MINNEAPOLIS — If Cordarrelle Patterson comes back to the Minnesota Vikings on a new contract, could he make a Ty Montgomery-esque move and help solve some of the team’s questions at running back? Our Vikings Twitter question of the week:

@GoesslingESPN Chances of bringing back Patterson, and would they consider using him at RB on occasion. #VikingsMail

— Chad Durand (@_Coach_Durand) February 9, 2017

@GoesslingESPN: We’ve received a number of questions in recent weeks about Patterson becoming a running back, should he return to the Vikings next year. That’s an important qualifier, with Patterson about to hit free agency, so I’ll answer that part of your question first.

Patterson seemed to find a role in the Vikings’ offense with Pat Shurmur taking over as the offensive coordinator, and I expect the Vikings will have some interest in bringing him back on a new contract, a year after they declined his fifth-year option. Patterson showed impressive personal growth in his contract year; his contributions as a gunner on special teams were critical to his increased role in the offense, as he restored coaches’ faith in him by showing he’d do whatever they asked. Patterson led the league in kick return average for the third time in four years, and his 52 catches were a career high. I’m sure the Vikings will see a role for Patterson during a full year in Shurmur’s offense — he became a frequent target for quarterback Sam Bradford on bubble screens last year — and while there’s a chance they’ll lose Patterson to some team that waves big money in front of him along with promises of making him a star, I think they’ll make a strong effort to bring him back at a reasonable price.

Now, if he’s back, can he be a running back on occasion? We saw him do it to great effect in 2013, when he ran for 158 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns as a rookie, and he showed again last year he can gain yards after contact on his receptions. His average of 2.08 yards after contact per catch was 20th in the league, just behind Montgomery’s average of 2.11 yards, according to ESPN Stats and Information. But it’s another step entirely to expect Patterson to become the kind of consistent factor in the Vikings’ running game that Montgomery was for the Green Bay Packers last year.

When coach Mike Zimmer was asked about Montgomery in a conference call with Packers reporters in December, he praised the receiver’s ability to switch positions especially from the standpoint of mastering a new set of responsibilities in pass protection. There’d be a learning curve for Patterson there, and I’m not sure another significant role change is the most prudent course of action for a player who’s needed some time to learn the intricacies of the receiver position. And while Patterson is big enough to handle contact, he’d probably have to run lower than he does as a receiver, to take on defenders near the line of scrimmage and protect the ball.

INDIANAPOLIS – Having in-house free agents that they didn’t want to lose was a norm for the most part in recent years for the Indianapolis Colts.

Cornerback Vontae Davis in 2014. Safety Mike Adams in 2015. Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener in 2016. 2017?

The pressure to re-sign their nine unrestricted free agents isn’t as high in years past. The biggest reason is because the Colts don’t have any players that will set them back if they don’t re-sign them. Here’s a priority list of the Colts’ free agents:

1. TE Jack Doyle

2016 key stats: 59 receptions, 584 yards, 5 TDs (all career highs)

Pro in re-signing: Doyle not only made Fleener an afterthought, he was also arguably the Colts’ best tight end last season. Doyle’s blocking skills have never been questioned, but he showed he’s more than just a blue-collar player when he finished the season second on the team in receptions and receiving yards.

Con in re-signing: None.

2. LB Erik Walden

8. LB Trent Cole

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With the NFL’s scouting combine just over a week away, the Denver Broncos’ biggest roster need is undeniable as they evaluate the prospects.

That’s the offensive line. But in the quest to “stay great” on defense, John Elway knows has to look at that side of the ball as well. In particular, he will focus on stopping the run.

“That’s an obvious question,” said Joe Woods, promoted to Broncos defensive coordinator in January after two seasons coaching the team’s defensive backs.

“I’ll give you the obvious answer: Obviously, it’s the run game,” Woods said. “Last year was a little bit different for us in terms of how teams attacked us.”

It is painfully obvious to the Broncos, because despite all that was good in 2016 — finishing No. 4 in total defense, No. 4 in scoring defense and No. 1 in pass defense — Denver’s inability to close down the opposing run game meant it often couldn’t close the deal.

