The Minnesota Vikings made a big move trading up to get Teddy Bridgewater and now with news that an Adrian Peterson trade or a Christian Ponder deal could be coming in the future, it's clear that Bridgewater will get a chance to start at some point down the line in 2014 or 2015 for Mike Zimmer and that puts pressure on Matt Cassel to perform heading into this season.
The Vikings are coming off of a rough year that saw them go 5-10-1 and they have a new head coach in Mike Zimmer and a new QB behind Cassel in Bridgewater and while GM Rick Spielman said it's likely that Bridgewater will sit, he could change minds in training camp if he beats out Cassel. Adding to the intrigue for the Vikings this offseason is Adrian Peterson, as Mike Freeman reported that the team will look to trade Peterson or get out of his contract at some point, as the value at running back just isn't worth the money being paid to AP.
The Vikings trading Peterson seems like a crazy prospect and in some ways it is, but the team also realizes that despite the production he has been able to put up in his career, he is nearing 30 and that is when the decline usually comes for running backs. On top of that, running backs are being used differently now than before and with Norv Turner coming in and likely using a two back set, the value of Peterson alone may not justify his contract anymore. Peterson is the face of the franchise and the best RB in the league, but now the team moves outside and they have a new rookie QB coming in.
The move outside for two years is actually a good point for keeping Peterson, but with the way other teams have used their RBs and the value at the position, AP is likely not sustainable in Minnesota. Trading him could be tough since the contract is very high, but Peterson is an amazing back and teams could jump at the chance of getting him despite the fact that he is making $12 million this year and signed a $100 million contract.
The Vikings have a nice out though, according to ESPN.com, the team can cut Peterson after this season for a hit of $2.4 million and then after next season there is no penalty. That is why Freeman said a split is likely and while the Vikings do not want to part with a player that rushed for 2,000 yards with them, they may have to. Bridgewater is the future and Cassel is now, but there is a chance that Bridgewater could win the job in camp. Russell Wilson beat out a veteran in Matt Flynn with Seattle and while Bridgewater is not Wilson, crazier things have happened in training camp.
The Vikings may also look at a Christian Ponder trade down the line, as he has been a bust and now Bridgewater is coming in and should be the backup. The team wants to bring him along slowly so they may keep Ponder, but either way, Ponder's future with the team is done for.
