Adrian Peterson - Pro Football Rumors

NFC North Rumors: Packers, Peterson, Bennett

April 30th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

News from the NFC North..

Veteran tight end Tom Crabtree took to Twitter to announce his retirement from football. “I’m officially retiring from football,” he wrote. “Thanks for all the support and criticism over the years. This means I can do dirty jokes on here now.” Crabtree spent parts of five seasons in the NFL, three of which were with the Packers. He took home a championship ring with Green Bay following the 2010 season.
Former Vikings receiver and Hall of Famer Cris Carter, hinted today on Mike & Mike that he has been given inside information about an Adrian Peterson trade, as Michael David Smith of PFT writes. “I’m under gag order on the Adrian Peterson situation, but I believe something’s gonna happen,” Carter said. “But I can’t talk about it.”
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), meanwhile, has heard nothing to suggest that anything has changed with Peterson and A source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) termed the speculation as “BS.”
When asked if he expects tight end Martellus Bennett to still be on the roster after the draft, Bears head coach John Fox responded in the affirmative, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported on Wednesday that the tight end is on the trade block.

NFC Notes: Packers, Peterson, Ratliff, 49ers

April 29th, 2015 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

With Tramon Williams (Browns) and Davon House (Jaguars) both departing in free agency, there’s a void at outside cornerback for the Packers. The odds-on replacement right now is Casey Hayward, but Green Bay will have options to choose from in the first and second round, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has made no secret of the fact that he’d like to get some deals done on draft day. As Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes, the GM has a history of doing that.
Of course, Adrian Peterson is the Vikings‘ most notable potential trade chip, and according to Mike Leslie of WFAA (Twitter link), the running back said yesterday that “it would be nice” to play in Dallas. However, Peterson acknowledged that the decision is out of is hands, and neither the Vikings nor the Cowboys seem inclined to work out a deal that would send the former MVP to his home state.
Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff, who has a $50K workout bonus for 2015 in his contract, won’t be present at the team’s voluntary minicamp this week, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that the 49ers don’t value inside linebackers in the first or second round, so someone like Denzel Perryman probably isn’t a fit for them.
With this year’s draft just a day away, it’s important to remember that scouts don’t always get it right, and Darren Sproles is proof of that. The Eagles running back was overlooked by many teams in 2005, causing him to drop to No. 130 overall, as Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com writes.
Tom Rock of Newsday looked at five safeties the Giants could target in the draft, including Landon Collins of Alabama and Arizona State’s Damarious Randall.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Vikings GM: No Interest In Trading Peterson

April 28th, 2015 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings GM Rick Spielman reiterated today that his team has “no interest” in trading Adrian Peterson before, during, or after the upcoming draft, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Repeating that his position – and the team’s position – on the running back has not changed, the GM said that “we can just end the Adrian Peterson stuff” (Twitter link).

“If our ownership had interest in trading Adrian Peterson he probably wouldn’t be here today,” Spielman said, according to Tomasson (via Twitter).

Of course, while Spielman attempted to put the Peterson rumors to bed by repeatedly insisting that the Vikings have no interest in moving the 30-year-old, that’s a little different than definitively stating no deal will be made. So I imagine the speculation will continue at least through this week’s draft, even if the Vikes don’t intend to make a move.

Spielman offered up a few more noteworthy quotes during today’s conversation with the media, so let’s round up the highlights….

Spielman doesn’t see a ton of difference between the seventh overall pick and the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft, so it’s not surprise that he’s looking to moving down from No. 11 if possible (Twitter links via Tomasson and the team).
According to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link), Spielman said the Vikings’ options are “wide open” at No. 11, and mentioned wide receiver, offensive line, defensive end, and defensive back as potential positions of interest. A trade up is unlikely, per the GM.
The Vikings have made decisions on the fifth-year options for safety Harrison Smith and offensive lineman Matt Kalil, but won’t announce those moves until after the draft, tweets Tomasson. Smith’s 2016 option is a lock to be exercised, but Kalil’s, which would cost $11.096MM, is far less certain.
Asked about not having made a big splash in free agency, Spielman said he’d prefer to fill needs by signing a bunch of players on one-year, prove-it contracts rather than adding a big-dollar player (Twitter link via Tomasson).

Latest On Adrian Peterson

April 26th, 2015 at 7:51pm CST by Zachary Links

As of tonight, the Cowboys have still yet to speak with the Vikings about Adrian Peterson, sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Peterson would love to play in Dallas, but the Cowboys simply are not willing to pay the price to acquire him. Apparently, not even Jerry Jones himself is willing to part with the significant draft compensation and money it would take to pry AD loose.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are still refusing to part with a first-round pick in a Peterson deal and the Vikings don’t want to take a second-round choice for him, especially one as late as the Cards’ at No. 55. The Cardinals’ front office and coaching staff feels like they already have a really good team, particularly if quarterback Carson Palmer is healthy. While Peterson would represent a significant upgrade for their offense, they like the price of the No. 24 pick and three years of guaranteed money for a 30-year-old running back is too steep. However, Robinson cautions that things could theoretically change on draft day. Georgia running back Todd Gurley seems likely to go in the top ten, meaning that Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon probably won’t be there for Arizona at No. 24.

