The Minnesota Vikings may look at a trade with Adrian Peterson if the two sides can't agree on a deal this offseason and teams like the Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers are potential options and this comes after DeMarco Murray, Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, Darren McFadden, Ryan Mathews, CJ Spiller and Shane Vereen all signed deals.
Peterson's future has been up in the air since he was taken off the field last season and it only has heated up since free agency opened. According to Pro Football Talk, staying with the Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals have emerged as the top two options for Peterson. The Cowboys have remained in the mix for him and could be an option, but that took a major hit with the signing of Darren McFadden.
Peterson is the main target for teams looking for a veteran running back with prime skills and while the Vikings would like to keep him, it is no certainty that he stays.The Cowboys looked like the best option for him, but the team signed Darren McFadden to a two year deal after losing DeMarco Murray. The team may now stay out of the Peterson sweepstakes after signing McFadden, but Jerry Jones could step up and make a move. If Peterson is released there is chance that he could sign, but he likely will be asking for a nice chunk of money and that could make a deal tougher to get done.
The Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson could be headed for a split in the future and the trade or release of the running back could happen in 2015. The two sides are planning to meet again and after a flurry of free agent moves, the landscape looks different and this comes as head coach Mike Zimmer has expressed his support for Peterson.
Peterson was suspended by the NFL after dealing with his legal case regarding child abuse with his son and that decision came after he reached a plea agreement. According to ESPN.com, head coach Mike Zimmer said that he would be open to having Peterson back with the team once he is fully reinstated. Peterson was suspended by the NFL after reaching a plea agreement and he felt that decision was unfair and that is why he ended up appealing. That appeal was denied and later things were overturned after he appealed to federal court.
Peterson has a high salary cap number over the next two seasons and he is set to make over $12 million next year and that could lead to the Vikings making a move. Earlier in the season Chris Mortensen at ESPN.com reported that the Vikings were not looking to bring Peterson back, but that came before he reached a plea agreement in his case. ESPN.com reports that it's "50-50" whether Peterson returns next season for the Vikings and if he is released, a number of teams could be interested in signing him.
Peterson is not in the same boat as Ray Rice, as Rice looks like he is breaking down and has not been good in recent years, while Peterson has still been productive. Peterson said he plans on playing in 2015 after he said in an interview that he considered retiring after the way his situation was handled, but it's uncertain where he will be in 2015. Peterson said in an interview with USA Today that a "fresh start" could be good for both sides, but obviously nothing is set in stone yet.
