds after tearing multiple ligaments in his left knee less than a year ago on the other.

What has largely been lost in that shuffle is the diminished role of running back Toby Gerhart, who has just 33 carries all season and just five total carries in the last seven games combined. He does have eight of his 14 receptions on the season over those same seven games, but after seeing a fair amount of touches early in the season Gerhart has moved into an insignificant role in the Vikings’ offense.

Peterson’s outstanding performanceHYPERLINK \l "", as he has topped 100 rushing yards in six straight games and is the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,446 yards right now, has certainly played a role in Gerhart’s reduced role. Taking Peterson off the field is purely foolish at this point, especially with wide receiver Percy Harvin (ankle) being placed on injured reserve this week.

Does Gerhart have a long-term future with the Vikings? It’s a worthy question, and one that may have a complicated answer.

Gerhart has been productive when given the opportunity to be Minnesota’s workhorse back, including 85 carries for 413 yards with 18 catches for 129 yards and four total touchdowns (three receiving) over the final six games of the 2011 season. Of course Peterson missed all or part of five of those games with an ankle issue and then his knee injury, but Gerhart made the most of his opportunity and proved he could handle a significant workload if Peterson was eased back into actionHYPERLINK \l "" early this season.

But that did not come to fruition, as Peterson had 17 carries for 84 yards with two touchdowns in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and basically has not looked back. Gerhart may not have done himself any favors with the coaching staff with some late-game fumble issues in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, but there is just no room for him right now in the Vikings’ backfield mix.

2013 will be the final season of Gerhart’s rookie contract, and he is due to make just $575,000 in base salary. Trades are rare in the NFL outside of leading up to and during the draft in April, but a team that is looking to bolster their running back depth may be willing to offer a draft pick for him.

Gerhart has the ability to be an asset for the Vikings on the field, but without the promise of a bigger role behind one of the league’s best running backs he may be best used as a potential trade chip heading toward the 2013 season. Peterson’s injury issues at times during his career may make may Gerhart a valuable piece for the Vikings going forward, but I think trading him is something general manager Rick Spielman and the personnel department needs to think about as the season winds down and an offseason plan is formed.

Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2012/12/07/nfl-rumors-is-toby-gerhart-headed-for-the-trading-block/?5QobUxVGeM0wwdpj.99

 

[Don Wassall]

Green Bay CB Tramon Williams fined $21,000 for a helmet to helmet hit on Gerhart. I haven't been able to find video footage of the hit, this link has a photograph of it:


http://espnwisconsin.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=40&post_id=16031

 

[TwentyTwo]

For me...Gerhart's situation is exacerbated by seeing so many "Average/Run-of-the Mill" RB's getting opportunities.... like Shonn Greene, Vick Ballard, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Beanie Wells, Mikel Leshoure, Jonathan Dwyer, Mark Ingram etc.....week after week!

What was up with Gerhart's last performance(unble to see) 5 carries for -5 yards??? I'm sure it was victory formation 10-stacking the box; run the clock out up the middle against a wall...but still!

He's probably accumulating rust with all of the inactivity...extremly frustrating!