Adrian Peterson - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Peterson, Johnson, Jaguars

April 19th, 2015 at 10:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings‘ reported asking price of a second-round pick and the inclusion of an additional late-rounder for Adrian Peterson may not be all the team covets here. A first-round pick and a staring-caliber cornerback appears to be the Vikings’ latest demand in order to part with their disgruntled franchise performer, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Signed to the highest-paying contract for any running back and now 30, Peterson’s lack of leverage beyond a serious holdout, which won’t reach an elevated threat level until minicamp-related fines ensue in mid-June, allows his current team to play hardball here.

Let’s look at some of the week’s final news here …

Minnesota could look to supplement its backfield as early as the third round in this year’s draft, writes Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Vensel expects Peterson and the Vikings to eventually find common ground. Despite the roster housing elusive ex-quarterback Jerick McKinnon and touchdown-producer Matt Asiata, another back would shuttle in and vie for the No. 2 job in that scenario.
The most notable veteran running back remaining in free agency, Chris Johnson is training for a potential audition with a team with a bullet still inside his body, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Miami wide receiver Phillip Dorsett will pay a visit to the Eagles‘ facilities Monday, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Listed as a Day 2 pick in our Rob DiRe’s analysis of this class’ wide receivers, Dorsett ran two sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash times at the Hurricanes’ pro day recently and visited the Titans previously.
Also from Wilson: the Browns will meet with West Georgia defensive lineman Tory Slater this week. The former high school wideout-turned-Division II defensive lineman already met with the Falcons, 49ers and Seahawks.
Blake Bortles‘ window at establishing himself will include the next two seasons, writes the Florida Times-Union’s Hays Carlyon. The Jaguars‘ No. 3 overall pick in 2014 will halt the team from using the same selection on a quarterback — or drafting one altogether — this year. But the Jags’ coaching staff is watching and discussing the top quarterbacks in the draft should either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota fall past the top two slots and an antsy team eyes a trade into Jacksonville’s slot.
OverTheCap’s Zack Moore sees the market for wide receivers becoming more reasonable despite stars like Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and A.J. Green set for new deals soon. In a lengthy piece, the salary cap website writer examines how this year’s contracts for Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin were more team-friendly than recent deals for Larry Fitzgerald, Mike Wallace and Vincent Jackson, and that teams can be more firm in their stances due to a growing influx of cheaper talent ready to contribute in each draft class.
Philly.com’s Bob Brookover writes Tim Tebow‘s persistence has little chance to catapult him back onto a 53-man roster come September.

North Notes: Peterson, Browns, Flacco

April 19th, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Voluntary workouts for the Vikings begin tomorrow, but a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that embattled running back Adrian Peterson is not expected to attend. Don’t read too much into the recently-reinstated Peterson’s planned no-show, adds Tomasson, as Peterson’s appearance at voluntary events has always been “sporadic.” Minnesota’s first mandatory session doesn’t come until June 16.

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

Penn State offensive lineman Donovan Smith, a projected Day Two selection, will visit the Browns, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Smith, who played left tackle in college, would shift to the right side (or guard) in Cleveland.
If the Browns don’t trade up for Marcus Mariota, ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon thinks the club might not select a quarterbck at all. While he allows that his opinion is just a guess, McManamon adds that Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, Thad Lewis, and Connor Shaw could hold the fort until a franchise QB is chosen, perhaps in next year’s draft.
Joe Flacco might never earn the “elite” label, but he’s given the Ravens stability at the quarterback position, something a lot of clubs are still searching for, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Peterson, Washington

April 19th, 2015 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

We rounded up some AFC links earlier this morning, so let’s have a look at a few notes from the NFC.

