By John Sarianides

For ten years, Adrian Peterson was the center piece of the Vikings offense. Now Peterson is in New Orleans. 

The Vikings decided to move on from Peterson after last season and signed veteran Latavius Murray and drafted Dalvin Cook to fill the void. Both backs will have ample opportunities to replace the future hall of famer, particularly Cook.

The Vikings revamped their offensive line this off-season adding veterans Reilly Reiff and Mike Remmers at tackle. The fortified offensive line should give quarterback Sam Bradford more time to get the ball to his talented receiving corp. 

if the Vikings are going to contend, their defense will need to play at level it did last season and then. Minnesota has one of the most talented defense’s in the NFL but they have wilted down the stretch in each of the past two seasons. 

Here are three keys for the Vikings this season. 

1. Replacing AP: Replacing Peterson’s production will be no easy task but the committee backfield of Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook is more than capable. Cook in particular has a unique skill set and could be effective as a three down back.

2. Improved Offensive Line Must Lead the Way: The Vikings improved offensive line must give Sam Bradford more time and allow the Vikings to be more balanced on offense. The Vikings made major changes upfront and GM Rick Speilman hopes the moves pay off.

3. The D Must Be As Good As It Was in 2016: If the Vikings defense plays as well as it did last season, the Vikings will once again be playoff contenders. Especially if the offense is more consistent throughout the entire season.

In the End: The Vikings should compete for both the NFC North title and a wild card spot. If the offense improves and is more consistent, Minnesota could be a sleeper team to watch in 2017.