Adrian Peterson - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Cowboys, Schwartz, Peterson

May 25th, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Given what a pass-happy league the NFL has become, many linebackers are seeing the field less frequently, but that didn’t stop the Cowboys from loading up at the position this offseason, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. As executive vice president Stephen Jones explains, the focus on the position should give the Cowboys some depth in case some players with histories of injuries or off-field problems are forced out of action.

“We have some players there that have had issues in the past,” Jones said. “You want to make sure if something does happen that you have quality players there.”

Here’s more from around the NFL on this holiday Monday:

Former Lions head coach and Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will serve as a consultant to the league’s officiating department during the 2015 season, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Marvez, Schwartz will help provide a coach’s perspective with some decisions made by the NFL’s officiating office. While Schwartz drew interest after being replaced in Buffalo, he decided to be judicious about choosing his next job, and may returning to coaching in 2016.
While agent Ben Dogra didn’t offer any specifics on Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and his apparent plan to skip OTAs, he told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) in a text message that his client “is very strong… he’s like [Darrelle] Revis.” As Cole notes, that may point toward an extended holdout for Peterson.
A source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNBayArea.com that new Eagles scout Marty Barrett will patrol the West Coast as the club’s senior scout. Barrett’s move to Philadelphia, after 18 seasons with the Bears, was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.

Adrian Peterson Still Pushing For Trade?

May 25th, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

A report last night indicated that Adrian Peterson won’t report to the start of the Vikings’ organized team activities, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports indicates that the running back isn’t expected to show up to any part of the club’s spring program. A “longtime Peterson confidant” tells Robinson that Peterson hasn’t yet made a decision about sitting out of Minnesota’s mandatory minicamp in June or training camp in late July.

Robinson’s source suggests that Peterson is sending a message to the team with his absence, conveying to the Vikings that he still wants to be traded. According to Robinson, the former MVP hasn’t wavered privately about his desire to play for a team besides the Vikings, and has made the front office aware of that stance.

If Peterson remains that insistent on being traded, it comes as a bit of a surprise, since recent reports indicated that agent Ben Dogra had given up on the idea of a deal, and had instead shifted his focus to reworking his client’s contract with the Vikes to secure more guaranteed money. Robinson’s source, however, says that it has “never been about the money” for Peterson, and that it has evolved into a personal issue between him and the team.

Speaking of money, missing the Vikings’ OTAs would cost Peterson his $250K workout bonus, and if he decides to skip the team’s mandatory June minicamp as well, the team could fine him another $73K. While $323K certainly isn’t pocket change, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what the 30-year-old will earn if he plays out the 2015 season, since he’s in line for a $12.75MM base salary. If his holdout extended into the preseason and the regular season, Peterson could forfeit more than $15MM, between his salary and recoupable bonuses.

Since most teams now have a pretty good idea of what their rosters will look like for the 2015 season, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings finding a suitable offer for Peterson this late in the offseason, particularly if they didn’t receive any proposals they liked prior to the draft. Ben Goessling of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter) that the Vikings have been adamant all along that they don’t want to trade Peterson, and it’s hard to imagine them changing their minds now.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Peterson doesn’t have a ton of leverage, and if his camp attempts to paint him as the victim, it’s hard to see them garnering much sympathy. After all, Peterson’s primary gripe with the Vikings seems to be that the team didn’t sufficiently support him publicly when he faced child abuse charges — yet the club has still been vocal about wanting to bring him back, and continues to pay him the highest salary of any NFL running back.

Adrian Peterson Won’t Report To Start Of OTAs

May 24th, 2015 at 7:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson won’t report to the start of organized team activities on Tuesday, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. The decision could be costly for Peterson, who must partake in 90% of OTAs and minicamp in order to receive a $250,000 workout bonus from the Vikings. Despite that, a source expressed doubt to Tomasson when asked if Peterson would report to OTAs at all.

Peterson, 30, missed all but one game last season because of domestic violence issues. The NFL reinstated the onetime MVP last month. Tomasson notes that Peterson’s attitude toward the Vikings has been bitter since last fall because he doesn’t believe the team did enough to help him get back on the field. The Vikings don’t plan on trading Peterson, though, and he’s still under their control for three more years at $44.25MM.

Given that the Vikings’ upcoming OTAs aren’t mandatory, it’s unlikely they’ll fine Peterson. However, the Vikings can fine him $72,920 if he misses mandatory minicamp from June 16-18, reports Tomasson.

Extra Points: Yanda, McGlynn, Peterson, Jets

May 22nd, 2015 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

With the week winding down and Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the NFL….

