According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, there are six teams in the mix for a trade for Adrian Peterson. The Arizona Cardinals are one of those six teams as they have been reportedly circling Peterson ever since it was thought he could be traded from the Minnesota Vikings. The Cardinals have issues at the running back spot and Peterson would be a clear upgrade. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is hopeful a deal gets done.
Arizona had issues at the running back spot last year that kept their offense from ever remaining balanced towards the end of the season. Andre Ellington is the highlight of the run game for the Cardinals and while he is talented in space, the team could seriously use a downfield rusher. Fitzgerald likes the idea of getting Peterson on the offense as another big playmaker.
"Adrian Peterson is arguably the best back in the NFL," Fitzgerald said, via Around The NFL. "You know, he's been unbelievable. If he were to leave Minnesota, which I think is maybe a bit unlikely, he would be a huge, huge playmaker for whatever team he went to. You have to look at what he's able to do, you know, in terms of controlling the line of scrimmage and breaking short gains and making long gains and finishing in the end zone. I mean, he's the complete package. What he's worth, I'm not a GM, I have no idea on compensation or players. What I do know, he's a dynamic talent and he will be an asset to anybody."
Like many teams, the Cardinals must decide if it is worth spending a first-round pick on a running back that might be good for the next few years, but at 30-years-old, he is not expected to play for too much longer. Arizona could instead take advantage of a deep running back class in the NFL Draft and target someone like Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon or TJ Yeldon instead. Ellington is entering his third year in the league so the rotation would be young, but players like Gordon and Gurley are considered game changers this year.
It is unclear who is really willing to trade for Peterson. Tomasson is reporting the Minnesota Vikings are requesting a first-round draft pick which is a steep price for the aging Peterson. The Dallas Cowboys appear to favor getting a rookie while the Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear that trading a pick for a veteran is not in their plans. The Cardinals might be the only team left considering the running back.
