Ever since running back Adrian Peterson was reinstated by the NFL this past Friday, the rumors of him being traded have heated up. Now, not only are the Dallas Cowboys after him, but it appears the Oakland Raiders are interested as well. Finally, some news on what the Minnesota Vikings want in a trade for the back seems to have come.
This is good since some within the Dallas Cowboys organization appear to be showing their obvious interest in Peterson.
First off, it’s obviously known that Adrian Peterson wants out of Minnesota. His agent has made that clear and the running back didn’t show up on Monday for the start of the team’s offseason workout program , per ESPN.
Peterson was not expected to show up, and he rarely does before OTAs in May. Still, some thought he may be around since he was just allowed to pick back up on football activities.
The Vikings have said that they will not release Adrian Peterson but never said they wouldn’t trade him. The Daily Norseman now reports that if a trade is to happen , the Vikings will be seeking a first round draft pick and more.
Adam Caplan of ESPN posted a video in which he says that the Vikings want a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft along with a starting player in any potential Adrian Peterson trade. More specifically, they are looking at getting a starting cornerback along with the draft pick.
All three teams rumored to be going after Peterson in a trade do have a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
- Dallas Cowboys – seven total picks, two in 7th round including 27th overall
- Oakland Raiders – seven total picks, one in each round including 4th overall
- Arizona Cardinals – eight total picks, two in 7th round including 24th overall
If true, the Vikings are certainly asking a lot of any team to give up for Adrian Peterson. Some of these teams have shown interest, and the Dallas Cowboys haven’t really hidden their want for Peterson.
The Star Tribune has noticed obvious signs in the last week that come directly from the Dallas Cowboys’ website. Two articles were posted and didn’t make it subtle that they are looking at Adrian Peterson.
The first was one titled “Reinstated Peterson Would Make Cowboys Serious Contenders,” and it was the optimistic point of view.
“The writer of that story — Rob Phillips, who works for the Cowboys — started off with a disclaimer that said, ‘The Cowboys have not expressed any desire to acquire Peterson.’ It continues to say that Jones will visit with the top running back prospects in this year’s draft as the Cowboys try to find a rookie to replace All-Pro running backDeMarco Murray, who left as a free agent for the Eagles.”
The second article was titled “Dealing For Peterson Wouldn’t Be A Responsible Decision,” and it was the counterpoint view of things. This article looked at how much it would take to get Peterson out of Minnesota.
As the NFL states, these are not seen as tampering because there are no official quotes from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones or other team officials and coaches. For now, that’s a thin line being walked, but one that keeps the Cowboys out of trouble.
Rumors and talk of Adrian Peterson’s trade or no trade from the Minnesota Vikings will heat up a lot as the 2015 NFL Draft approaches in less than two weeks. The Dallas Cowboys have shown their interest (kind of) but don’t count the Raiders or even Arizona Cardinals out.
Then again, Adrian Peterson may be in Vikings’ purple for all of 2015 too.
[Image via Sporting News]