The Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones are called America's team and with that comes plenty of money and big expectations, which is one reason why the franchise has been mentioned as a possible trade destination for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and while that trade likely is impossible, crazier things have happened in this league.
Peterson's name started coming up in trade reports starting a week or two ago when a columnist from the area said the team should consider trading him and rebuilding since they are so terrible. On top of that, many speculated where he could go and with Peterson being a Texas boy and Jerry Jones always willing to be a bit crazy, it seemed like a match made in some sort of heaven somewhere. The deal is next to impossible with the Cowboys' financial situation, but screw it, let's go with it anyway. By the way, another reason this deal isn't going down: the Vikings play the Cowboys next, this would never actually happen with Peterson suiting up a week later against his old team, it just can't.
The reason the Cowboys could be a potential option is also because of how they handle their business with running backs. Bill Barnwell on Grantland put together a big look about how the Cowboys draft and acquire young running backs and players, get excited about them and then ditch them and that appears to be what is happening with DeMarco Murray. Barnwell writes that the team has been unhappy with Murray being injured so often, which was an issue back in college and that they could change things up in a "big way."
Murray was off to a solid start this season, but the Cowboys have been hurt by his injuries, leaving Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar to come in for Murray as replacements. Barnwell writes about some other backs, including Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Julius Jones, all players that showed promise, were looked at as long-term options and then ditched when the Cowboys got tired of them. While they may not actually trade Peterson, they could end up trading Murray and that would not be a surprise at all.
This season Murray has 428 yards rushing and he missed the past two weeks with a knee issue and that could mean the Cowboys are looking to deal. Murray scored three times in his past four games and has been solid catching the ball, making him valuable to some other teams that could use a running back. This season Murray has 24 catches for over 160 yards and while the Peterson thing is nuts, I know, it still is within the wheelhouse of the Cowboys.
Sure, this deal went the other way, but lest anyone forget about the Herschel Walker deal between the Vikings and Cowboys that saw the team send over its entire draft for the running back. Speculation is king for the NFL trade deadline and usually it's the lesser known players that get dealt and not the bigger ones. This is a case where people ran with the fun idea bout Peterson as a Cowboy and thought it was something that could happen, but even at 1-6, there's no way that the Vikings will do it. The Cowboys can't afford it anyway and Peterson is too good of a player to deal a season after he rushed for 2,000 yards.
