The Minnesota Vikings have major questions heading into 2015 and the status of Adrian Peterson is one of them and if the team looks to trade or release Peterson when he is reinstated, teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins could be interested and this comes as head coach Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman have said Peterson is welcome to return.
Peterson was suspended by the league and after appealing and losing that decision, he cannot be reinstated before April 2015 and that gives the Vikings time to see what they want to do. According to ESPN.com, Zimmer said that the Vikings would welcome back Peterson when he is reinstated and after that, Spielman said the same thing. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported on the quotes from the general manager, who said that he can't think of anyone who "wouldn't want Adrian Peterson" on their team.
Peterson can first apply for reinstatement on April 15, 2015 and that could start the process of seeing where he ends up next season. Peterson said that he plans to play next season and this comes as the running back said he previously considered retirement based on the way things went this year. Peterson spent the season on the exempt list for most of the year, playing in one game and then getting suspended after reaching a plea agreement in his legal case.
Earlier in the season, Peterson hoped to return to play some of the final games for the Vikings, but the NFL denied his appeal. During that process Peterson said he was angry with what happened and considered retiring and he also later said in a USA Today interview that a "fresh start" could be the best option for the Vikings and himself. That was before the general manager and Zimmer mad their comments and that could change the thought process for Peterson in returning to the Vikings.
Mike Freeman wrote about the possibility of a split between Peterson and the Vikings way before his legal issues came up, as he wrote that at his price tag it will be hard for Minnesota to keep him. Peterson is not like most running backs, but most RBs start to break down when they get close to 30 and the fact that he is making over $12 million could complicate things. Norv Turner used Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon in shotgun steps with rookie Teddy Bridgewater and that is not really how Peterson has thrived through his career.
Peterson could end up on another team even if the Vikings want him back and the Cowboys could be a potential option, especially if they lose DeMarco Murray. The team wants to sign Murray and Dez Bryant back, but they may not be able to do that and if that happens, expect Peterson to be a target for Jerry Jones. The Miami Dolphins need a boost in the running game along with the Oakland Raiders and those teams also could be in the mix if Peterson is let go. Last season Peterson rushed for just 75 yards while playing in one game and over the previous two seasons he rushed for 1266 yards and 2097 yards as one of the most productive backs in football.
