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Adrian Peterson

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Panthers, Saints

April 1st, 2017 at 8:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Adrian Peterson has been linked to the Buccaneers thanks to his workouts with wide receiver DeSean Jackson (and the comments of head coach Dirk Koetter), Peterson doesn’t seem to be in Tampa Bay’s plans, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Reports have varied as to the Buccaneers’ level of aggressiveness of Peterson, but the club could use a running back given that Doug Martin‘s status is up in the air. Plus, Tampa Bay used the shotgun formation on less than 50% of its plays in 2016 (far below the league average), which could play to Peterson’s strengths given that he’s more productive in a traditional I-formation.

Here’s more from the NFC South:

  • The Panthers, Jaguars, and Bears will all meet with Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, who has previously chatted with the Titans and Buccaneers, reports Connor Orr of NFL.com. Howard is universally regarded as the draft’s No. 1 tight end, and could be selected as high as pick No. 4 when Jacksonville is on the board. Over the past two years in Tuscaloosa, Howard averaged 42 receptions for 599 yards while displaying ferocious blocking skills.
  • Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett has scheduled a predraft visit with the Buccaneers, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Barnett dealt with a hamstring injury at the Volunteers’ Pro Day, so interested parties may want to get a closer look at him before the draft. As Laine notes, Barnett topped Reggie White’s Tennessee sack record of 33 in only three years, but doubters worry Barnett’s physical traits don’t match his production.
  • The Chargers, Saints, and Panthers have all worked out Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs, tweets Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Los Angeles and New Orleans, specifically, are both hunting for long-term signal-callers as their respective quarterbacks age, and Dobbs — a likely mid-round pick — could be an option for both clubs. A two-year starter for the Volunteers, Dobbs passed for nearly 3,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 12 touchdowns in his senior season. Todd McShay of ESPN.com ranks Dobbs as the sixth-best quarterback prospect in 2017.

Buccaneers Possibility For Adrian Peterson?

March 30th, 2017 at 6:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It might be time to add the Buccaneers to the list of possible landing spots for free agent Adrian Peterson. The running back worked out with Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston on Tuesday, and head coach Dirk Koetter then told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times he’s “anxious to talk to Jameis and ask him how his workouts went.”

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Koetter also called Peterson “one of the best running backs to ever play,” which is obviously true. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old Peterson hasn’t encountered much legitimate interest on the market since the Vikings declined his contract option in late February. Minnesota could have subsequently brought Peterson back for less, but it instead signed Latavius Murray. Conversely, the Lions and Giants haven’t ruled out a Peterson pursuit, though nothing seems to be brewing between the seven-time Pro Bowler and either team.

Interestingly, Peterson indicated in January, when he was still a Viking, that he had the Buccaneers on his radar. Tampa Bay could have a need in the backfield, too, as it only has “loose plans” for starter Doug Martin heading into 2017. Martin earned a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs toward the end of last year and will have to sit the first three contests of next season as a result. The ban also turned Martin’s $7MM salary from guaranteed to non-guaranteed, meaning Tampa Bay could easily move on from him if it wants.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen as I sit here today, but right now we’ve got time on our side,” Koetter said regarding Martin’s future.

Aside from Martin, who’s only two years removed from earning first-team All-Pro status, the Buccaneers’ running back depth chart features Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims, neither of whom has ever been a bell cow. Peterson, on the other hand, has eight 200-carry seasons to his name. As was the case with Martin, Peterson was excellent in 2015, when he led the NFL in both rushing attempts (327) and yards (1,485). However, a torn meniscus limited him to three games and 37 carries last year, when he averaged a microscopic 1.9 yards per rush. The injury, Peterson’s most recent performance and his age have all conspired to prevent him from landing a contract this offseason.

