Any chance of the Adrian Peterson being traded to the Dallas Cowboys is essentially gone now that he has reported to camp for the Minnesota Vikings. Still, fans are hard-pressed to believe that Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle are the answers after letting DeMarco Murray go. Now rumors are flying that Ray Rice could land in Dallas, but the Oakland Raiders may have something to say about that.
John Clayton of ESPN reports that Ray Rice is going to have a number of suitors for his talent, but he will likely have to wait until training camp. Still, that’s not bad for a guy who has been involved in so much off-the-field turmoil in one year as he has.
One of those suitors is that of the Dallas Cowboys, but Clayton states that Jerry Jones may surprise everyone.
“Jerry Jones appears to be content with starting the season with Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden running behind the best offensive line in football, but Rice could be an option if something happens to either player (Randle has had his own off-field issues, and McFadden has an extensive injury history. As he’s shown with the additions of Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory and La’El Collins, Jones is willing to take some chances on players with behavioral and/or legal issues in their past. The Cowboys are currently considering veteran RBs Felix Jones and Ben Tate.”
Still, one has to think that the Cowboys would seriously look at signing Ray Rice if his legal troubles and issues are truly behind him. He’s just 28-years-old and a budding talent that would instantly make any NFL team better with his addition.
Now, much like with the rumored trade for Adrian Peterson , the Cowboys likely won’t have a clear shot at signing Rice, if that’s the route they choose. Once again, the Oakland Raiders look to be in the mix to sign Rice, even if Bill Williamson doesn’t think it’s a good fit.
Ray Rice has been cleared to play again, and some believe that Dallas, Cleveland, and Oakland are the three best places for him to land. Oakland has Latavius Murray and Trent Richardson, which actually has them in better running back position than Dallas.
Right now, there are a whole host of available free agent running backs that could help the Cowboys. None of them would really be premiere backs, but they could complement McFadden and Randle well. Dallas has built up their offensive line and has a lot of protection that could make for a good running game in 2015 if the right back is found.
For the Dallas Cowboys to sign Ray Rice, they simply need to dish out the best offer, and it’s something that is much more feasible trading for Adrian Peterson ever was. If the Oakland Raiders are going to try for Rice’s services, they haven’t shown it yet, so sooner rather than later may be in the Cowboys’ best interest.
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