There comes a time in every NFL offseason where analysts run out of things to talk about. Sure, there are little things to discuss like Johnny Manziel partying in some random bar or the latest player to be mentioned in the police blotter, but it’s hard to create a buzz during the time between the conclusion of the NFL Draft and the beginning of training camp.
That makes it less surprising that Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman stated the Minnesota Vikings are considering trading Adrian Peterson after the 2014 season due to his lofty salary (he’ll be due $15.75 million at the end of his deal in 2017) and age (he turned 29 in March, one year away from the dreaded 30 year-old mark where many running backs decline).
Trading Peterson would be the dumbest thing the Vikings could possibly do.
The concept of dealing Peterson would be to immediately improve the franchise by getting several young assets with high ceilings in return. As a blueprint, many point to the Herschel Walker trade in 1989 where the Dallas Cowboys received a slew of draft picks from the Vikings, which turned into guys like Alvin Harper, Darren Woodson and Emmitt Smith.
So why couldn’t the Vikings make this happen again? It gets back to Freeman’s point.
Freeman describes Peterson’s contract situation as an “impossible salary structure to pay a player in today’s game, where the running back position has been greatly devalued.” If the running back position is devalued (which it is), wouldn’t that mean Peterson would get traded for less than any Vikings fan could imagine?
Plus, how angry would Vikings fans be if they saw “Adrian Peterson traded to City A for a third-round pick” across the bottom line on ESPN? Minneapolis may not be standing after that backlash.
The Vikings’ better option may be to try and renegotiate Peterson’s contract after this season and draft an heir apparent (such as Georgia’s Todd Gurley) to learn under his wing. If Peterson wants to stay here, he’ll take the pay cut. If he doesn’t, the Vikings’ front office can say it tried instead of inexplicably sending him out for a special teams player.
They also have to think about their new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He probably likes the idea of having eight men in the box on a consistent basis. Taking Peterson away would stunt his development and represent a large step backwards in an offseason full of progress. In all likelihood, there won’t be a decision on this until the 2014 season ends. However, Rick Spielman and the rest of the front office need to start realizing this now before they bury the franchise into another deep hole.
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Chris Schad contributes to 105 The Ticket and has had his work featured on the Bleacher Report and Yahoo Contributor Network. He serves as the Vikings Lead Writerfor Pro Football Spot. Find him on Twitter @crishad. |