Packers Notes: Peterson, Rodgers, Guion

March 28th, 2017 at 9:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After losing guard T.J. Lang in free agency, Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he’s not looking to move tackles Jason Spriggs or Bryan Bulaga to the inside, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Green Bay may have to look for replacements in the draft or in the late stages of free agency, but the team could also consider other internal options. Rising sophomore Kyle Murphy played tackle in college, but he might be a better fit at guard, while the the Packers are also high on fellow second-year lineman Lucas Patrick. Veteran Don Barclay could be a “fallback option,” Demovsky writes, but he wouldn’t be a terribly exciting choice.

Here’s more from Green Bay:

  • While Packers general manager Ted Thompson admitted his club needs to bring in reinforcements at running back, he wouldn’t respond to recent report indicating Green Bay has interest in free agent Adrian Peterson. “We don’t talk about players that are not on our team,” Thompson said, per Demovsky. “We never have. We never will.” The Packers’ backfield depth chart is slim at the moment, as the only running backs on the roster are Ty Montgomery, Christine Michael, and Don Jackson. Green Bay is expected to wait until after the draft before assessing its options at running back.
  • The Packers will likely wait until next offseason to work out an extension for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the club won’t let a looming Rodgers deal affect its decisions in the present, according to Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. Earlier this month, Rodgers said Mike Glennon‘s contract with Chicago “has to” push up the top of the QB market, an indication that Rodgers might push for a new pact. Rodgers later walked his comments back, but Green Bay will likely carry over at least $10MM in cap space in an effort to save funds for Rodgers, per Wood.
  • Defensive tackle Letroy Guion is set to serve a four-game ban for violating the league’s PED policy, and Thompson believes Guion’s situation “will work itself out,” reports Wood in a separate piece. Guion has already agreed to a restructured deal that delays his roster bonuses, but Green Bay could cut bait without incurring much dead money. The Packers would be able to recoup 4/17 of Guion’s signing bonus because he’s been suspended, meaning the club would take on fewer than $300K in dead money.

NFC East Rumors: Giants, Peterson, Hankins

March 28th, 2017 at 5:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC East:

  • When asked whether the Giants might have interest in Adrian Peterson, coach Ben McAdoo replied “never say never,” (link via PFT). We’ve been here before. McAdoo also left the door open for Peterson earlier this offseason, but days later it was reported that the Giants were not in the mix. This week, we learned that the Lions have not ruled out a Peterson signing.
  • Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins remains on the open market and some believe his agent is to blame, as Dan Duggan of NJ.com writes. Kevin Poston and his brother Carl Poston were once among the NFL’s most powerful reps, but their once impressive stable has been whittled down to nothing. Poston’s contract demands for Hankins have been “outrageous,” according to one league source who spoke with Duggan, and that seems to be the calling card of the Poston brothers.
  • Although the Eagles signed veteran defensive end Chris Long earlier today, the club is still expected to target edge rushers in the draft, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The same can probably be said at cornerback, where Philadelphia agreed to terms with Patrick Robinson. Both Long and Robinson are veterans who agreed to short-term deals, so their additions shouldn’t affect the Eagles’ plans to add to their defense as the draft approaches.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Lions Not Ruling Out Adrian Peterson

March 27th, 2017 at 8:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Lions haven’t added any running backs this offseason to a stable that was among the NFL’s worst in 2016, but a prominent rusher could be on the way. Lions general manager Bob Quinn indicated Monday that he’s open to signing longtime NFC North rival Adrian Peterson, per Justin Rogers of the Detroit News.

Adrian Peterson (vertical)

“I think AP still has plenty left in the tank,” Quinn said of the former Viking and current free agent. “We’ll see how it goes.”

While Detroit only has roughly $8.4MM in cap space, which could make a Peterson addition difficult, the team’s nonetheless “definitely still open for business in terms of free agency,” according to Quinn.

Quinn’s the first executive who has publicly expressed an openness to signing Peterson during what has been a disappointing offseason for the seven-time Pro Bowler. Several rumored suitors – the Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants – have shown little to no interest in Peterson since the Vikings declined his option in late February. Minnesota, which conceivably could have brought Peterson back at a lower price, then went in a different direction by picking up Latavius Murray. And another NFC North club, the running back-needy Packers, aren’t planning to meet with Peterson in the near future.