Opponents rumbled to 130.3 yards rushing per game, 28th in the NFL, ahead of only Buffalo, Miami, Cleveland and San Francisco. That isn’t exactly fast company: Cleveland has the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, with San Francisco second and Buffalo selecting No. 10.

It’s why the Broncos will take a long look at defensive linemen in the draft and free agency; inside linebackers will also be a focus. Because until Denver shows teams the repairs have been done, it can expect more of the same approach from opposing offenses.

With the Broncos’ secondary often making throwing an exercise futility — all four starters have played in at least one Pro Bowl over the past two seasons — opponents were more than content to pound away. The Broncos faced 482 rushing attempts in 2016.

Only San Francisco (548) and Cleveland (498) faced more rushes than Denver and, again, their combined three wins last season got them the draft’s top two picks.

“We just never got it done,” cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “There were times we couldn’t get off the field or keep [offenses] in those situations where you can rush the passer and maybe force some picks, get some hits on the quarterbacks. … We let people off the hook too much.’’

Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET
Rds. 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m. ET
Rds. 4-7: April 29, noon ET
Where: Philadelphia

Coach Vance Joseph has said the team will continue to use a 3-4 scheme as the base defense, as the Broncos have done for the past two seasons. And with nose tackle Sylvester Williams an unrestricted free agent, the Broncos will have a keen eye on that position, as at defensive end, where Walker is also a free agent.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — By his own admission, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will go back through every play of the Atlanta Falcons’ devastating loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI for the rest of his life.

In the first overtime game in Super Bowl history, the Patriots overcame a 25-point deficit, shattering the record for the largest comeback in a Super Bowl. The comeback was also the third largest in NFL postseason history overall and the biggest in Patriots franchise history. At its peak, the Falcons had a win probability of greater than 99.5 percent at one point in the third quarter.

But Shanahan’s Atlanta offense couldn’t close it out. When the game needed salting away, Atlanta either didn’t run the ball at all or didn’t run it effectively. As the offensive coordinator, Shanahan became the focus of postgame criticism, especially for a sequence late in the game when he opted to throw instead of run when the Falcons were in field goal range.

“Obviously, you guys know the result of that, which wasn’t easy,” Shanahan said. “It’s as hard as anything I’ve gone through.”

Such a disappointment on such a big stage will surely stick with Shanahan for a long time. But if there ever was a task that would help him move on and focus on the present and future rather than the past, it’s the one now in front of him.

In the immediate aftermath of the overtime loss to the Patriots, 49ers CEO Jed York offered Shanahan a day to stop, reflect on, and grieve the loss with his Atlanta players. Shanahan referred to it as getting “closure” before officially taking the job in San Francisco.

As you’d expect, Shanahan received no shortage of support and advice on how to forge ahead.

“Everyone just tried to tell me to be proud of yourself,” Shanahan said. “Don’t kill yourself. Everyone tries to compliment you and stuff, make you feel better, and it doesn’t work. It’s like, thank you, thank you, thank you, I’ve got to deal with this a little bit. Time helps, but getting out here was the best thing.”

Indeed, Shanahan has no time to fret about how things ended in Atlanta if he wants to create a happier ending with the 49ers. Upon arrival in the Bay Area, he took over a team that has gone 15-33 over the past three seasons, seeming to bottom out in 2016 with a 2-14 record. It’s a team with little in the way of clear roster building blocks and in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. More than anything, it needs some real, genuine stability after changing coaches for a third time in as many offseasons.

Shanahan will have plenty of help in all of those facets from new general manager John Lynch, who should help take some of the face-of-the-franchise responsibilities off Shanahan’s plate. That should clear the way for Shanahan to focus on the football aspects of the rebuild. That includes finalizing his coaching staff and meticulous film study of the Niners from last season, as well as getting up to speed on potential free agents and draft prospects.

And while Shanahan has been accused of being cocky or arrogant in the past, he isn’t making any outlandish promises about the immediate future. Neither he nor Lynch offered any clues that they believe this will be a quick turnaround as they attempt to re-establish what York calls a “championship culture.”