Ultimately, Vikings GM Rick Spielman is making the call and Robinson hears that he badly wants Peterson in purple next season. Sources say that Spielman has the support of everyone around him on this point, so it’ll be his call as to whether No. 28 is traded or not. And, if Peterson isn’t traded by Saturday morning, Robinson posits that he’ll stay a Viking in 2015. Draft picks would be in play in any trade, and because the Vikings are looking for high compensation, any deal would have to happen before the end of the second round.

Extra Points: Draft, Falcons, Chiefs, Joseph

April 24th, 2015 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2015 NFL draft is now just six days away, and trade talks figure to heat up very soon. According to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said today that he’s fielded calls about the No. 4 overall pick, and Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has taken calls about moving up or down from No. 8, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Additionally, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets that Chiefs GM John Dorsey has called around and told teams that his club is open to trade discussions.

As we wait to see whether any of those teams make some moves before or during the draft, here are a few more items from around the league, including additional notes on the Falcons and Chiefs:

Among the other updates from today’s Falcons presser: Dimitroff dimissed the idea that Atlanta is pursuing Adrian Peterson (per Ledbetter), and head coach Dan Quinn said the club plans to address the linebacker spot in the draft, despite having signed free agents (Twitter link via ESPN’s Vaughn McClure).
The Chiefs have been in contact with Justin Houston‘s representatives, having spoken to the linebacker’s camp within the last three days, Dorsey said today (link via Paylor). Houston, who was franchised by Kansas City, has yet to sign his one-year tender, and there’s a chance the two sides could work out a long-term deal this spring.
Players and agents aren’t thrilled that general managers have publicly voiced doubts about whether certain 2016 fifth-year options will be exercised, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Whatever the intention of those comments is, players tend to regard them as an expression of uncertainty about their abilities, and a signal that the team may not want to keep them around for the long term.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at the Browns‘ decision to draft Johnny Manziel over Teddy Bridgewater a year ago, writing that a league source with knowledge of the Vikings‘ draft plans said Minnesota had determined a few days before the draft that Cleveland was leaning toward Manziel rather than Bridgewater.
Free agent guard Davin Joseph told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he’d love to join a contender and try to get a championship ring. Joseph, 30, spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Buccaneers, starting 99 of the 100 games he played for the team, before signing with the Rams last spring.
Idaho center Mike Marboe had a private workout today for the Seahawks, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

North Notes: Manziel, Peterson, Browns

April 23rd, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns GM Ray Farmer told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter), that he did not try to trade Johnny Manziel to the Eagles, despite rumors to the contrary. Recently, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported that the Browns tossed out the idea in a conversation with Philadelphia, but it didn’t gain any traction. As for the Eagles, they apparently didn’t have any real interest in making that happen. Here’s more on the Browns and the rest of the AFC North..

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that the Cowboys are not in the running for Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson. “Whoever says otherwise is 1,000 percent wrong,” he said. “The Cowboys have not spoken to the Minnesota Vikings about Adrian Peterson. It has not happened. They haven’t offered a draft pick, they have not picked up the telephone to talk to the Minnesota Vikings about Adrian Peterson. It simply has not happened.” Robinson says the Cardinals, Buccaneers, and Jaguars are the teams in the mix for No. 28 at present and he wouldn’t rule out the Falcons joining that group. Robinson is 100% confident that the Vikings would trade Peterson to the Cardinals if they were to offer up their first-round pick, but it remains to be seen if they’re willing to do that.
Farmer said that he’ll add to the competition at quarterback if he finds a viable option, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. He’s not, however, desperate for a signal caller. “It’s constantly reported we’re [quarterback] starved and we’ll do whatever it takes to get one person. I don’t know why that is,” the GM said (link). The Browns’ collection of quarterbacks currently includes Manziel and veteran Josh McCown.
When asked if he’d take a running back in the first round, Farmer responded, “Sure. Why not?” (via Ulirch on Twitter). The Browns own the No. 12 and No. 19 picks in the draft.
The team has yet to decide on an interim GM that will be in charge while Farmer is suspended, Cabot tweets.

North Notes: Bengals, Peterson, Ravens

April 23rd, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Working out extensions with cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and guard Kevin Zeitler before May 4 is “a big priority” for the Bengals at the moment, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Both 2012 first-round draftees are eligible for fifth-year options for 2016, and if Cincinnati is happy enough with both players to want to extend them, I’d imagine the team would exercise those options.

