The Minnesota Vikings may look to trade or release Adrian Peterson once his suspension is completed and teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks and NY Giants among others could be interested in signing the RB, as he is one of the top players in the league despite his age and current situation.
The Vikings have made no clear indication about what they will do once Peterson is back, but the team has a number of options is can consider. Some reports have the team welcoming Peterson back, while ESPN.com has reported that Peterson could be finished in Minnesota no matter what happens with his suspension. Peterson spoke with USA Today in his first public interview since the decision and he said that he would be open to returning, but that also a new start somewhere else could be appealing.
The Vikings will not have to make a decision for a while, but Peterson is making a ton of money and that is one reason why a move could be made. Peterson has said that he will no longer use a switch and his reps felt that the plea deal meant that he should have been activated back to the Vikings. The NFL obviously felt others and now his future is very much up in the air. Peterson said that many in the Vikings organization said to him that he was wanted back on the field this season, but he also said in the USA Today interview that others were working to keep him off of it.
Peterson is getting to the age of 30 and that is when RBs usually decline and while Peterson is not the usual running back, he likely will suffer in production as he gets older. Peterson is making over $11 million and his cap hit continues to rise for the Vikings and that could spark the team to release him once they get the chance. If Peterson is released, he will be a hot commodity on the market and teams like the Cowboys, Seahawks, Miami Dolphins and Patriots all could be interested.
If the Vikings release Peterson and he can sign like a free agent over the contract he has now, a ton of teams will be interested. The money makes things tougher if the Vikings want to trade him and that is why that likely will not happen. The Cowboys have DeMarco Murray coming off of his deal and he needs a new contract along with Dez Bryant. With Tony Romo's deal as well, the Cowboys may risk losing Murray and if they do, expect them to go after Peterson. Even if they keep Murray, Peterson is a possibility.
The Seahawks have had their issues with Marshawn Lynch and it's very likely they will release him next year. If the team does that they could add Peterson to join Christine Michael and Robert Turbin, as that would give the team another strong runner like Lynch has been for multiple years. The Dolphins are another option after losing Knowshon Moreno to an injury and Peterson could join up with Lamar Miller as the top RBs for the team next year if he is reinstated.
