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The Adrian Peterson ordeal has been nothing short of astonishing, disappointing, and frustrating for fans, in particular Vikings fans across the sports world. With a heavy heart and a “shaking my head” view I look into what the Vikings should do with their phenomenal RB and the situation at hand.
No one would question as to what AP did was wrong. But the NFL overreached here wanting to push this to the extreme for PR purposes. Sadly, if you really look into the numbers, there are figured 20% of players with criminal history playing currently in the league. That’s a fact, so to judge him and banish him as the worst outlaw of them all, is unfair and unjustifiable.
He could be coming back with a vengeance and putting up insane numbers again, with a team around him that could possibly not need him to run for 140. I also think that with his health, and heart AP could possibly last another 3-4 years as a starter in the NFL. He is in way better shape then other aging running backs out there.
I don’t think anyone would consider AP to be the typical “almost 30 year old” RB in the NFL. The dreaded 30 year old history, has averted some players, like Emmitt Smith and Jerome Bettis who still played productively after the big 3-0. Not great, but capably. AP certainly has defied the odds with other things as well, after tearing his ACL.
I am sure he has spent a season off the field taking top class care of his body, obviously free from the hits and injuries. A healthy and hungry Peterson in 2015 with a much improved defense and a new schemed offensive could call for a double digit win season. If the Vikings plan on keeping Peterson wearing the purple and gold, I feel in surely puts them back into the post-season next year.
Is it a genuine consideration that the Peterson era has concluded? If this plays out, then the best the Vikes could hope for, is to trade him for a mid round pick to a place he is going to willing to take less money. And the money they could save would be able to let them address other needs, like getting the abominable O-line fixed, adding another strong DB opposite Xavier Rhodes.
This is in fact Teddy’s team now, it is time to move on. They can definitely draft a RB in the 2nd or 3rd rounds of the draft, perfectly a Gurley, or even Jay Ajayi would be there for their 2nd round pick. Proof is, anyone is replaceable, and RB position is one of those positions, that when coming out of college, they can hit promptly, it’s not the enduring growing position like the QB or possibly WR spot.
I feel that some of it, drops back on his shoulders, depending on whether or not he feels the organization really had his back throughout this experience. Has he questioned their faithfulness throughout this? I am sure he has asked himself that a multitude of times, and we may or may not ever know the real answer to it all.
Keeping Peterson obviously makes the team even better than they were this year, and they were for certain a team on the rise, and would be expected to be only climbing after their successful campaign with their renewed team. But, he is a 30 yr old RB, due for a huge paycheck of around 14 million next season.
The possibility of putting any other RB on the field that matches his quality and style of play for half the amount of money, then they should consider that option.
The Vikings should renegotiate his contract, firstly. I don’t believe there will be too many teams willing to pay him as much as he is currently due to be making. Looking back at teams that have had to make the tough decision to let their franchise players go, the Favre and Rodgers situation, the Manning to Luck moves, they all ended up working out pretty well for those teams in the end. Especially for the Packers.
So it does make sense to let Adrian Peterson go.
Written by Mike Anthony for VegasTopDogs.com
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