MINNEAPOLIS -- Like a lot of NFL veterans on teams that travel out of town to start summer practices, Adrian Petersons enthusiasm for the approaching season has often been temporarily dampened by the drive to training camp.Arrival at the familiar site of dorm room life, two-a-day workouts and overall drudgery, however brief, can prompt unpleasant feelings.This time, vibes around the Minnesota Vikings might be good enough to make even a player with 10 years of experience embrace the trip.Im excited as far as what we have and the vision that we have for this season, Peterson said. So that makes things better. Itll make it a lot better going into camp this year.The Vikings will report to Minnesota State University on July 28, bringing expectations of postseason success as high as theyve been since 2010. That became an ugly year for the Vikings. The picture for 2016 has a pretty frame, and now its time to fill in the illustration.Peterson sounded as resolute as ever when he declared recently the Vikings should be seriously considered as a Super Bowl contender. Theyre coming off an NFC North title, their first since 2009.We have the pieces and what it takes to accomplish that. So theres nothing wrong with saying it, Peterson said last month. If any other guy on this team doesnt feel that way, then we need to be trading him and bringing somebody in that feels that way as well.The timing is right for Peterson, who rushed for a league-high 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and turned 31 in March. His contract will carry an $18 million salary cap hit in 2017, so his future with the Vikings beyond this upcoming season is unclear.I dont see an end in my future anywhere soon, but of course I know Im coming around the last lap. And Im itching to get a couple before Im done playing this game, said Peterson, referring to a championship that the franchise has unsuccessfully chased since its inception in 1961.Here are some key angles to follow around the Vikings this season:BRIDGING THE GAP: Teddy Bridgewater finished in the bottom third of the NFL in most quarterback categories in 2015, and his accuracy on deep throws was perhaps the most problematic. He connected on just 11 of 42 passes that traveled 21-plus yards in the air, according to STATS research.For Bridgewater to take a meaningful step forward in year three, and for the Vikings offense to improve upon its 29th-place ranking in total yards last season, hell have to hit more long targets. Drafting Laquon Treadwell in the first round ought to be a boon for Bridgewater.He wins games, and to me thats the most important thing, coach Mike Zimmer said. Theres a lot more to playing quarterback than just throwing the ball through the wall.ON THE LINE: The biggest weakness over Bridgewaters first two years, the offensive line has been significantly upgraded. Its now the most expensive in the league. Alex Boone left San Francisco for a lucrative deal to be the left guard. Andre Smith, who left Cincinnati, is the front-runner at right tackle. Hell compete with Phil Loadholt, who like center John Sullivan has returned from an injury that sidelined him for the 2015 season.WILL WALSH BOUNCE BACK?: For all of the highlights from last season, the most memorable moment was the improbable miss by Blair Walsh of a 27-yard field goal that wouldve given the Vikings a victory over Seattle in a frigid first-round game in the playoffs. Walsh followed an off year in 2014 with a solid regular season in 2015. But a strong start to 2016 would go a long way toward ensuring hes not negatively affected by that heartbreaking shank.THE TIME IS NOW: The teams backbone lies in recent first-round draft picks such as Bridgewater, linebacker Anthony Barr, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith. The soul rests in the veterans such as Peterson, linebacker Chad Greenway, defensive end Brian Robison and cornerback Terence Newman whose Super Bowl pursuit is still hot. Greenway and Newman signed one-year contracts, deferring retirement to remain with a team thats in prime position to make a run.BANK ON IT: The ship-shaped, glass-fronted $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium will soon be unveiled, with the Vikings set for their first performance on Aug. 28 for an exhibition game against San Diego and the regular-season home opener on Sept. 18 against rival Green Bay.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Orioles Jerseys . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Baltimore Orioles Shirts . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. https://www.cheaporioles.com/ . 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SHEFFIELD, England -- Former Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill announced her retirement from track and field on Thursday, ending the career of one of Britains most successful sportswomen.The 30-year-old Ennis-Hill won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, won a second world championship gold a year after giving birth to her first child, and won silver at the this years Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Ive always said I want to leave my sport on a high and have no regrets, she said in a post on Twitter and Instagram , and I can truly say that.The poster girl for the London Games, Ennis-Hill is among the most popular sportspeople in Britain and widely regarded as a role model to upcoming athletes.Her record as an athlete is phenomenal and thats without considering the challenges of returning from pregnancy to win world gold and Olympic silver, said Neil Black, performance director at British Athletics. Id like to thank her not only for her contribution to the GB team over the years, but additionally for being a great person to work with, know andd support.ddddddddddddEnnis-Hill took time out of the sport to give birth to son Reggie -- forcing her to miss the 2014 Commonwealth Games -- and hinted about ending her 11-year professional career immediately after winning the silver medal in Rio, behind Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium.From my first world title in Berlin 2009 to Rio 2016, Im so fortunate to have had such an amazing career within the sport I love and this has been one of the toughest decisions Ive had to make, she said. But I know that retiring now is right.An excellent sprint hurdler and long jumper, Ennis-Hill broke through in 2006 by winning bronze in the heptathlon at her only Commonwealth Games.Other career highlights included winning heptathlon gold at the 2010 European Championships and winning the world indoor pentathlon title the same year. She dominated the heptathlon between 2009-12, a period that culminated in Ennis-Hill handling home pressure to win Olympic gold. ' ' '