There is trouble in paradise when it comes to Adrian Peterson. The current Minnesota Vikings running back is not happy with his current team, but too expensive to get a trade deal. With the Vikings continuing to try and work something out, Peterson is not ready to respond despite not having the future in his hands. Will the running back be forced to remain in Minnesota or will someone emerge with a last minute trade?
The Vikings have already made it clear they will not be releasing Peterson. The running back is too valuable to simply let walk away. The only way Peterson gets out of Minnesota is via a trade, something that has yet to come up. According to Peterson's agent, Ben Dogra, he and the running back refused an invitation to meet with Vikings general manager Rick Spielman over the weekend after it was confirmed Peterson would not be released.
Refusing the meeting helps no one. According to ESPN, Peterson is still uneasy about returning to Minnesota and is seeking a fresh start. The only issue is that no other team is willing to give him that at his current value. Peterson is under contract until 2017 an set to make $12.75 million this upcoming season. The Vikings are willing to pay the money, but no other team is. The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals have been the remaining two teams in the mix for Peterson, but neither has made a move.
The Cowboys seemed guaranteed to make a move for Peterson after losing DeMarco Murray. However, they instead went with Darren McFadden on a cheap contract. According to NFL.com, they are also in the mix for Stevan Ridley in free agent who would also come cheap for the team. The Cardinals have deemed Peterson's contract unworthy to pick up, ending the chance the running back heads to Arizona.
All signs point to Peterson staying put. The Vikings have put together a solid offense and he would be the final piece of the puzzle. The Vikings did re-sign Matt Asiata and they have Jerick McKinnon as backup plans should Peterson leave, but the running back would work nicely in an offense with Mike Wallace, Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph.
"I understand they respect me enough that if, for whatever reason, I wasn't happy and didn't want to come back to Minnesota, they wouldn't want me to be unhappy," Peterson said, via ESPN.com. "I know I have enough respect and know those guys well enough to know that much about them."
