Adrian Peterson

Cardinals To Release Adrian Peterson

March 12th, 2018 at 8:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals expected to release running back Adrian Peterson today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). By cutting Peterson now, the Cardinals will avoid paying a $750K bonus to the veteran, which was due on the third day of league year, Friday.

We first heard back in February that the Cardinals were planning to release Peterson. However, Schefter hears that Peterson still could circle back to Arizona later, perhaps at a rate cheaper than his originally scheduled $2.881MM cap charge.

The Patriots, Seahawks, and Giants all expressed interest in Peterson before he signed with the Saints last year, so those are all teams to keep in mind as Peterson approaches free agency. Additionally, the Ravens discussed dealing for Peterson before the Saints traded him to Arizona last year.

Peterson, who turns 33 on March 21, managed 3.5 yards per carry on 129 attempts and scored two touchdowns for the Cardinals. He had his moments – like when he ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns in his Arizona debut – but he was among the least effective backs in the league overall. Football Outsiders ranked Peterson 46th among 47 tailbacks in both DYAR and DVOA, metrics which measure overall and per-play value.

NFC Notes: Rodgers, Peterson, Keenum, Seahawks

February 3rd, 2018 at 12:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Adrian Peterson had one of the least productive seasons of his career in 2017, but the veteran running back believes he still has plenty left in the tank.

“At the end of the day, I know I can play,” he told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). “If you watch football, as far as being an evaluator of talent, if a guy has something left in the tank… he was able to see (I) can still play the game. … I would want to play maybe four more years, four to five more years.’’

There were rumblings that the Cardinals would ultimately cut Peterson, but the 32-year-old doesn’t sound overly concerned about his status in 2018.

“I haven’t heard anything from the horse’s mouth but I heard the report as well,” he told Tomasson. “But it’s just a report for now If it’s (true) it was a great run for me and a great opportunity and it will be on to the next but hopefully that’s not the case.”

Peterson split last season between the Saints and Cardinals. After an underwhelming start in New Orleans, Peterson ultimately started six games for Arizona, compiling 448 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 129 carries.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

While Aaron Rodgers made it clear that he wants to play into his 40s, he also told the Associated Press that it may require him to play for another team. The Packers quarterback cited the departure of Brett Favre, who bounced between the Jets and Vikings after more than a decade in Green Bay. “I think you have to be humble enough to realize if it could happen to Brett, it can happen to you,” Rodgers said.
The Vikings will have some tough choices to make at the quarterback position this offseason, but Case Keenum is hoping he’ll get another chance at the starting gig. The 29-year-old told 1500ESPN’s Mackey and Judd that he’d like to finish what he started in Minnesota.“We love Minnesota, we love it here, we love the season we had, we definitely feel like there’s some unfinished business with how things ended,” Keenum said (via Matthew Coller of 1500espn.com). “At the same time, we understand tough decisions have to be made and so we’ll see what happens.”
Mary Jo White will be leading the NFL’s investigation into Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, reports ESPN.com’s David Newton. Back in December, it was reported that the owner was under investigation for workplace misconduct. White had previously served as a federal prosecutor in New York City and as the Securities and Exchange Commission under President Obama.
The Seahawks have hired former Texans special teams coach Larry Izzo as their new assistant ST coach, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Izzo was the special teams coach in Houston for the past two years, but was fired last month after back-to-back dismal seasons. He’ll now work under Brian Schneider, who’s been in Seattle since 2010. Izzo, a former NFL linebacker and special teams maven in the AFC East, is replacing Heath Farwell, who took a similar role with the Panthers.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Cardinals Expected To Cut Adrian Peterson

January 31st, 2018 at 5:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals are expected to release veteran running back Adrian Peterson this offseason, according to Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com.

Arizona acquired Peterson from the Saints in October for the price of a 2018 sixth-round pick, and installed him as its starting running back in the absence of superstar David Johnson. Peterson, who will turn 33 years old in March, managed 3.5 yards per carry on 129 rushes and scored twice in the desert. However, he was among the least effective backs in the league: Football Outsiders ranked Peterson 46th among 47 running backs in both DYAR and DVOA, metrics which measure overall and per-play value, respectively.

With Johnson expected back from injury in 2018, Peterson wouldn’t have been handling many carries, which makes his $2.881MM cap charge relatively untenable. The Cardinals’ new coaching staff may have also played a role in Peterson’s ouster, as former head coach Bruce Arians had said the future Hall of Famer would be part of Arizona’s 2018 plans. However, new head coach Steve Wilks and new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy may have had other ideas, and presumably believe they can find a cheaper — or more effective — backup running back.

