Although both of these things could have left Jackson feeling less than secure in his role as the Vikings' starting quarterback, the talk hasn't bothered him one bit. Or if it has, he's not showing it.

"Not at all," Jackson said. "It kind of helps me out. I know I have to get better. ... I still have some improving to do, and I know that. I have to prove myself yet."

--WR Bernard Berrian, signed as a free agent from the Chicago Bears, is clearly adjusting to the Vikings' West Coast offense. Berrian had a few drops early in camp but he also made a nice 35-yard catch on a pass from Tarvaris Jackson. Berrian was going against Vikings starting CB Antoine Winfield on the play.

--TE Thomas Tapeh, signed as a free agent from Philadelphia, showed he can catch the ball as well as block. On the first day of camp he caught a handful of passes in check-down situations.

--The Vikings are looking at several players as potential kick returners. The list includes rookie WRs Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud and Daniel Davis; RB Maurice Hicks; and WR Aundrae Allison. Allison won the job last season but Hicks, signed as a free agent from San Francisco, is the leading candidate to land the role.

--The team also is considering three options for its nickel package. CBs Charles Gordon, Marcus McCauley and Benny Sapp will battle for a role, with Gordon and McCauley likely to be the two finalists. McCauley, in his second year, began last season playing in the nickel but Gordon eventually replaced him. An added twist to the situation is that the defensive staff hasn't decided if it wants CB Antoine Winfield playing left corner in the nickel or moving inside.

--Chase Johnson is working at left tackle on the second-team but Artis Hicks remains the primary backup to Bryant McKinnie at that spot. That's important because McKinnie could face disciplinary action from the NFL as a repeat offender of the league's personal-conduct policy. McKinnie was involved in a brawl outside a Miami nightclub last winter.

--RB Adrian Peterson showed no rust early in camp, piling up several explosive runs early on. This included what would have been a sure long touchdown run after going up the middle and putting about three nice moves on unsuspecting members of the second-team defense on the first day of practice.

--DE Jared Allen put a move on OT Bryant McKinnie in one-on-one drills during the first day of practice that left the big left tackle wondering what had happened. McKinnie rebounded to win the battle the very next time around.

--The Vikings were wearing "throwback" helmets early in camp in order to break them in. They are replicas of the Vikings' 1970s-era helmets with a darker shade of purple and gray facemasks. The team wore their "throwback" uniforms once last season in a game and plan to do the same this year.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm not good-looking, so they didn't bring me here to be the model of the franchise. They brought me here to produce and produce wins and to work with my teammates to make myself better and make them better. That is my role; my role is to win games." -- DE Jared Allen, obtained from Kansas City in an offseason trade for a first-round pick and two third-rounders, on what his role will be with the Vikings.

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