Although the Glazer family has never meddled in the Buccaneers‘ personnel decisions to the same degree Jerry Jones has meddled with the Cowboys, Tampa Bay’s ownership has a tradition of assuming a powerful role in the team’s football operations at key moments. According to Ira Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, the Glazers have been very active in deciding what the Bucs should do with their No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
The Vikings would want at least a second-rounder and a late-round pick for Adrian Peterson, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, who does not expect the team to lower its asking price just to move Peterson.
The Lions will likely wait until after the draft to address their left guard spot, and when they do, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com expects the team to add a veteran at the position.
John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes that, with each signing the Bears make, the job security of those already on the roster becomes more uncertain. That is especially true on the defensive side of the ball, where Chicago has added two linebackers and is moving a 2014 defensive end back to outside linebacker. That means the three Game 16 starters of last season, Jonathan Bostic, Christian Jones, and Shea McClellin, are competing for one vacancy.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Rams will select a quarterback in this year’s draft, noting that if they do, they better strike early.
Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com examine Washington‘s depth chart at quarterback. El-Bashir believes the team will draft a signal-caller, which will leave Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins fighting for one job.
John Keim of ESPN.com does not believe Washington will bring back Tyler Polumbus or Brandon Meriweather, and he would not be surprised if the team drafted Marcus Mariota if the former Oregon signal-caller is still available when Washington is on the clock.
Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com writes that, in a perfect world, there would be a clear-cut option at pass-rusher for the Giants to select with their No. 9 overall pick. The problem is that most of the premium pass rushers, outside of perhaps Bud Dupree, look more like 3-4 outside linebackers than 4-3 defensive ends. As such, the team may end up with one of this year’s top offensive lineman, like Brandon Scherff or Ereck Flowers.

East Links: Cowboys, Eagles, Bills, Pats

April 16th, 2015 at 6:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With the NFL having reinstated Vikings running back Adrian Peterson on Thursday, Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News compared a possible Peterson trade to the famous Herschel Walker deal that Minnesota and Dallas made 26 years ago. The 30-year-old Peterson’s future in Minnesota is nebulous and the Cowboys are in need of a star-caliber rusher after losing DeMarco Murray to free agency earlier this offseason, which has led to speculation that Peterson might end up in Dallas. Despite Peterson’s off-field troubles and his lack of enthusiasm toward continuing his career as a Viking, Gosselin doesn’t believe it would make sense for the team to let him the six-time Pro Bowler go. However, if the Vikings do elect to move on via trade and the Cowboys come knocking, Gosselin expects that Dallas would have to give up plenty to acquire Peterson.

Here’s more from the league’s two East divisions:

Although Mychal Kendricks has been a standout linebacker during his three years with the Eagles, the presence of two other ILBs – Kiko Alonso and DeMeco Ryans – and the possibility of another on the way via the upcoming draft could render him superfluous to the team’s roster, per Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com. Kulp believes Kendricks, who is entering the final year of his deal and hasn’t discussed an extension with the Eagles, could be dealt prior to the draft.
Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin‘s days in a Bills uniform may be numbered, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Goodwin might end up the odd man out after Buffalo’s acquisition of Percy Harvin, whom it signed in free agency. The Bills used a 2013 third-round pick on Goodwin, who has appeared in 22 games in two seasons and caught just 18 passes. He had a meager one reception last year.
The guard-needy Giants haven’t addressed the position in the first round of the draft since 1974, when they selected eventual bust John Hicks. Now might be the time for the team to break the 41-year drought, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The Giants hold the ninth overall pick, where Iowa’s Brandon Scherff could be a tempting option.
Judy Cohen of WEEI profiled Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown, who is a potential fit for the Patriots in the first round of the draft.

Adrian Peterson Rumors: Thursday

April 16th, 2015 at 5:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Adrian Peterson‘s reinstatement, the next step to address is where he will play next season, for how much and for whom.