Peterson has already stated that he intends to continue his career in 2018, so he’ll be looking for work after he hits the free agent market. While it may be a bit early to speculate on potential destinations, the Patriots, Seahawks, and Giants all expressed interest in Peterson before he signed with New Orleans last year. Additionally, the Ravens reportedly discussed trading for Peterson before the Saints shipped him to Arizona.

Saints Get Pick From Adrian Peterson Trade

January 24th, 2018 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

When the Saints shipped Adrian Peterson to the Cardinals in March, they received a conditional sixth-round draft pick in return for the future Hall of Fame running back. On Wednesday, Saints GM Mickey Loomis confirmed that those conditions have been met and the pick will in fact be conveyed to New Orleans (Twitter link via Joel Erickson of The Advocate).

Peterson averaged just 3.5 yards per carry for the Cardinals as he filled in for David Johnson, but he did show flashes of his old self on a couple of occasions. In his first game with Arizona, Peterson ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns off of 26 attempts. A couple of weeks later, he racked up 159 rushing yards against the Niners. It’s not clear what the conditions of the trade were, but he did enough to satisfy them and give the Saints a return on the deal.

Meanwhile, Peterson’s future in Arizona is in flux. The veteran remains under contract for one more season, but the Cardinals could save $3.5MM against the cap by releasing him. With Johnson returning, the Cardinals could apply that money elsewhere and turn to a younger, cheaper back as insurance. For his part, Peterson says he intends to play in 2018.

NFC West Notes: Garoppolo, Peterson, Ward

December 15th, 2017 at 2:27pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers GM John Lynch is in constant contact with Jimmy Garoppolo‘s agent Don Yee, but their conversations have not included contract negotiations.

“It’s kind of refreshing to talk to him because of the way he’s dealt with Tom [Brady], a lot of people have learned: He really wants these guys just to go focus on their business,” Lynch told KNBR (transcription via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “We’ve agreed that ‘Hey, there’s going to be a time for that, let’s keep in regular contact.’ But, no, we haven’t started discussions. I’m sure that will come in due time. And we’re looking forward to that time.”

Recently, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he does not expect an extension for the quarterback to be completed before the end of the year. Garoppolo is technically eligible for free agency this offseason, but the Niners are expected to use the franchise tag on him if they cannot hammer out a long-term deal.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

When asked if Adrian Peterson could be on the Cardinals in 2018, coach Bruce Arians said yes (Twitter link via Darren Urban of the team’s site). Arians added that Peterson and the returning David Johnson could co-exist. On Friday, Peterson announced that he intends to play next year, but the Cardinals have the option of cutting him without any financial penalty.
An extension for safety Jaquiski Tartt appears to be high on the 49ers‘ list of priorities this offseason, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Tartt’s season ended in early November with a broken forearm, but was among the team’s leaders in tackles. This will be the first offseason in which the Niners are able to negotiate a multi-year extension with the 2015 second-round pick.
Meanwhile, the 49ers have defensive back Jimmie Ward under contract for next year thanks to his fifth-year option, but they’ll have to think long and hard about retaining him, Maiocco writes. Ward’s inability to stay on the field (he’s missed 14 games over the last two seasons) could deter the team from bringing him back at that rate. His ability to play either cornerback or free safety is a plus, but it’s also something of a double-edged sword in this case. Because he played cornerback last year, his option price for 2018 jumped from $5.597MM to $8.526MM.
49ers like safety Eric Reid, but it’s hard to imagine them getting into a bidding war for him in free agency with Tartt, Ward, and Adrian Colbert under contract, according to Maiocco. But, at the right price, the Niners would probably welcome him back.

Adrian Peterson To Return In 2018

December 15th, 2017 at 8:39am CST by Zachary Links

Adrian Peterson‘s season is over, but his career is not. The veteran running back says that he’ll be back on the field in 2018.

“The good news is my neck injury doesn’t require surgery, but I’m told by Dr. Robert Watkins that the best thing for me is just more rest than the length of the season. Obviously, I’m disappointed about going on IR when my body is still able to produce but I look forward to returning completely healthy for another season in 2018,” Peterson said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity that the Arizona Cardinals have given me to show that I can still contribute on an NFL team.”

Peterson averaged just 3.5 yards per carry for the Cardinals, but he did show flashes of his old self on a couple of occasions. In his Cards debut, Peterson ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns off of 26 carries. A couple of weeks later, he racked up 159 rushing yards against the Niners.

Peterson remains under contract for one more season, but the Cardinals could instead release him and save $3.5MM against the cap. With David Johnson returning, the Cardinals will have to ask themselves whether it’s worthwhile to pay Peterson that much to serve as a backup. Even if they like the idea of Peterson as an insurance policy, it’s not a given that the veteran will be willing to come off of the bench.