A few factors working against Peterson are his age (32), the injury-marred 2016 he endured, and a reportedly high asking price. But Peterson has disputed that he’s demanding too much money, and he’s now hoping to join a contender. Having made the playoffs last season, the Lions would seemingly fit the bill.

Detroit won nine games and got to the postseason despite posting the league’s sixth-worst yards-per-carry average (3.7), though it did go without the banged-up Ameer Abdullah for all but two games. Peterson, meanwhile, tore his meniscus in Week 2 and only played in three cntests. The seven-time 1,200-yard man and 2012 MVP was far from his usual self during that limited action, as he registered a paltry 1.9 YPC over 37 carries. However, Peterson won the league’s rushing title just two seasons ago, so it’s possible a healthier version in 2017 would jump-start the Lions’ backfield if they were to sign him.

FA Notes: Blount, Peterson, Pryor, Glennon

March 25th, 2017 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming off an 18-touchdown season, LeGarrette Blount hasn’t found much traction on his latest free agency odyssey. The Patriots, though, have discussed a deal with the bruising running back, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports. However, the sides could not agree on terms. Reiss suggests that even though the Pats signed Rex Burkhead they still don’t have a power back, with their roster housing only multipurpose cogs Dion Lewis and James White, pointing to a possible reunion between the oft-reunited parties after the draft. Blount rushed for a career-high 1,161 yards as well last season but turned 30 in December. He ranks as PFR’s No. 2 UFA running back.

Here’s more on some still-unsigned and recently signed UFAs, continuing with PFR’s No. 1 available back.

  • An ESPN report pegged Adrian Peterson‘s reported asking price of $8MM per year as the reason he’s still a free agent. Peterson took to Twitter to express skepticism in that report. The three-time rushing champion disputed the notion he’s seeking $8MM AAV and added he wants to play for a contending team. The 32-year-old ball-carrier added, however, he’s not in a rush to sign. Peterson visited the Seahawks and has been linked to several other teams, most recently the Packers.
  • Mike Glennon‘s contract contains offset language to help protect the Bears against the quarterback earning dual salaries in the future, in the event he doesn’t play out the deal in Chicago, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports. Breer categorizes the three-year, $45MM deal as basically a one-year, $16MM commitment that includes team options for 2018 and ’19. Only $4.5MM in guaranteed money exists on the deal after this season.
  • Breer views that the five-year deals for Robert Woods and Stacy McGee authorized by the Rams and Redskins, respectively, are essentially one-year pacts. Woods saw $10MM of the $34MM deal fully guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. He has $5MM due on the third day of the 2018 league year. Nothing is guaranteed for the former Bills complementary target past Year 2. Breer sees McGee’s Washington accord as a one-year, $6.5MM deal.
  • Speaking of one-year agreements, Terrelle Pryor explained his reasoning for taking the Redskins‘ one-season offer. “Maybe … our market wasn’t where it was supposed to be or we thought it would be,” Pryor said, via the Associated Press in a piece about the increased frequency of one-year commitments this month. “Some guys don’t want to take deals where they’re outplaying the deal. I just wanted to get a one-year deal and see how I fit with the program and move forward after that, and see if we get something done if everything works well.” Conflicting reports emerged about Pryor’s Browns exit, regarding whether or not he gave the team a chance to match his Redskins offer. The converted wideout joined the Redskins on a one-year deal worth up to $8MM and could be in position to cash in come 2018 if he proves his 1,000-yard season in Cleveland wasn’t a fluke.