Here are some of the rumors circulating so far …

The Vikings have stated publicly, albeit very briefly today, they want the All-Pro runner in their backfield again, but Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune examines if they should want him back. He calls into question Peterson’s age (30) and his cap figure ($15.4MM) that dwarfs every other running back at a time in which the position’s value has never been lower. While Peterson was out last season, Teddy Bridgewater zoomed to the forefront of the Vikings from a marketing standpoint as well as serving in a leadership role, and Rand wonders how it would affect the locker room for the emerging quarterback to take a backseat to someone with Peterson’s reputation.
While the Cardinals and Cowboys are the most-rumored frontrunners, the Raiders are a stealth candidate here, writes Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman after speaking with multiple general managers. The Raiders have the fifth-most cap space in the NFL at just more than $20MM and may be willing to bring Peterson aboard at his current deal, considering they have the financial resources, lack star power and were the bidders pushing the Eagles for DeMarco Murray last month.
Peterson not mentioning the Vikings in his statement today caught the eye of the Dallas Morning News staff, with the Peterson-to-Dallas angle already scrutinized for years. Not surprising considering Peterson’s demand to leave Minnesota hasn’t been a secret. A theory similar to LeBron James not mentioning Andrew Wiggins or Anthony Bennett in his SI essay, though, still requires a trade to continue the narrative. The Cowboys, however, do outflank the Cardinals — Peterson’s other rumored suitor — in terms of cap space with more than $12MM to the Cards’ $9MM+.
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes a trade to the Cardinals, which remains in play should the Vikings move off their stance, would likely require a re-done contract.
The Cardinals’ interest in Peterson could come from the fact they’ve had a shaky track record when it comes to using high draft picks on running backs, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Injuries derailed their last two runners taken — Ryan Williams (2011) and Beanie Wells (2009). Their most successful two ball-carriers selected in the past 25 years have been Thomas Jones (2000) and Garrison Hearst (1993). Both peaked elsewhere during long careers.
Although most analysts have pinpointed the draft as the prime Peterson trade window, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes the saga could drag on to minicamp June 16-18, which represents the first time Peterson could be fined for his absence. The running back has a $250K workout bonus. Goessling interprets the Vikings’ terse message as an ultimatum for Peterson to return unless they’re blown away with a trade offer. They might be the only team willing to work with his massive contract, which will be a critical chip in this staredown.

NFL Reinstates Adrian Peterson

April 16th, 2015 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL has reinstated Adrian Peterson following his suspension and his stint on the commissioner’s exempt list, the league announced today. According to the NFL’s press release, Peterson’s reinstatement will be effective as of Friday.

“In a letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell,” the league’s release reads, “Peterson was informed that he is expected to fulfill his remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas, as well as the additional commitments Peterson made during his April 7 meeting with the commissioner regarding maintaining an ongoing program of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisors.

“Beyond the requirement to comply with his court obligations and plan of counseling, Peterson was reminded that his continuing participation in the NFL depends on his avoidance of any further conduct that violates the Personal Conduct Policy or other NFL policies. Any further violation of the Personal Conduct Policy by Peterson would result in additional discipline, which could include suspension without pay or banishment from the NFL.”

Peterson, 30, faced child abuse charges last year after physically disciplining his four-year-old son, and was placed on the exempt list early in the 2014 regular season as the legal process played out. Once his case concluded, he was suspended by the NFL for the remainder of the season for violating the league’s conduct policy. Peterson and the NFLPA appealed that suspension and the decision was upheld by arbitrator Harold Henderson, but Henderson’s decision was challenged in court by the union, where Judge David Doty ruled in favor of the running back and the NFLPA.

Despite all the ups and downs in the Peterson saga, his reinstatement ultimately came when we originally expected — the terms of his suspension initially called for reinstatement to be considered no earlier than April 15.

Now that he’s an active player again, Peterson could return to the Vikings and participate in the team’s offseason activities. However, it seems unlikely that he’d do so immediately, considering he reportedly wants to be traded. The former MVP’s agent, Ben Dogra, figures to work on getting his client dealt to another team sometime in the next two weeks, before or during draft night.

The Cowboys and Cardinals have been cited most frequently as potential suitors for Peterson, though it’s not clear if either team would be willing to part with a high draft pick and take on his salary. The Vikings have also indicated they don’t have any plans to trade or release their star running back.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sturm On Cowboys: Peterson, Trades, Draft

April 15th, 2015 at 8:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

Bob Sturm took questions from Cowboys fans in his Wednesday chat for the Dallas Morning News.