With Marshal Yanda heading into the final year of his five-year contract with the Ravens, the team is exploring what a contract extension for the veteran guard would look like, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. As Zrebiec points out, it may not be feasible for Baltimore to keep both Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, who are both eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.
Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has the details on Mike McGlynn‘s contract with the Saints, tweeting that the offensive lineman will get a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with a $30K signing bonus.
It’s not clear when Adrian Peterson will report to the Vikings, but head coach Mike Zimmer told 1500 ESPN Twin Cities this week that he thinks he has “an indication” of when his running back will show up, as Andrew Krammer details.
Former Rams scout Brian Shields has accepted a scouting job with the Jets under GM Mike Maccagnan, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Maccagnan has made several changes to his club’s scouting department since this year’s draft.
The Saints are retooling their own scouting department under the influence of Jeff Ireland, and will likely part ways with some employees soon, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.

Corry’s Latest: Wilson, AP, Houston, Weddle

May 22nd, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After taking a closer look at the wide receiver market earlier this week, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com focuses today on seven key contract situations involving players eligible for extensions. Corry’s piece includes several items of interest, so let’s dive right in and round up the highlights….

Corry hears from league sources that the Seahawks have offered Russell Wilson a deal worth approximately $80MM over four years, which aligns with other recent reports. As Corry writes, Wilson could make a case that he should be the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, though contract structure could be a bigger issue on his next deal than total compensation.
Although he has relented on his demand for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, agent Ben Dogra is now attempting to get the team to rework his client’s contract. Corry suggests that Dogra is probably looking for Minnesota to guarantee Peterson’s 2015 and 2016 base salaries, but the team doesn’t appear to be interested in adjusting the running back’s deal.
The Chiefs will likely be “adamant” about keeping Justin Houston‘s per-year salary under the $17MM that Alex Smith is getting from the team, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if agent Joel Segal raises his demands for the linebacker’s next contract after Ndamukong Suh signed for $19MM+ annually, writes Corry.
There has been “sporadic dialogue” between the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson‘s camp on a contract extension. Corry observes that the Jets would probably be fine with something in the range of Calais Campbell‘s five-year, $55MM pact, while Wilkerson probably has his sights set on contracts like J.J. Watt‘s, Robert Quinn‘s, and Gerald McCoy‘s — all those deals are worth at least $13.6MM per year. If the Jets opt to explore the trade market for Wilkerson, the Browns are a potential suitor.
Eric Weddle has been absent from the Chargers‘ voluntary workouts because he feels “highly disrespected” by the lack of contract discussions with the team, says Corry. While former GM A.J. Smith would’ve played hardball with the safety, it’s not clear yet which path Tom Telesco will take, writes Corry.
Contract disputes with restricted free agents are rare, but Tashaun Gipson and the Browns could be headed toward one. Corry suggests keeping an eye on June 15, the day on which Cleveland could lower its restricted tender offer for Gipson from $2.356MM to $660K. If the Browns take a hard-line approach with the safety, he could decide to sit out training camp and even the regular season, says Corry.

NFLPA Files Motion Against Goodell In Peterson Case

May 19th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFLPA is gearing up to fight two massive battles against the league. The union announced on Tuesday that it has filed a motion in Federal Court in the Adrian Peterson matter to hold the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in contempt of court. The strongly worded statement from NFLPA president Eric Winston is below, in its entirety:

“Today, the players filed a motion in Federal Court in the Adrian Peterson matter because the Commissioner and NFL have deliberately ignored both the Court’s decision from eleven weeks ago and our repeated requests to comply with that order.

On February 26th, the NFL was ordered to change their decision in the Peterson matter and reissue a ruling consistent with our collective bargaining agreement. The Union made multiple requests to the League office asking the arbitrator, who serves at the direction of the Commissioner, to comply with the law and avoid further litigation. Despite our attempts, they have done nothing and leave us no choice but to seek this motion.

The delay tactics, inconsistencies and arbitrary decision making of the League has continued to hurt the rights of players, the credibility of the League office and the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the absence of any action by the NFL’s governing board of owners, the players have acted to hold the NFL accountable to our players, the CBA and to the law.”

According to the NFLPA’s court filing, attorney Jeffrey Kessler contacted Harold Henderson and NFL counsel and warned them of a possible contempt motion, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports tweets. League counsel Dan Nash, according to the NFLPA, insisted that Henderson delay any ruling until the 8th Circuit court rules on the appeal, which will take months (link).

The union also goes after the NFL for acting in defiance of court orders by retroactively applying the new personal conduct policy to Greg Hardy (link). If the NFLPA can win this battle regarding Peterson, it could go a long way towards potentially reducing Hardy’s suspension.

Cowboys Notes: Scandrick, Peterson, Carr

May 12th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick has temporarily ended his boycott and is in Dallas meeting with team brass about his contract situation, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram tweets. Scandrick is scheduled to earn just $1.5MM in base pay for 2015 and has been pushing for a new deal. Team EVP/COO Stephen Jones indicated late last month that he likely wouldn’t cave on the request, but today’s meeting could lead to a compromise between the two sides. Here’s more out of Dallas..