Extra Points: Peterson, Hankins, Panthers

March 24th, 2017 at 12:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from around the NFL:

  • Two NFL sources tell ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter) that they believe Adrian Peterson is still a free agent because his initial price was too high. Fowler adds that the Packers were considering having Peterson in for a visit, but have decided against it for the time being. The Packers reportedly have some interest in Peterson, but they’ll likely wait until after the draft to consider him and weigh a Peterson signing against their other options. After losing Eddie Lacy in free agency, Green Bay’s running back depth chart consists of Ty Montgomery, Don Jackson, and the recently re-signed Christine Michael.
  • Most teams around the league view Giants free agent Johnathan Hankins as primarily being a two-down player, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. That could explain why his own evaluation has been so far off from what the market has been willing to offer him so far. The Dolphins have reached out to Hankins but it’s not clear if they can land him given their budgetary constraints. By the same token, no team seems to be throwing around big money to sign Hankins. He may need to go the Dontari Poe route and accept a one-year deal, but it might come at a lower salary.
  • Panthers GM Dave Gettleman indicated that team didn’t know the full extent of Charles Johnson‘s back injury when they re-signed him this offseason, Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets. Still, he indicated that wouldn’t have changed the team’s thinking. Johnson had back surgery earlier this week but is not expected to miss regular season time as a result.

Packers Interested In Adrian Peterson?

March 22nd, 2017 at 7:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Packers have “some” interest in free agent running back Adrian Peterson, a meeting between the two parties likely wouldn’t take place until the draft has concluded and Green Bay has assessed its options, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com."<strong

To this point, most of the news surrounding Peterson has involved clubs reporting that they are not interested in signing the 32-year-old back. Several rumored suitors – the Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants – have shown little to no interest in Peterson, while the Seahawks visited with him but then opted to sign Eddie Lacy. Meanwhile, Peterson won’t be re-signing with the Vikings after Minnesota inked Latavius Murray, leaving the future Hall of Famer’s prospects even more limited.

The Packers have not yet ruled themselves out as a potential Peterson landing spot, and they do have a need in their relatively barren backfield. After losing Lacy to Seattle, Green Bay boasts only Ty Montgomery, Don Jackson, and the recently re-signed Christine Michael in its running back corps. By joining a new club within the NFC North, then, Peterson would give the Packers a legitimate starting option to play alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Peterson is one of only four of PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents that has yet to sign with a new club, and we also ranked him as the best running back still on the board.

AFC Notes: Revis, Garoppolo, Lynch

March 19th, 2017 at 11:06am CST by Rory Parks

Criminal charges were dropped against free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis earlier this week, which ostensibly opens the door for him to find a new employer soon. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports that one league executive believes a Revis reunion with the Patriots is the only thing that makes sense, and while he would likely not serve as a starting corner in New England, he could be used as a strong safety or as cornerback depth. Interestingly, though, Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald tweets that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told Revis several years ago that Revis’ skill-set did not translate to the safety position. While that does not preclude a New England reunion, it does add an interesting twist to the Revis saga, as many have taken it for granted that Revis will wind up playing safety for whoever signs him in 2017.

Now for more from the AFC:

  • As Volin notes in the same piece cited above, the Patriots’ apparent desire to trade Malcolm Butler is reflective of the team’s usual philosophy of getting rid of a player a year too soon instead of a year too late. However, the Pats have notably departed from that philosophy with respect to Jimmy Garoppolo, whom the club has been reticent to trade despite the haul of picks they could acquire in return. Volin says the Patriots’ stance with Garoppolo is simply based on the fact that he plays quarterback, and they believe that if something were to happen to Tom Brady, they could still compete for a title with Garoppolo under center. The team took a similar approach in 2014, when they held onto Ryan Mallett throughout training camp and did not deal him until they were confident that Garoppolo could handle the backup role.
  • Some Patriots fans are wondering why the club is willing to trade Butler but handed Stephon Gilmore a mega-deal this offseason. As Dan Hatman of The Scouting Academy (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com) notes, Gilmore is simply bigger than Butler, and his size and length can create more flexibility for defensive coordinator Matt Patricia when matching up against some of the game’s bigger receivers. Simply put, Gilmore is a premium man corner, and those players get paid.
  • Despite the Morris Claiborne signing, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com still expects the Jets to select a cornerback in the first or second round of this year’s draft.
  • Saturday night, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, retired running back Marshawn Lynch retweeted a message in which someone noticed that a musical playlist put together by Lynch contains a track entitled “Oakland Raiders.” The playlist was created in September 2015, but Florio believes the fact that Lynch went ahead and retweeted the message further legitimizes the Lynch-to-Raiders rumors.
  • Meanwhile, new Raiders acquisition Cordarrelle Patterson is actively recruiting free agent running back and former Vikings teammate Adrian Peterson to join him in Oakland, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. However, the latest reports about a Peterson/Oakland match suggest that Peterson has more interest in the Raiders than the Raiders have in him at the moment.
  • Sean Spence agreed to a deal with the Colts earlier today, and Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets that Spence’s former team, the Titans, could use newly-acquired Jonathan Cyprien, a strong safety by trade, to fill Spence’s role as nickel linebacker.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 3.0: Offense

