The Minnesota Vikings could use free-agent running back Jamal Lewis to help shoulder the load with Adrian Peterson.

Due to the amount of abuse running backs receive in the regular season, and the NFL placing emphasis on preventing concussions, teams have been apprehensive to sign older free-agent running backs.

For former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, the Eagle’s all-time leader in rushing yards, concussions and age have placed him out of favor with many teams.

Meanwhile, Willie Parker, Lewis and Westbrook are the only unrestricted free-agent running backs to have 5,000 yards rushing. Out of the trio, Lewis may be the best candidate for the Vikings.

Since former Vikings running back Chester Taylor signed with the Chicago Bears, Minnesota has lacked depth at the running back position. Lewis would bring experience and leadership to the team.

His impressive resume includes winning Super Bowl XXXV, 126 career starts, and 10,607 yards rushing.

Although the Cleveland Browns placed him on injured reserve in the 2009-10 season, after he admitted to having a concussion, he still rushed for more than 500 yards in nine games. This performance was nearly double the league’s average for rushing yards in 2009, which was 326 yards.

The 10th-year veteran still has some football left in him, and his experience and leadership could prove beneficial for Peterson.

Within the past two years, Lewis carried the ball 422 times, rushed for 1,502 yards, and had only two turnovers. Considering Peterson has averaged 338 attempts for the past two seasons, 90 touches for Lewis would be ideal for third-down situations. Since Peterson has had problems fumbling the ball, Lewis could play a vital role for protecting the ball during close games.

Last season, according to NFL.com, Peterson and Texans running back Steve Slaton led the league with seven fumbles. This was equal to the combined number of fumbles for the leagues leading rushers in Chris Johnson (three fumbles), Steven Jackson (two fumbles) and Thomas Jones (two fumbles). Each runner had at least 10 more carries than Peterson’s 314 rushes for 1,383 yards.

On multiple occasions, Adrian Peterson’s lack of ball control placed the Vikings in a position to lose games. Most notably was his Monday night performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 10, in which the third-year player fumbled during overtime. Although Vikings head coach Brad Childress mentioned Peterson was facemasked on the play.

Peterson’s two turnovers in the NFC Championship game, against the New Orleans Saints, may have cost the team a trip to the Super Bowl.

During NFL Network’s coverage of the Pro Bowl game, Peterson admitted he was running with less aggression due to his lack of his inconsistency.

Andre Lamar is a journalism student at Delaware State University.