Here are some of the highlights from his Q&A session:

On whether it would be a good idea to trade their second-round pick for Adrian Peterson:

“I think so. Again, I don’t like it at all. They had 3 choices this offseason for RB (maybe 4). Choice 1 was pay the NFL rushing champion to stay here (which he wanted to do). They passed. Choice 2 would be take a RB and although he is unproven, he will cost about $4m for 4 years (or $1m per season). So, the price is worth it. Choice 3 is to trade a top pick AND pay Peterson “Murray money”. This makes no sense because of age, work load, and the fact he costs you a 1st or 2nd round pick when Murray would not cost you any of that. Choice 4 is to use McFadden and Randle and see how that works. Peterson, to me, is the worst choice. However, he is Adrian Peterson and that is plenty exciting for all involved, I admit..”

On the difficulties in completing a trade for Peterson:

“There are many reasons why this trade is difficult, and I admit that one of them might be history. But, the bigger one is that the Cowboys have done everything possible to give all leverage away on this deal. They have practically telegraphed their desires publicly for a year, and this doesn’t assist in helping you get a cheap deal. Most of the principles in the Walker deal are long gone, but they know Jerry deep inside needs Peterson. Again, I don’t think the Cowboys should consider this.”

On options at cornerback in the draft:

“Well, there are a lot of really strong corners in that range. I agree that Trae Waynes and Kevin Johnson are gone. Marcus Peters is likely gone too. I would take Johnson and Peters if they are there. [Byron] Jones from UConn is next with [Eric] Rowe from Utah and [Ronald] Darby from Florida State for me. Each have their pluses and minuses. Jones might be a better athlete than a player – with his Combine performance being so much of his buzz. Rowe looks like a much better safety to me and Darby is a track guy who isn’t the best tackler ever. But, all of them are solid players.”

On whether the team should trade down from No. 27:

“One reason I don’t dive into the mock draft business is because I have found that trying to figure out what ONE franchise is planning to do is next to impossible. Trying to figure out what ALL of the franchises are doing is so absurd it is a waste of everyone’s time. That said, I would agree that those are reasonable ideas as are a few others – NYJ come to mind to get back into Round 1. But, when I look at who did deals last year, they often were not telegraphed and that is how it usually works. So, I still believe the trade-down is ideal, but finding the partner requires value issues, need issues, and the Cowboys agreeing with us that they need to trade out of #27.”

On whether he would prefer an interior lineman or edge rusher in the first round:

“I think they will look at both of those spots – as well as CB, RB, and LB – try to place values on each and try to take the BPA – best player available. I think you need both badly as DT is thin for penetrating forces and DE is likely weak unless you are going to do a longterm deal with Hardy. So, Malcom Brown or Eddie Goldman are great there – but so are so many of the edge guys. Look and see what #27 has.”

On where in the draft the Cowboys will find their running back:

“It seems to me that if you want a RB, you better plan on Round 2 being the place. And as we mentioned already, that is still not a great guarantee. Round 3 may get picked over before it gets to 91. I suspect they have their plan – which, unfortunately, may include trading one of those top picks to Minnesota.

“I have 5 RBs on the board in the 1st 2 rounds. Gordon and Gurley in Round 1, [Jay] Ajayi, [Tevin] Coleman, and Duke Johnson in Round 2. But, that view may not get them to pick #60 in Round 2. In fact, I am expecting that Ajayi and Coleman might be gone before #50. This is why I would prefer to trade back from #27 and pick up a 2nd and a 3rd, use the 2nd to get my RB and then have #60 and 2 3rds to work on my defense. But, if I can’t trade back, the other option is to use #27 on defense, then use #60 and #91 to move up and try to get into the late 40s to grab on of those 5 players. It is difficult to predict how this might work out.”

NFC Notes: AP, Wisniewski, Wootton, Saints

April 15th, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Today is April 15, which means that, under the terms of the NFL’s original suspension, Adrian Peterson is now eligible to be reinstated. Still, nothing has happened on that front so far today, and few expect anything definitive or formal to actually happen in the next few hours either, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

As Rapoport notes (via Twitter), the legal case related to Peterson’s suspension may still drag out for some time, but the league can reinstate him in the meantime, which will signal the end of his time served, making him eligible to start the 2015 season. Time will tell whether that happens with the Vikings or another team.

Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….