While it’s possible that the Bengals agree to an extension with one or both players within the next week and a half, it seems more likely that a deal would be struck sometime later in the offseason. A year ago, no club extended a former first-round pick before exercising his fifth-year option, but several teams finalized new deals with those players later.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

A reader asked Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) if he thinks the Vikings will trade Adrian Peterson before or during the draft. King says his gut feeling is that Minnesota won’t do that. With $45MM due to the 30-year-old running back over the next three years, it’ll be hard to find the right deal. On top of that, the Vikes want a high draft pick to part with AD.
Elsewhere at TheMMQB.com, former Packers executive Andrew Brandt is less convinced that the Vikings will hang on to Peterson. As Brandt writes, the key person to smooth tension between a player and his team is usually the agent, but in this case, Ben Dogra has clashed with Vikings management and is doing all he can to get his client on a new team. Brandt views the Cowboys as the best fit for the running back.
Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett recently paid a visit to the Ravens, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team also met with Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson and worked him out, Wilson writes in a separate piece for the Sun.
Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review provides a breakdown of the Steelers‘ 29 pre-draft visits, while Lindsay Selengowski of DetroitLions.com lists all 30 prospects the Lions brought in for visits.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Adrian Peterson Rumors: Tuesday

April 21st, 2015 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Adrian Peterson has been PFR’s most-mentioned player since the 2014 regular season began, but now that he’s been reinstated – and with the draft only nine days away – we could finally be headed toward some sort of resolution in his saga with the Vikings. Here are Tuesday’s updates and rumors on the former MVP:

Yesterday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that if the Vikings don’t trade Peterson before or during next week’s draft, a deal isn’t expected to happen. Today, Tomasson updated his report to note that his source named six potential suitors in the mix for the running back: The Cardinals, Falcons, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers, and Buccaneers. The Raiders, who are said to have some interest, weren’t on the list.
The Cowboys have been cited as the most likely Peterson suitor since trade rumors first began surfacing, but EVP/COO Stephen Jones told 105.3 FM in Dallas today that he doesn’t envision the club “using any picks to trade for veteran players” (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).
Asked today about Peterson, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said he and GM David Caldwell haven’t had a serious conversation about making a play for the Vikings back (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com).

Latest On Adrian Peterson

April 20th, 2015 at 9:54pm CST by Zachary Links

9:54pm: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT that a recent report that the Vikings want a first-round pick and a starting cornerback isn’t accurate, which suggests it would take even more than that to even get them to consider dealing Peterson.

6:39pm: The Adrian Peterson saga continues and while many are speculating that No. 28 will be donning a different uniform this season, that isn’t necessarily the case. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that Peterson would be just as happy to play out his three-year contract with the Vikings, provided that they are willing to guarantee most of it. Peterson still doesn’t trust team COO Kevin Warren, but, as Cole says, that’s something that can be repaired.

Meanwhile, a source close to the situation believes that if the disgruntled running back isn’t traded before or during next week’s draft, the Vikings wouldn’t deal him to another team before the 2015 season, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes.

“If he’s not traded next week, they’re going to keep him,” the source said.

The source’s reasoning was that if the Vikings want to trade Peterson, they never will have more leverage than during the draft. Minnesota, he posited, could be able to entice a team once top backs Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley are off the board. Interestingly, the source did not believe that the Raiders were truly in the mix for AD, despite reports indicating that they are.

Peterson’s deal calls for cap numbers of $15.4MM in 2015, $15MM in 2016, and $17MM in 2017. With assurance that a good chunk of his $40MM+ deal will be guaranteed, it sounds like the running back could change his tune about staying in Minnesota.

North Notes: Peterson, Ihedigbo, Gipson

April 20th, 2015 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Of all the players who didn’t report to their respective teams’ initial offseason workouts today, perhaps the least surprising name on the list is Adrian Peterson. After being reinstated last week, Peterson is said to be seeking a trade, a new contract, or both. Ben Goessling of ESPN.com confirms (via Twitter) that, as expected, the star running back didn’t attend the first day of the Vikings‘ voluntary spring workouts.

While we wait to see who blinks first in the standoff between Peterson and his longtime team, let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFL’s two North divisions, including updates on a couple other players who didn’t report today….

Every Lions player except for safety James Ihedigbo was in attendance for the first day of the club’s voluntary training program, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Ihedigbo’s absence doesn’t come as a shock, since we heard a couple weeks ago that he was looking for a new contract from the Lions.
Browns safety Tashaun Gipson is another player that didn’t report to his team’s voluntary program today, as Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group details. Gipson’s situation is a little different — he received a second-round RFA tender from Cleveland last month, and wasn’t overly thrilled about that. He can still negotiate with other teams that might be interested in signing him to an offer sheet, but he’s running out of time, and any potential suitor would have to part with a second-round pick to land him.
A.J. Green tells Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (all Twitter links) that his reps and the Bengals talked at the combine about a possible contract extension. However, he’s in no hurry to get something done, and its content to play out his fifth-year option year if necessary. Harvey adds that Marvin Jones, George Iloka, and others whose contracts expire after 2015 also seem fine with playing out the season on those deals.