The Arizona Cardinals may look at Adrian Peterson as a target if he is traded or released this offseason, as the team needs to improve their rushing attack and this comes as players like Reggie Bush, DeAngelo Williams and Steven Jackson are available in free agency and as the Cards are deciding whether to bring back Dan Williams and Darnell Dockett.
The Cardinals made the playoffs last season and nearly won the NFC West division title, but they dealt with injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton and ended up losing in the playoffs. Bruce Arians and Steve Keim received extensions and the team also opted to bring back Larry Fitzgerald, which has given the organization optimism for 2015. The team thinks it can compete for the Super Bowl and that could lead them to look at Peterson if he is released or traded.
According to Pro Football Talk, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spoke with Peterson's father, who said that he has heard "rumors" that the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys are interested in Peterson. Peterson's future is still a bit up in the air and while there is a chance he could return to the Vikings, there is also a good chance he never plays for the team again. Earlier in the offseason reports said Peterson was upset with the team with the way they helped place him on the exempt list and that list is where he is now.
ESPN.com reported that Peterson had his suspension overturned, with a judge ruling that the NFL applied their new policy to him when it should not have applied. Peterson is not reinstated yet, but he can start talking to the Vikings and he likely could be reinstated when the league year starts in March if the NFL doesn't go to court with the appeal decision.
Andre Ellington is a great talent for the Cardinals, but he was banged up and was not effective down the stretch and the team ended up ranked 31st in rushing yards per game. The offense suffered overall when Palmer went down, but the team has to do better rushing the ball. Peterson could be a strong option despite his age, as he had a year off of getting his body banged around and will be motivated to bounce back. The last time Peterson was motivated like this was after his ACL injury and he came back and rushed for 2000 yards the next season.
The Cardinals brought back Larry Fitzgerald on a two year deal and that was the first major move of the offseason for the team. Fitzgerald had a huge cap hit of over $20 million coming into this season and now he is back on a two year deal worth $11 million per year and is staying with the only team he has played for. The Cardinals may also look at players like Reggie Bush, DeAngelo Williams or Steven Jackson, as those players could come cheap after getting released as veteran cuts this offseason. The Cardinals also have to decide on whether to bring back Dockett on his salary, while Williams is set to be a free agent.