Is Adrian Peterson a Good Fit in Dallas?
By Reid Hanson
Adrian Peterson’s agent says the Vikings are no longer the right fit. Are the Cowboys?
Is Adrian Peterson the right fit in Dallas? From a talent perspective, of course he is! Adrian Peterson would be a great addition on any team in the NFL. That’s how talented and versatile he is, and very few will argue that point. The real topic up for debate is, ‘at what cost would Adrian Peterson be the right fit for the Dallas Cowboys?’
It’s easy to see how all the Adrian Peterson to Dallas talk got started. Peterson, a Texas native, has a relationship with Jerry Jones. He’s on the record saying he would enjoy playing for the Cowboys, but then again, who wouldn’t love playing behind this O-Line?
<Insert DeMarco Murray Joke here>
Speaking of Murray, the Cowboys recently let the NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, run to the money of a hated division rival. The Cowboys never really even tried to get into the financial ballpark that which Murray was looking. To increase the already rampant speculation, Peterson’s agent Ben Dogra dropped this nugget at the NFL owners meetings:
"“I don’t think it’s in Adrian’s best interest to play in Minnesota,” said Dogma according to ESPN. “Why would it be?”"
With all of this, it’s pretty easy to see why the Dallas Cowboys are linked to Adrian Peterson, and to an extent, the Cowboys must be interested. But again…At what cost?
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Acquiring Adrian Peterson via trade seems absolutely ludicrous. The money owed the 30 year old All-Pro is staggering . According to Spotrac.com, in 2015 alone he’s due $12,750,000 plus a $250,000 workout bonus. That’s twice the amount the Cowboys were willing to pay annually to DeMarco Murray. Combine the obvious aversion to swallowing his salary, with the mid-to high level draft pick MN would demand in return, and this deal is dead before it even started.
If Adrian Peterson is somehow cut by the Vikings, things would understandably change. Without question, he would need to take a substantial pay-cut to what he was slotted for with the Vikings. Any salary at or above what DeMarco is guaranteed to receive, is out of the question as well. That would be like the Eagles cutting LeSean McCoy to save money at the position, only to replace him with two other RBs who will collectively cost more…oh wait, that happened…
Regardless of the idiotic precedent set in Philadelphia, spending more at the RB position (than what they offered Murray) is clearly something the Cowboys want to avoid. Financially, any signing the Cowboys want to do going forward, will require Tony Romo to restructure his contract. This is also something the Cowboys want to avoid.
"The Cowboys want to spend today’s money, today – not tomorrow’s money, today."
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The Greg Hardy signing does change things for the Cowboys. And despite what Adam Schefter may say, it probably increases the odds of signing Peterson should be become suddenly available.
Consider this…The Cowboys are more inclined, with Hardy, to double-down on 2015. They see Romo’s window closing. They see Dez Bryant on a 1 year Franchise Tag. They have one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers for 1 season. Under these unique circumstances, they very easily could justify pushing Romo’s money one year, in order to make one big push this season (but still, not at his current ticket price).
Signing Adrian Peterson has to be at the right price and cannot be at a detriment to the future of the Dallas Cowboys. Let’s put this Adrian Peterson business to bed. Unless the Vikings cut him and/or he publically says he’s willing to play at half the cost, he’s not the right for the Dallas Cowboys either.
Next: Greg Hardy Suspension Status
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