The future Hall of Famer turns 33 in March.

Cardinals Place RB Adrian Peterson On IR

December 14th, 2017 at 9:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have placed veteran running back Adrian Peterson on injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Peterson is dealing with a neck injury, but won’t require surgery, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Peterson hadn’t played since Week 12, and just yesterday Arizona head coach Bruce Arians indicated he “had no idea” if Peterson would play again this season. The Cardinals’ decision-makers evidently decided that running Peterson out for the final three games of the year wasn’t worth the risk, especially given that the 6-7 club has virtually no chance of earning a postseason berth in a stacked NFC.

Arizona acquired Peterson from the Saints in early October, shipping a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick in exchange for the 32-year-old back. The exact parameters of that trade have yet to be reported, so it’s unclear exactly what kind of return the Saints will get for Peterson. But clearing his salary off their books was likely incentive enough for the deal, and allowed New Orleans to move on from an unwise two-year contract.

Upon hitting the desert, Peterson was immediately more involved in the Cards’ offense that he’d ever been with the Saints, and posted 134 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in his Arizona debut. He’s been up-and-down since that point, however, and topped 80 yards just once more in his final five games of the 2017 campaign. In three of those contests, Peterson didn’t even manage two yards per carry.

Peterson is under contract in 2018 with a cost of $3.5MM attached, but it’s not readily apparent as to whether general manager Steve Keim & Co. have any intention of retaining Peterson. The Cardinals will see the return of dynamic third-year pro David Johnson in 2018, meaning Peterson would be relegated to backup duty. Arizona would clear Peterson’s entire cap charge by cutting ties.

Extra Points: Browns, Mayfield, Pats, Cards

December 13th, 2017 at 9:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Browns general manager John Dorsey still has more than five months to formulate plans for the 2018 draft, but he’s watched six games of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and come away impressed, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com. “I want to be able to project and articulate my opinion when the time comes and it matters,” Dorsey said. “I saw [Mayfield] at Kansas this year, in the OU-Kansas game. You’re darn right he’s a good quarterback, no matter how tall he is. Some would say he’s too short, but I would ask you: How tall is Russell Wilson? How tall is Chase Daniel?” Cleveland appears to be lock to boast two top-10 selections in next year’s draft, meaning the club will have a chance at finding a franchise signal-caller.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell is not expected to return to the Patriots‘ active roster this year, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, which could have led to New England signing free agent pass-catcher Kenny Britt, opines Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Mitchell, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, has been on injured reserve for the duration of this season while dealing with a knee injury. Britt, meanwhile, stands 6’3″, 223 pounds, meaning he’ll give the Patriots a larger presence on the outside. As Reiss notes, New England made a similar late-season addition a year ago, claiming physical wideout Michael Floyd off waivers for the stretch run.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians admitted he has “no idea” if Adrian Peterson will recover from his neck injury in time to play again this season, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Peterson, 32, has been up and down since being dealt to Arizona, as he’s topped 75 yards in half his six games as a Cardinal but failed to top two yards per carry in the other three contests. With a 6-7 record in a stacked NFC playoff picture, Arizona doesn’t have much to play for down the stretch, so it could conceivably shut Peterson down. He’s under contract for 2018 at a cost of $3.5MM, a figure that could be untenable given the return of David Johnson in 2018.
Rival teams are showing interest in Raiders practice squad defensive lineman Fadol Brown, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). On Wednesday, the Raiders opted to promote Darius Latham to provide depth up front, meaning other clubs still have a chance to pounce on the Ole Miss product. Brown, an undrafted rookie, has spent the entirety of the 2017 campaign on Oakland’s practice squad. In a predraft profile, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said Brown “sets a strong edge” in the run game but is a poor pass rusher due to “lazy” hands.
Former general manager Scot McCloughan‘s grievance against the Redskins could cause problems for the club’s scouting staff (every member of which could be asked to testify), a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Washington’s personnel members favor McCloughan, they could potentially face retribution from current ream president Bruce Allen, but if the scouts speak in favor of the Redskins, they fear other teams — who possibly enjoy a relationship with McCloughan — may not hire them in the future, per Florio. The hearing for McCloughan’s grievance is set to begin next Monday, December 18.

