The drama between running back Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings shows no signs of slowing down. Peterson's camp is still insisting that he wants out of Minnesota, while the Vikings are still insisting that they want Peterson back in uniform for the 2015 season. The Vikings have said that they will not release the former MVP-winning ball carrier. However, that doesn't rule out a possible trade.
Though the Vikings seem to have all of the leverage in this standoff, they may not be too happy paying upwards of $12 million to a disgruntled employee. As such, a trade is possible. The Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams have all been floated as possible landing spots. However, ESPN Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss believes that Arizona is not a likely trade partner.
"The longer the Adrian Peterson saga drags out, the more I believe he won't be an Arizona Cardinal," Weinfuss said. "The main reason is money. Peterson has three years and $44 million left on his current contract with the Minnesota Vikings. That comes to an average cap hit of $15.3 million per year. There's no way the Cardinals would take on those numbers in their current form. If, and this is a big if, the Cardinals were to trade for Peterson he'd have to restructure his contract. That begs this question: would a running back want to give up that type of money, which is basically guaranteed, in the last few years of his career? If the Cardinals decide to trade for him they would likely have to give up a significant amount of draft picks. Is Adrian Peterson worth mortgaging the house for? In my opinion, no.
"Peterson also just turned 30 last week. Last year, there were 10 running backs 30 and older who had at least one carry. The most prolific: Frank Gore and Steven Jackson. That's not to say Peterson can't be effective next season. He's coming off a season in which he missed 15 of 16 games. His legs are fresh, he'll be playing angry and will have a massive chip on his shoulder. That could turn into 2,000 yards who whichever team he plays for."
The Cardinals are high on third-year runner Andre Ellington. However, last season proved that he was best suited for the complimentary role he excelled in as a rookie. Arizona's need for a feature back and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's recent comments helped fan the flames of Peterson to the Cardinals talk. But it is much more likely that the team will look to the NFL draft (Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon perhaps?) for running back help.
