Tag Archives: Minnesota Vikings

5 Reasons Why Adrian Peterson Might Be Done in the NFL

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The 2017 NFL Free Agency period has long been through it’s first wave. We are now into April and teams are starting to think about the draft and their first minicamps. Pretty soon everyone will be on to training camp, preseason and before we know it, the 2017 NFL season will be here.

Could it come with an iconic running back like Adrian Peterson being jobless? As crazy as it sounds, the knee-jerk reaction is “absolutely”. Peterson has officially been cast aside by the Minnesota Vikings, the only franchise he has ever called home. The Vikings permanently moved on from the aging back by bringing in former Oakland Raiders rusher Latavius Murray, signing him to a three-year deal even though they knew he had to undergo ankle surgery.

The risk of Murray, combined with the lethargic play out of Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata a year ago, tell us Minnesota doesn’t think much of Peterson. The fact that the 32-year old Peterson still has yet to change teams suggests Minnesota isn’t alone in doubting he can still be an effective rusher, either. But there’s a lot that goes into this thinking and ultimately, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest Peterson’s days in the NFL are already over. Here’s five reasons why that could be the case:

Peterson Still Thinks He’s a Star

Problem number one is Adrian Peterson, like most pro athletes, seems to think he’s indestructible and that nothing will keep him from getting back to his previously elite level. That’s been proven to simply not be the case, judging by his awful production in three appearances in 2016.

Peterson obviously got hurt last year (torn meniscus), but on top of that simply wasn’t an effective runner for the Vikings even when healthy. Peterson’s 1.9 yards per carry average tells us that, while he also couldn’t punch in a single touchdown on 40 touches.

That wasn’t all necessarily his fault and it’s not impossible for Peterson to bounce back and prove us all wrong, but at 32 it’s increasingly less likely. Most NFL teams see that logic and naturally don’t want to just hand they keys of their offense to a guy they have no loyalty to. Why trust an aging running back that you have zero ties to, simply because he used to dominate the league? The correct answer is you probably don’t.

Asking Price

Even if we were to believe Peterson was still the same back that put up 2,000+ rushing yards in 2012 (which he isn’t) or even the one that enjoyed a solid 2015 campaign (also probably not), Peterson clearly isn’t aware of his situation and the value of aged running backs – or running backs in general. Peterson is still demanding far too high of an asking price and probably wants more than a one-year “prove it” deal.

If Peterson were more receptive to deals prospective teams wanted to offer, he’d probably be signed by now. His history, physicality, past production and the sheer upside of Peterson not being washed up has to be appealing to a lot of playoff contenders. But it also has to come at the right price. There is a lot of risk involved with paying big bucks to any NFL player, let alone an aging running back who just missed 13 games due to injury.

Peterson’s asking price is too high and it needs to come way down. On top of realizing he’s probably not the star he once was, he needs to admit that he also doesn’t deserve boatloads of money at this stage of his career. If he realizes that, perhaps he’ll find a taker. If he doesn’t, that will undoubtedly be the top reason he never plays again.

Contenders Might Not Want Him

There’s also the very real possibility that even if Peterson drops his asking price, legit playoff contenders won’t care to add him to their roster. For one, most playoff contenders already have solid options in their offensive backfield, recently upgraded the positions or have concrete plans of adding young talent in the 2017 NFL Draft. Considering how deep running back is this year, that remains a distinct possibility.

Peterson’s ego and asking price are two huge obstacles, but whatever the reasons, teams simply may not need or want him. That could end up being a key reason why Peterson himself opts to call it a career. If not, he’d then be settling for less money, potentially a lesser role and working his butt off for a bad team that probably isn’t going anywhere. At 32, Peterson is one way or another on his last NFL legs and if he has any pride, he surely wants to go out a winner. The problem is most contending teams aren’t likely to help fulfill that desire.

Retiring a Viking

It’s unclear how much this means to Peterson, who very easily could love to deliver the Brett Favre treatment by staying in the NFC North and beating the Vikings to death twice a year. Green Bay and Detroit both have holes at running back, so at least for now that makes some sense. Peterson has even been attached to the Packers in rumors and Lions GM Bob Quinn said recently he believes Peterson still has something left to offer:

The flip side of that, though, is Peterson could decide that he’s not seeing the money, role, respect or winning opportunity he’d ideally prefer out on the open market. That could lead him to some self reflection and admitting to himself that retiring as a Viking and avoiding wasted years on bad teams simply isn’t worth the time and effort.

