With the passing of the NFL Draft 2015 , it’s been assumed and reported that running back Adrian Peterson will be playing for the Minnesota Vikings in the upcoming season and not traded. Well, that may not end up being the case as reports are coming forth now that Peterson could still be traded and the Dallas Cowboys are once again on the radar.
The Minnesota Vikings have said for months Peterson wouldn’t be released or traded, but the rumors never died. Experts said that the best chance for Peterson to be traded was during the draft, and his agent, Ben Dogra , even changed his tune after it didn’t happen.
“One of the things that I appreciate with the Vikings is their resolve to say ‘we’re not trading him.’ That tells me they value him not only as a football player, but what he’s done for the organization.
I actually, as an agent, not only appreciate it — I accept it. But actions speak louder than words. If that’s going to happen, and you want to keep him, then show him a commitment to make him retire as a Viking. And I haven’t had that solution.”
With a few days having passed since the draft, Dogra has started asking the Vikings for more of a commitment to his client, via Sports World Report . That is usually talk for a player wanting more guaranteed money, and the Vikings may not be willing to give that up.
Well, they could restructure Peterson’s contract and give him more guaranteed money, but then look to trade him. He’s already set to have a base salary of $12.75 million in 2015 and will count for $15 million against the 2015 salary cap.
The talk going around now is that the Vikings could sign Peterson to a new deal or restructure his contract to include more guaranteed money and then attempt to trade him. With that, three teams have been named that could be trade partners — Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and Oakland Raiders .
All three of those teams have been mentioned in numerous rumors over the past two months.
Dallas let DeMarco Murray go in the offseason, and only brought in Darren McFadden as a replacement. The Cowboys didn’t take a running back in the draft, and have also adamantly denied wanting to make a go at Peterson.
Sure, the Dallas Cowboys can’t say anything about Adrian Peterson due to tampering rules in the NFL, but if the Vikings actually put him on the trading block, you know they would take a look. It seems the rumors of the running back being traded simply won’t die.
[Image via Vibe ]