Adrian Peterson Oakland Raiders Rumors: Cordarrelle Patterson Luring Friend?
Adrian Peterson-Oakland Raiders rumors have taken an interesting slant. To help the Raiders sign Peterson, Cordarrelle Patterson has started stumping for his former Minnesota Vikings teammate. Patterson signed a contract with the Raiders earlier in the NFL offseason and now the receiver is reportedly trying to convince Peterson to join him in California. The Raiders might receive competition from teams like the Green Bay Packers or Detroit Lions, but the Vikings are likely out of the picture after signing Latavius Murray.
A Twitter post by Patterson urged Peterson to “join the dark side” by becoming a part of Raider Nation. Whether the strategy works or not, it certainly has fans and NFL analysts discussing how good the Raiders could be if the team added a top-tier running back. The Raiders’ offense, led by Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Michael Crabtree, already ranked among the best in the NFL. A report by the Los Angeles Times also stated that the team had added tight end Jared Cook on a two-year deal, giving Carr yet another weapon to work with.
Aiding the Adrian Peterson to Oakland Raiders rumors is how much salary cap space the team is still working with this offseason. The latest estimate on the Raiders’ cap space has the team with roughly $32 million available to spend. That would easily be enough money for the Raiders to lure Peterson, but there are questions about the long-term plans of the franchise. Soon, the Raiders are going to have to extend Carr from his rookie contract and give Khalil Mack a large raise on the defensive side of the ball. Could those future deals prohibit a Peterson contract?
The previous Adrian Peterson contract was a three-year, $42 million deal by the Minnesota Vikings. Within the terms of the contract, Peterson received $20 million in guaranteed money. For the 2017 NFL season, Peterson’s contract was scheduled to pay him a base salary of $11.75 million, a roster bonus of $6 million, and a workout bonus of $250,000. The Vikings ended up cutting the veteran running back in order to save money this offseason, instead deciding to sign former Raiders player Latavius Murray at a discount.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, these aren’t the only Adrian Peterson rumors that have come out since free agency opened. The former NFL MVP has also been linked to the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and New England Patriots. The Seahawks even had Peterson in Seattle for a meeting but didn’t come to terms on a deal with him. Shortly after that meeting, the Seahawks signed Eddie Lacy to a one-year deal, leaving an opening on the Packers that the franchise still hasn’t filled. Peterson with Aaron Rodgers could certainly be an interesting combo.
Though he had trouble staying healthy (again) during the 2016 NFL season, Peterson is only a year removed from having a really impressive season for the Minnesota Vikings. Many fans may have forgotten that he led the league in rushing yards during the 2015 NFL season with 1,485. He also led the league in carries (327) and touchdowns (11) as well. Those are the type of dominating numbers that could still net him a huge offseason contract, even as free agency seemingly continues to drag on for him.
There were new Oakland Raiders rumors about the team possibly looking to sign or trade for Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, though, it seems very unrealistic that Lynch unretires and that the Seahawks then decide to cut ties with Beast Mode. A deal like that might also cost the Raiders draft position and salary cap space it needs to have available after next season. Regarding the Adrian Peterson rumors, it might make a lot of sense for the team to give him a highly paid one-year contract to bolster the offense even further.
[Featured Image by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images]
