The Minnesota Vikings may look at an Adrian Peterson trade this offseason, but right now no deal is close to happening and head coach Mike Zimmer expects the running back to return to the team for 2015 but if a trade happens, teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars could be potential landing spots.
Earlier in the offseason it looked like a trade was likely, but now with the draft just weeks away, Peterson does not appear to be on the move. According to Pro Football Talk, the Vikings are not going to trade Peterson "unless blown away by an offer" for draft picks and/or players. Mike Florio adds that the Vikings are in position to keep Peterson, as they have the leverage due to his contract situation.
Peterson still has over $40 million left on his deal for the next three years and that makes him very difficult to trade. Pro Football Talk reported earlier in the offseason that the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals were the most likely landing spots and ESPN.com recently reported the Raiders could also be in the mix. Peter King threw out a wild card last week with the Jaguars, but that is not seen as a realistic destination for Peterson, even though they have the cap space.
The Vikings have been open about wanting Peterson back for this season and according to Adam Schefter at ESPN, it will take "significant" draft picks to pull off a trade for Peterson. ESPN reported earlier in the offseason that Peterson was "uneasy" about coming back to the Vikings after the way he was placed on the exempt list earlier in the season. The team has time to try and patch things up, as they do not owe Peterson any money until the season starts, which is another reason why they have some leverage.
The Vikings showed some promise last year and Teddy Bridgewater appears to be the real deal, so perhaps Peterson could be convinced to stay by Zimmer, who has been very supportive this offseason. Peterson is owed $12.75 million this season in base salary and has a $15 million cap chit and that is why he is not an easy player to trade. Peterson is 30 years old and while that is the age that most RBs break down, Peterson is not like other players.
Peterson rushed for over 2000 yards after tearing his ACL and he followed that up with another strong season in 2013, rushing for 1266 yards. Peterson has 22 touchdowns over his last two full seasons and he comes in after playing in just one game last year, which could help with his wear and tear. The Cowboys appeared to be an option early on, but they have signed Darren McFadden and also are interested in running backs in the draft.
The Cardinals were also reportedly interested, but they wanted Peterson to rework his contract due to the high cap hit. Both teams likely will focus on the draft to add another running back. Peterson still has an outside shot at the rushing record and he has played his entire NFL career in Minnesota.