The Dallas Cowboys may still be in the mix for the Adrian Peterson trade with the Vikings and as that goes on, Jerry Jones is working on a long term contract with Dez Bryant after he was hit with the franchise tag and he is also preparing for the draft and the team could consider taking Bryce Petty or Garrett Grayson as a future replacement for Tony Romo.
The Cowboys let DeMarco Murray walk in free agency and brought in Darren McFadden to help replace him, but the team also may consider making a deal for Adrian Peterson. Right now no deal is close, as the Vikings and Peterson are trying to work things out and the team has been public about wanting the running back to return. According to Pro Football Talk, the Cowboys and the Cardinals have shown interest in Peterson, but the Vikings may not end up trading him this offseason despite the heavy speculation.
One of the main priorities for the Cowboys this offseason was to make sure that Dez Bryant remained in Dallas and the team decided to use the franchise tag on him. According to Pro Football Talk, contract talks have been slow between Bryant and the Cowboys, but Jerry Jones has said that he "is not worried" about the contract and that he expects Bryant to be with the team this summer. Some reports have Bryant holding out until the deadline to sign his franchise tag deal if no long term contract agreement can be reached.
The franchise tag for wide receivers is for $12.823 million for 2015 and if the team can't sign him to a long term deal, there is a chance he could miss the June minicamp workouts. The Cowboys could tag Bryant two years in a row, but after the displeasure he expressed earlier this offseason, it's unlikely the Cowboys look at that as an option. Bryant was tagged this offseason along with Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas.
The Cowboys have a number of areas of need with the draft coming up and both running back and quarterback could be options early on. While the team has Tony Romo, he is getting older and has dealt with injuries and that could lead to Jones considering taking someone like Petty or Grayson to groom as the future starter. Todd Gurley has also been mentioned as an option to come in with Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle after the team let Murray go.
Petty is coming in after a strong run with Baylor in college and he put up some great numbers and also helped the team win consecutive Big 12 titles. Petty came in and took over for Robert Griffin III, so he likely would not be intimidated by having Romo in front of him. Petty had a solid pro day and he comes in after passing for 62 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions in his college career.
Peterson will remain a potential target until his future is decided and there is a chance he will fight the Vikings if they don't want to trade or release him. Peterson is from Texas and there has been reported interest from Peterson's side in the Cowboys and Jerry Jones has also praised Peterson in the past. The Cowboys cap situation is tight and that could be the main issue in the pursuit of Peterson.