EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The five weeks between minicamp and training camp are a time for relaxation and preparation for Vikings players.

When linebacker Edmond Robinson returns home to Charleston, South Carolina, his visit will be a reflective one, too.

Robinson recently spoke with Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune about visiting a place where a national tragedy occurred one year ago.

*Robinson, a second-year linebacker, plans to visit his former church, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, to honor victims on the anniversary of a mass shooting that took place in that historic southern church. *

*One year ago Friday, a gunman killed nine people during a prayer meeting. The victims included Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a family friend who mentored Robinson's mother as she served as pastoral intern at Emanuel AME. *

Robinson knew a few of the victims personally.

"I'll make sure I go there and pay my respects," he said.

Robinson said he was studying his playbook at last year's minicamp when he first received word of the shooting. His thoughts immediately turned to his family.

*His mother, Ann, now serves as lead pastor at a different Emanuel AME church in the West Ashley district of Charleston. Robinson feared the worst reading early reports. *

*He called his mom four times but she did not answer. He called his brother. No answer. His father. No answer. *

*Relief overcame him once he finally made contact with his mother, but sadness quickly followed as details of the shooting became clear. *

"We move on but we don't forget about what happened," Robinson said. "A year later, people are still trying to put pieces together but still continuing to move on in life."

Peterson could play in preseason

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has often been a spectator during preseason action.

That trend might continue this season, especially with the Vikings slated to hold a pair of joint practices against the Bengals in August.

Ben Goessling of ESPN.com wrote Friday that Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer might lean toward not playing Peterson in exhibition play.

*Zimmer said Thursday he doesn't "know that there's a need" to play Peterson in the preseason, adding the team's two joint practices with the Cincinnati Bengals could get the NFL's leading rusher some of the work he needs without the risks of live tackling in an exhibition game. Peterson last played in a preseason game in 2013, when he got one series against the San Francisco 49ers, and hasn't carried the ball in the preseason since 2011. *

"Some of the different runs that we're running, maybe it might be good to get him a couple of reps," Zimmer said. "But that's probably the good thing about practicing against Cincinnati. I don't have to see him in live things, but I can see him in other situations. But I don't know, I'll have to think about that one."