The Minnesota Vikings are coming off of another loss and with Adrian Peterson and his legal trouble still playing out, it's likely a trade or release is in the future for the running back and the Dallas Cowboys have been mentioned as a trade target, but that could be off now that DeMarco Murray is having an MVP season overall and in fantasy football, leading the league in rushing overall.
The Vikings and Peterson have their future up in the air right now as he goes through the legal process regarding his child abuse case. According to ESPN.com, the Vikings are not planning on keeping Peterson into the future and they are ready to move on from him, but whether it will be a trade or release is unclear now. The team is ready to push Teddy Bridgewater as the face of the franchise and this comes after multiple issues with Peterson this season, including his admission to smoking marijuana while out on bond.
The Cowboys have long been mentioned as an option for Peterson and the Vikings because he is from Texas and also because of the OTL story with Jerry Jones from this summer. AP and Jones reportedly spoke on the phone about Peterson and his interest in playing for the Cowboys one day, but now that Murray has had such a good start to the season, that idea could be falling by the wayside. Peterson came into the season as one of the best backs in NFL history and now the end part of his career has become a big question overall in the league and with the Vikings.
ESPN.com is reporting that even if Peterson is found not guilty of his charges, there is a chance he could face a suspension from the NFL. The league has been under the microscope for the past few months with all that went on with Ray Rice and now they could come down hard on Peterson even after his court issues are done with. Peterson is likely going to miss the rest of the season and that could include a suspension if the case is done in court before the schedule is over in 2014.
Peterson only missed two games over the past two seasons and he rushed for over 2000 yards two years ago and had 1266 yards last season while scoring 22 touchdowns over that period. Losing a year is tough and with Peterson already near 30, his career is on the down swing and it's likely the Vikings will make a move with him. Peterson is taking up money on the cap and with Bridgewater and a group of young players coming in, it could be time to move on.
Murray is killing it this season and that could keep the Cowboys from going after Peterson at all, which would take one major team out of the mix for him. Murray has been getting the ball more than anyone in the league this season and he is on an MVP pace with over 780 yards already and six touchdowns. The Cowboys have been playing very well and now he has over 100 yards in each of his first six games, tying an NFL record. The Cowboys wanted to focus more on the run and now they have Murray moving things along as he tries to make it through the season without getting injured, something he has not done in his career.