Here in Eden Praire, Minn., the big story of the Vikings OTAs was that rehabbing stars Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin put on a show racing each other. More on that later. But the most surprising story? That was that cornerback Asher Allen decided to retire. At just 24 years old, Allen is calling it quits. Coach Leslie Frazier announced the news, saying it wasn’t for health reasons. It was just what Allen wanted. “I didn’t see that coming,” Frazier said. “But everybody has to make decisions that are the best for their family. … He came in my office last Thursday, talked about it and informed me of what he wanted to do.“ After the OTAs, I spoke with GM Rick […]

Many are assuming that the Vikings will take left tackle Matt Kalil with the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, but comments that coach Leslie Frazier made to The Star Tribune on Sunday might cast that idea in doubt.

Justin Blackmon officially ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash Oklahoma State’s pro day Friday.

Stephen Hill continued his meteoric rise up the draft boards with a fantastic workout at Georgia Tech’s pro day Thursday.

While Vikings RB Adrian Peterson pinpointed next week as a watershed moment in his rehabilitation from torn ligaments in his right knee, his coach, Leslie Frazier, urged his franchise’s most important player to pump the brakes.

The North squad left the team hotel Thursday morning for practice at Ladd Peebles Stadium as scheduled, but didn’t stay very long.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ trade of disgruntled quarterback Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday stands as one of the biggest draft-day deals in NFL history.

It has been a steep fall for Vikings fans since the team’s heart-breaking loss to the Saints in NFC Championship Game two seasons ago.

Tom Brady‘s air show Monday night was the talk of the NFL, but lost in the afterglow of Brady’s 517 passing yards and New England’s 38-24 victory is the fact that Dolphins QB Chad Henne was pretty good, too. In fact, the teams combined for 906 net yards passing, an NFL record. Watch all the dizzying highlights here.

Leslie Frazier has maintained the Vikings want to retain Sidney Rice, and NFL.com’s Steve Wyche believes the team will be competitive in the free-agent market to keep the four-year veteran.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz has a plan for his backfield, and it’s not going to improve the fantasy value of Jahvid Best.

The first big shock of the draft didn’t last long. It went precisely four picks, from the time the Titans took Jake Locker eighth overall until the Vikings made Christian Ponder the 12th pick overall and the fourth quarterback selected in the draft.

Based on the current state of things around the NFL, it’s tough to find any news that has major fantasy significance (sigh). So when several coaches and other organizational leaders discussed the state of their teams during the annual Owners Meetings, you can only imagine how quickly I jumped on the information.

And now for a few thoughts, observations and highlights as we wrap up Day 2 of the NFL Scouting Combine.

At least one Vikings player believes the team’s window to win is still open, a factor that will no doubt play a role in the team’s decision at quarterback.