The Adrian Peterson trade rumors are back for the Minnesota Vikings, as reporter Mike Freeman wrote that the team could be looking for a way out when it comes to the Pro Bowl running back, as he is getting paid way too much money and teams like the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys or Oakland Raiders could be in the mix for a deal if the team rebuilds after using a draft pick on Teddy Bridgewater.
Freeman wrote after the draft as one of his notes that Peterson and the Vikings are heading for an exit eventually and that the team will be looking to move him in the near future. Peterson has remained healthy and productive since coming back from his knee injury, but he is about to be 30 and that is when the time comes for the fall for running backs. On top of that, in the NFL this year the value of running backs is getting lower and lower and the team has to weigh how long it can build a winner with a player at diminishing value getting paid $11.75 million in 2014 and then more each year, including $12.75 million in 2015.
General manager Rick Spielman didn't explicitly say the team was looking to trade Peterson, but based on some of his comments, it's clear the team is looking to change the value on offense. The team brought in Norv Turner to run things and Spielman said that "you don't have to give" Peterson the ball 50 times a game for 16 games and how Turner uses two backs to keep them fresh, which could translate into: we don't need to pay a guy that much money to touch the ball that little anymore. Sure, Peterson will get the ball because he is great, but how good will the team be?
The Vikings clearly like Bridgewater or they would not have moved up for him and being with Turner early in his career could be huge for his development. Turner has had success in the past with some quarterbacks and Bridgewater could be the next one. Mike Zimmer is rebuilding this team and as they play outdoors for a year, a Peterson exit could be coming. The money is the biggest issue for the Vikings and for any deal and the league is a bottom line business, so if it doesn't fit, a move could be made down the line. Peterson is still very productive and last season he had 1,266 yards and 10 touchdowns on nearly 280 attempts and while he still may be that productive in his career, chances are he will slip a little bit as he gets older.
The trade rumors came up last year for a number of reasons and on ESPN.com, one GM said that he thinks it will be the last year for Peterson in Minnesota. It isn't that the Vikings don't want Peterson or that he doesn't like the team, but that the value and fit will not be there like it used to be in a year most likely. The Dallas Cowboys would love to have a star like Peterson, but they likely can't swing the money. The Dolphins need more at the running back position and he could take over the star power that Dan Marino left behind when he retired and the Fins sure could use another player in the spotlight.
