The Minnesota Vikings may look at an Adrian Peterson trade this offseason and the Dallas Cowboys could be an option if they let DeMarco Murray walk in a contract year, while teams like the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, NY Giants, Baltimore Ravens or New York Jets could be interested if AP is traded or released by the team for the 2015 season.
Peterson was placed on the exempt list after his child abuse case went public and now that he has reached a plea deal he is looking to get back into the league. According to ESPN.com, the league is looking at the case and working out whether to discipline Peterson further, while the NFLPA has asked for an expedited decision on the matter. Chris Mortensen reported that the league could suspend Peterson for more games despite the fact he has missed nearly the entire season, as the league can give out punishment even without a guilty verdict.
Before the case was resolved, there were numerous reports from ESPN.com and other outlets about the Vikings and their future with Peterson. Chris Mortenson at ESPN.com wrote that the Vikings likely will look to split with Peterson and that they are preparing for a future without him on their team. Pro Football Talk reports that the hearing for Peterson will be coming by the end of the month a decision soon after that and that could dictate how the Vikings handle things moving forward.
Peterson is making a ton of money on the cap and his deal is for $12.75 million as his base salary next season and after that is goes up to nearly $15 million. The cap space is precious in the NFL and with Peterson taking up so much of it, there is a good chance the Vikings will look at making a move. Peterson is one of the best players ever in the NFL, but the Vikings may opt to cut and run once this whole mess is resolved.
The ESPN report from Outside the Lines on Jerry Jones was one of the main reasons why the Cowboys were mentioned in regards to Peterson, but now with the legal case things may have changed. The Cowboys obviously will be looking to keep DeMarco Murray, but there is a chance he may ask for too much money or the Cowboys may look at other options. Andrew Brandt at the MMQB.com wrote about how hard it is to gauge how running backs will develop as they get older and with all the carries that Murray had this season, there is a chance the Cowboys will be weary of giving him a major deal.
The emergence of Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata also could make things easier for the Vikings, as they now have two cheap options to help replace Peterson. While no one would argue that those two players (even combined) are as talented as Peterson, but with the RB position diminishing in value and the Vikings offense changing, those two could help the team get by without AP. The contract is the biggest thing and once the dead money gets down to its lowest number, the Vikings could be more willing to make a move.