Free agent center Stefen Wisniewski visited Washington this week, but the club is “probably” not the frontrunner for him at the moment, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. Wisniewski has made a handful of visits since free agency opened, having met with the Patriots, Jaguars, and Titans as well. However, it’s not clear whether all those teams have real interest in him, or if the visits were more exploratory in nature — perhaps to get a closer look at Wisniewski’s surgically-repaired shoulder.
Veteran defensive lineman Corey Wootton, who tried out for the Jaguars and Titans earlier in the offseason, is visiting the Saints today, according to Sean Fazende of FOX 8 in New Orleans (Twitter link).
The Vikings and Saints, a pair of teams in need of a cornerback, are hosting Georgia corner Damian Swann for pre-draft visits, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Florida State’s Cameron Erving, viewed as the top center in this year’s draft class, is paying a visit to St. Louis to meet with the Rams, today, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The offensive line figures to be one of main areas of focus for the Rams during the draft.
The Packers will take a closer look at BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie, who is scheduled to visit the team prior to the draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

North Notes: Bears, Perriman, Draft, Peterson

April 13th, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As the Bears search for Brandon Marshall‘s replacement at receiver, they’ve brought in one of the top draft prospects at the position for a visit, meeting with UCF receiver Breshad Perriman today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Perriman, who posted a 4.25 40-time at his Pro Day, is fighting with Louisville’s Davante Parker to be the third receiver chosen behind Amari Cooper and Kevin White.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

The Steelers met with three prospects today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter), who says the club visited with Texas A&M tight end Cameron Clear, West Virginia guard Quinton Spain, and Auburn receiver Sammie Coates.
Having already brought in UAB return specialist J.J. Nelson for a visit, the Lions met with another special teamer/receiver — Utah’s Kaelin Clay — today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Though Adrian Peterson was in Minneapolis over the weekend, he did not meet with any Vikings officials, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
Rob Housler‘s one-year, $1.76MM deal with the Browns contains $750K guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
Washington defensive end Andrew Hudson just wrapped a predraft visit with the Browns, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), and he’ll meet with the Buccaneers next.

Adrian Peterson Resolution Coming Soon?

April 12th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adrian Peterson‘s offseason in the shadows could come to an end this week, with the All-Pro running back eligible for reinstatement Wednesday.

While the best thing for Peterson is probably a new uniform, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune envisions him back in Minnesota as the Vikings believe he has one more productive season in him.

After what amounted to a year off, Peterson is an interesting trade candidate despite being 30 and the running back position’s cratering value. He’s third among all active runners in career carries with 2,054 — behind longer-tenured veterans Steven Jackson and Frank Gore — but produced the best rushing season of the 21st century in 2012 the last time he uncertainty engulfed his offseason. Peterson’s 6.0 yards per carry during his MVP campaign represent one of only four such instances since the AFL-NFL merger a running back who exceeded 200 carries in a season gained more than six yards per tote, joining Jamaal Charles in 2010, O.J. Simpson in 1973 and Barry Sanders in 1997. Only one full season worth of carries separated from that performance, Peterson will be a commodity as the draft approaches, putting the onus on the Vikings.

Vensel believes Peterson is worth more than just a first-round pick but doesn’t think the Vikings can pry one from a team, with Peterson’s salary ($15.4MM cap hit in 2015) dwarfing other RBs’ costs. But CBS Sports’ Joel Corry said the window to extract peak value is approaching soon. The Cardinals and Cowboys have been the most rumored potential suitors.

“It would probably happen while on the clock because that’s when you might get a team that’s willing to give up more than they would previously,” Corry told Vensel. “You’d think [the Vikings] would want a 2015 draft pick, so if you’re going to see something get done, talks will heat up close to the draft or he will be traded during the draft.

“It’s kind of a buyer-beware proposition for Peterson going forward. But if there’s a running back that is going to defy odds, he’s it.”

But Peterson’s contract contains no guaranteed money after 2015, and Vensel points out a redo of his deal to ensure a guaranteed sum is included beyond this season would be the best way to reverse the future Hall of Famer’s current feelings toward his employer.

Vensel also points out the Vikings, whose brass have stood firm on their no-trade stance regarding their most famous player, have wavered from their trade comments in recent offseasons. The Percy Harvin in 2013 trade came after Vikings GM Rick Spielman initially said he wouldn’t do so.