West Notes: Chiefs, Garoppolo, Peterson

December 3rd, 2017 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

There is a “strong expectation” the Chiefs will trade Alex Smith this offseason, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. There could be a “historic” quarterback market in 2018, a league source told La Canfora, and Smith’s name may be a key part of it. The fifth-year Kansas City starter has just one more season left on his contract, and the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes waiting in the wings. While Mahomes is viewed as a project, and one that might not necessarily mesh with the Chiefs’ veteran core right away, Smith has struggled after a hot start — although, he has four touchdown passes today — and has the Chiefs teetering on the fringe of the AFC race despite a 5-0 run to open the season. The Chiefs sent two second-round picks to the 49ers for a then-28-year-old Smith in 2013, and while their return might not be quite on that level given Smith’s age (34 in May) and contract status, the supply-and-demand issues at this position figure to make Smith a valuable trade chip. Smith is due to comprise $20.6MM of K.C.’s 2018 cap.

Here’s more from the Western divisions, continuing with the quarterback carousel that could take place.

The 49ers do not sound especially eager to dangle Jimmy Garoppolo as a trade piece upon franchising him as they’re expected to, but La Canfora reports there could be a market for such a move. Multiple execs would be interested in exploring Garoppolo trade talks, per JLC, should the 49ers go after ex-Kyle Shanahan protege Kirk Cousins. While the Cousins-to-San Francisco talk has died down since the Garoppolo trade, the Redskins passer could be a tag-and-trade candidate as well. Garoppolo made his first start for the 49ers today, and it may take a rough December from the quarterback to convince the 49ers to abandon this project so soon.
Adrian Peterson will not be available for the Cardinals in their pivotal game against the Rams. The running back suffered a neck injury against the Jaguars last week, and he’ll miss his first game of the season. Peterson missed most of last season due to a knee injury. Kerwynn Williams will start for Arizona, which at 5-6 is facing essentially a must-win game.
On the subject of injured Cardinals, Carson Palmer is not yet ready to close the door on a 2017 return. However, the Cards probably need to win today sans-Peterson to keep that door ajar.
The Chargers will use a fourth kicker of the season today, having swapped out Nick Novak-for-Travis Coons.

Extra Points: Patriots, Maxwell, Peterson

November 6th, 2017 at 9:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Following months of speculation, the Patriots finally pulled the trigger on a Jimmy Garoppolo trade during last week’s deadline. Today, coach Bill Belichick provided some clarity on the transaction, noting that the team did not shop around the quarterback during this past offseason.

“There was no market to trade Jimmy in April, on our end,” Belichick said during an appearance on WEEI (via Doug Kyed of NESN.com). “I don’t really care what the offer was. I don’t even know what the offers were, or would have been. There was no interest on our end in making that deal. It didn’t really matter what the offer was, or would the offer would have been. I don’t really know what they were because we never entertained it.

“As I said, we had the best depth at that position probably of any team in the league, or at least we felt like we did. Maybe other teams felt different, I don’t know. We had great depth at that position. It was a tremendous situation to have two quarterbacks of the caliber we’ve had the past call it two and a half years from when Jimmy was ready. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t sustainable.”

There were whispers that the Browns had pursued Garoppolo during the offseason, but it sounds like the Patriots weren’t even willing to pick up the phone.

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFL…

Brian Hoyer has a number of suitors after he was let go by the 49ers, but the quarterback told Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com that signing with the Patriots was a no-brainer. “I think for me, that was kind of the excitement of coming back home, and to be able to play behind Tom [Brady] and be in this organization,” Hoyer said. “And I was OK with. I think for me, having played a lot, you’re always ready to play, but it wasn’t going to work out for me to be a starter there in San Francisco the rest of this year, anyways, and probably not for next year. So I think for me, when I had an opportunity to come here and be the backup to Tom and in this organization, it was kind of a no-brainer.”
After working out with the Falcons, cornerback Byron Maxwell will not be signing a contract this evening, reports ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Of course, the writer also notes that the defensive back hasn’t been ruled out, so a transaction could still be a possibility.
Even after he missed three field goal attempts on Sunday against Washington, the Seahawks say they will not move on from kicker Blair Walsh. “No, we will not,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters (via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com). “He’s 12-for-13 going into the game, guys. That was a hard day for whatever reason. We didn’t kick the ball off very well, either. It was just a hard day to kick the ball for us.” Walsh’s misses proved to be costly as Seattle lost by three points.
After a slow start to the season, Cardinals running back Adrian Peterson may actually reach some of his monetary incentives. As former agent Joel Corry notes on Twitter, the veteran’s contract calls for an extra $150K if he reaches 750 rushing yards. After compiling only 81 rushing yards in four games with the Saints, the veteran has collected 314 in three games with the Cardinals, meaning he only needs another 355 rushing yards in eight more games.
The number of agents certified by the NFL Players Association has risen 4%, from 795 to 830, Liz Mullen of SBJ writes. That figure includes 119 new agents who became certified this summer. Meanwhile, 84 agents either lost or dropped their certification. One can lose certification by not negotiating an NFL deal within a three-year period, missing the yearly union seminar, or not paying dues.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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