In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News why the Cowboys passed on selecting a running back in this year’s draft. While from the outside it may seem like the Cowboys’ inaction is a sign that they’re happy with their stable of running backs, Sturm hears that’s not the case at all from people inside the organization. Sturm goes round-by-round from the first round all the way to the fifth round and explains that their top tailback targets were off the board at every turn.
Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant told TMZ.com that he would love to play with Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, but he’s also not holding his breath. “The Vikings not lettin’ that happen, ’cause if they did, the league would know what would happen,” Bryant said. “That man is a monster.” Peterson, privately and publicly, has indicated that he would like to play for the Cowboys, but a trade to Dallas doesn’t seem terribly likely at this point for a number of reasons.
Todd Archer of ESPN.com ran down the Cowboys’ options when it comes to Brandon Carr. Archer writes that although some people view Byron Jones as solid insurance for the Cowboys in dealing with Carr, it doesn’t really diminish how much he’s needed, especially in the wake of Morris Claiborne‘s injury.

NFC Notes: Jones, Peterson, Eagles

May 4th, 2015 at 9:25pm CST by Zachary Links

There have been no contract talks between Julio Jones‘ agent and the Falcons, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Still, GM Thomas Dimitroff says that the star wide receiver is a priority. “There is no question that our focus in the future will be on Julio Jones and where we are,” Dimitroff told ESPN.com. “I don’t want to get into specifics about the timing of that, obviously. But now that the draft is over and we continue to build this football team, we understand that Julio is a very important part of our building and evolving as a championship-type team.” Dimitroff also claimed that Jones’ foot problems were not an issue for him. Here’s more from the NFC..

Recently, the agent for Adrian Peterson hinted that the Vikings running back wanted extra financial incentive to continue playing with Minnesota. When asked about whether he’d meet those demands, GM Rick Spielman declined to comment, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Peterson is under contract for the next three seasons but none of his money is guaranteed.
After the Eagles fired three members of their scouting department, there has been speculation that former GM Howie Roseman will be the next to go, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
When asked if the Rams may be trying to copy the Seahawks’ with strengths in defense, the running game, and the passing game, GM Les Snead acknowledged that wouldn’t be a bad strategy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.

Draft Rumors: Gregory, AP, Wilkerson

May 1st, 2015 at 5:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory is regarded as one of the most talented players in this year’s NFL draft, but he remains available after the completion of the first round because of off-field issues. Gregory voiced his disappointment about his current undrafted status to Yahoo! Sports’ Rand Getlin on Friday (via Twitter).

“I feel like I let my family and the people who believe in me down, and I’m sorry for that,” said Gregory. “But I’m going to use this as fuel. The franchise that drafts me won’t have to worry about me off the field, but the teams that didn’t select me will have to worry about me on the field.”

Gregory went on to state that he is “the best defensive player in the draft.”

Here’s more as the second round of the draft draws nearer:

If the Jets are going to trade defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, it could take multiple first-round picks to land him, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, La Canfora notes that, after having drafted Leonard Williams with their first-round selection, the Jets would have a loaded defensive line even without Wilkerson. That may lead to a reduction in their asking price, and the likes of the Browns and Raiders could be possible destinations should the Jets move Wilkerson.
Friday could be the last real chance for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, per LaCanfora. Peterson might fetch the Vikings a second-round pick if he’s willing to take a pay cut to play elsewhere.
Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman won’t stay on the board for long tonight, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport notes that Goldman is viewed as a first-round talent by many teams.
Indiana’s Tevin Coleman could be the first running back taken tonight, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). A team tried to trade up for Coleman last night, Rapoport notes.
The first half of the second round could see several running backs and offensive lineman selected, according to La Canfora. Conversely, La Canfora doesn’t expect any tight ends to go for a while, noting that South Carolina’s Rory Anderson or Rutgers’ Tyler Kroft could be the first one taken.
La Canfora writes that Baylor’s Bryce Petty will likely be the first quarterback drafted Friday. The Bills, Rams, Saints and Chargers are among the teams that have done their homework on Petty.

Latest On Adrian Peterson

May 1st, 2015 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

For several weeks, Adrian Peterson‘s agent Ben Dogra has been angling to get his client out of Minnesota. Now, Dogra is changing his tune and says that Peterson is happy to stay, but only if his contract is re-worked.

“One of the things that I appreciate with the Vikings is their resolve to say ‘we’re not trading him,’” Dogra told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “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.”

Peterson is scheduled to earn $46MM over the next three years, making him the highest-paid running back in the league. However, none of that cash is guaranteed and Dogra is likely looking for the majority of it to be locked in. Despite the months of rumors and speculation, it sounds like Peterson has resigned himself to the fact that he’ll be in Minnesota for 2015. The question now is whether the Vikings will cave and acquiesce to his contract demands.