March 17th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The initial wave of NFL free agency is now complete, and while many of the league’s top available players are now off the board, there are still plenty of quality options still on the open market.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Jay Cutler
  2. Chase Daniel
  3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  4. Colin Kaepernick
  5. Josh McCown
  6. Robert Griffin III
  7. Case Keenum
  8. Matt McGloin
  9. Mark Sanchez
  10. Christian Ponder
  11. Blaine Gabbert
  12. Ryan Nassib
  13. Shaun Hill
  14. Kellen Moore
  15. Austin Davis

Tony Romo is not a free agent…at least not yet. If the Cowboys do not find a suitable trade and release him, you’ll find him at the top of this list.

Laugh if you must, but Cutler is far and away the best quarterback available on the open market. While most of this year’s QB-needy teams are done with their free agent shopping, the Jets are still searching for their 2017 starter and no one would make more sense for them than Cutler. He’s not all that far removed from playing solid football and he’s a logical transitional option for the Jets until they can isolate a better, younger option for 2018. Jay Cutler (Vertical)

Kaepernick’s reps wisely told the press that he will be standing for the National Anthem this year. Still, Kaepernick is an outspoken guy who wants to use his platform to discuss hot button issues, so there’s no guarantee that the media circus around him will cease. Jets owner Woody Johnson loves seeing his team on the back pages of the New York tabloids, but even he has to have more sense than to entertain Kaepernick. McCown, who has been contact with the team, would be an okay choice if they can’t get something done with Cutler. Chase Daniel could be an option too, but there isn’t much game film on him.

Needless to say, the No. 3 ranked player on this list isn’t an option in New York.

Running back:

  1. Adrian Peterson
  2. LeGarrette Blount
  3. Jamaal Charles
  4. Rashad Jennings
  5. Tim Hightower
  6. DeAngelo Williams
  7. Chris Johnson
  8. Christine Michael
  9. Benny Cunningham
  10. Bobby Rainey
  11. Brandon Bolden
  12. Denard Robinson
  13. James Starks
  14. Matt Asiata
  15. Kenjon Barner

Honorable mention: DuJuan Harris, Antonio Andrews, Khiry Robinson

Adrian Peterson (vertical)The Vikings have moved on and Peterson will not be back in Minnesota. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess. When Peterson’s option was declined by the Vikings earlier this month, there were tons of stories (likely sourced by Peterson’s camp) about interest from a litany of contenders. Since then, each team – through anonymous sources – has denied being in the mix for the veteran. It would be easy to doubt Peterson at this juncture, but he has come back from serious injuries multiple times in his career and he is only one year removed from his stellar 2015 campaign. He gets the top spot over the bruising Blount as well as Charles, who hasn’t been healthy in a long while.

Jennings was brought to New York with the idea that he would be the team’s workhorse. Unfortunately, two of his three seasons with the G-Men were marred by injury. Jennings is currently putting his agility to good use on Dancing With The Stars and it remains to be seen how committed he is to football. After that, we have a trio of vets (Hightower, Williams, CJ2K) who could still advance the ball in limited spurts.

In case you’re wondering – Mike Gillislee is not listed here because he is a restricted free agent.

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