The Minnesota Vikings may look at an Adrian Peterson trade this offseason once the running back is reinstated and if the team does that over his release, teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets could be interested in acquiring him, as Peterson may not want to return to the Vikings for 2015.
Peterson had his suspension overturned in court on appeals and while that did not get him reinstated yet, it is likely that he will be back in the coming weeks. The league year starts in March and according to ESPN.com, Peterson should be back on March 10 after previously having to wait until April to apply to come back. The judge ruled in his favor, saying that the new NFL policy should not have been applied to him, as he reached a plea deal and that the league overextended a bit with the new policies.
Peterson's decision was sent back and now he could be back for the Vikings once the league year starts. Recent reports have his return to Minnesota not certain for 2015, as Peterson has some ill will towards the franchisee for the way they handled him going to the exempt list. Adding to that is the money issue, as Peterson is getting towards 30 and may not want to take a pay cut from the team. According to Ben Goessling at ESPN.com, the team could trade or release Peterson if he doesn't agree to take a pay cut.
According to Profootballtalk at NBC Sports, Mike Florio speculates that the Cardinals, Colts, Cowboys and Vikings are the only real potential landing spots for Peterson. Peterson's father made similar remarks, saying to the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he heard the Cardinals and the Cowboys were rumored to be interested. All of those teams make sense for Peterson, as they all are in need of a solid running back and Peterson could be the target.
The Cardinals reportedly have interest in Peterson, as the Arizona Republic reports that the team is "haunted" that they did not pick him when they had the chance to in the draft years ago. The Cardinals were ranked as one of the worst teams in the league rushing the ball last season and adding Peterson could be a huge move. The team has Andre Ellington, but he was banged up all last season with a foot injury.
The Cowboys have interest in Peterson and Peterson could have interest in the team, as he is from Texas. Peterson has said that he respects Jerry Jones and CBS Sports reports that he could ask to be traded to the Cowboys if the Vikings go down that road. The Colts are an interesting option as well, as they have a ton of cap space coming into the offseason for a team that just won their division and made it to the AFC championship game. The issues with Peterson may come down to money and now the Vikings have to figure out what to do with their franchise star.
