The Dallas Cowboys are an option for the Adrian Peterson trade this offseason, but the team is more likely to target players in the NFL draft, as names like Todd Gurley, Tevin Coleman and Melvin Gordon are potential options for Jerry Jones and this comes as the team is dealing with Dez Bryant's contract situation and possible holdout.
The Cowboys let DeMarco Murray walk in the offseason and that led many to speculate that move for Peterson would be next. That did not happen and now that Peterson is reinstated to the NFL with the Vikings, it's looking like he will remain in Minnesota. According to Pro Football Talk, the Vikings are looking to keep Peterson unless they are "blown away" by an offer and so far that has not happened. The Cowboys, Cardinals, Jaguars and Buccaneers were mentioned as possible landing spots.
In some breaking news, Greg Hardy has been suspended for 10 games by the NFL after his off the field issues last year, Hardy signed a one year deal with the Cowboys and now he will be out for 10 games this season. According to Charles Robinson at Yahoo, an appeal will be coming and there is a chance the 10 games could come down by one or two, but it's likely to stay after the past Ray Rice situation.
The Cowboys are more likely to go after a player in the draft, as Todd Archer at ESPN.com writes that Jerry Jones does not want to give up the team's first round draft pick. Trading for Peterson likely means a first round pick and possibly a second rounder and that is a lot of value to give up. The team has the chance to truly replace DeMarco Murray, as they could go after a player like Gurley or Gordon and have him for years to come.
The team has built one of the best offensive lines in the league and the Cowboys felt that Murray's success last season was as much about him as it was about the blocking. That is one reason why they felt comfortable letting him go and now they could look at players to get in behind Darren McFadden after signing him to a free agent deal. Tevin Coleman has visited with the team and so has Melvin Gordon, while Gurley is getting attention from the Cowboys and others, including the Patriots, who he visited with this week.
Gurley had over 900 yards last season while playing in only six games and he has had an impressive college career. Gurley is quickly moving up draft boards and there is a chance he will not be on the board when the Cowboys make their first selection. Gordon could be an option if Gurley is taken, but he too is getting attention and could be drafted early.
Gordon comes in after putting up over 2400 yards last season and averaging over seven yards per carry through his college career. Coleman is an interesting option along with Jay Ajayi, as both have the potential to be explosive backs. Coleman could be one of the sleepers of this draft, as he comes in after rushing for 2,036 yards and 15 touchdowns while setting records at Indiana. Coleman has good speed and he also has strength as a heads up runner.