Skill-set is Obsolete?

Peterson’s age, asking price, pride and actual options all come into play, but one huge factor Peterson probably wouldn’t like to admit is that the game might be passing him by. Peterson has always been a big and explosive runner, but he’s never been an elite receiver out of the backfield, he’s had issues with pass protection, he certainly has had fumbling problems and we learned recently in Minnesota he can’t adapt to more pass-happy approaches that require him to take hand-offs out of the shotgun.

That’s all pretty damning evidence. As great as he was and possibly could still be, the 32-year old Peterson lacks the general skill-set you really want from your star runner. James White’s epic Super Bowl 51 performance showed us how the old running back mold has officially been shattered, too, and Peterson is really just an old, expensive early down rusher who might fumble away games in clutch moments. On top of that, he just might not be able to get the job done at a high level anymore.

Adrian Peterson could still very well find himself the perfection situation in 2017. His asking price could drop, he could be open to not being “the guy”, injuries could open up a big need for contending teams or maybe someone out there is waiting for the perfect moment to add him. Then again, we see big NFL stars drift away from the league all the time. Injuries, ego, money, roles and so much more can add up quickly and keep prospective teams away. If Adrian Peterson isn’t careful, he might just become another retirement statistic.

Teddy Bridgewater Injury: 5 Quarterbacks the Vikings Should Consider Adding

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The Minnesota Vikings are in a bad way at the moment, as they learned on Tuesday afternoon that starting quarterback Teddy Bridgwater would be lost for the season due to a devastating knee injury.

Huge Loss

Bridgewater reportedly fell to the ground during practice with a non-contact injury on Tuesday, cutting Minnesota’s team practice short at just 25 minutes. Bridgewater was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and sedated, where the team later learned he had suffered a dislocated knee and torn ACL.

The silver lining is Bridgewater did not suffer any other serious dame to his arteries or nerves, and the third-year passer is expected to make a full recovery.

Moving On

Bridgewater is officially done for 2016, however, which naturally hinders Minnesota’s Super Bowl odds. Once a media darling, the Vikings may not even be in legit contention for the NFC North now that their quarterback situation is so murky. Career backup Shaun Hill is ready to slide into the starting role, but at 36 years old, it’s arguable he will either get hurt or falter early on.

Because of the current situation, Minnesota has to be considering alternative options. While they probably don’t want to make too crazy of a splash, as Bridgewater is their franchise quarterback, they also can’t just do nothing and waste an entire season. Let’s consider their five best options as they prepare for the start of the 2016 NFL season:

Trade For Josh McCown

Cleveland has continued to hold onto the savvy veteran for two reasons: they like him as a strong backup plan behind Robert Griffin III and they probably haven’t heard a trade offer they love yet. McCown is an expensive backup and has starter experience, so it would make sense for the Browns to unload him if someone offered a quality package.

Minnesota could be that team. Reports out of Dallas suggested the Cowboys (who saw Tony Romo go down recently) aren’t chasing McCown or other passers via trade. The Vikings probably should. McCown is as old as Hill, but provides far more upside in terms of athleticism, experience, awareness and arm strength. McCown also looked like a top-15 passer at times in 2015, but simply struggled to stay healthy.

In terms of potentially available backups that could actually solve Minnesota’s current dilemma, McCown takes the cake. The big question is whether or not the Browns are willing to give him up and if Minnesota is up for sacrificing a mid-round draft choice in an attempt to salvage their season.

Kick the Tires on the Sanchize

Denver didn’t think Mark Sanchez was the answer under center for them, but Minnesota could. Sanchez is more mobile than Shaun Hill and would probably withstand a beating a little bit better. He’s not the most accurate passer and turns the ball over, but he has experience and has made it to a conference title game twice before in his career.

With a terrific supporting cast, Sanchez could actually help get the Vikings by and might offer more upside through the air than anyone they currently have on the roster. Sanchez probably won’t get the Vikes to the Super Bowl, but he should do well enough to keep them afloat and give them a chance to make the playoffs, should he be acquired.

Bring in Johnny Football

This one comes out of left field, as the Vikings didn’t really seem to love Johnny Manziel back when they scouted him in the 2014 NFL Draft. He also has been as toxic as anyone, doesn’t seem to have his priorities right and is already suspended the first four games of the year due to substance abuse.

In addition, he’s still unproven on the field and bringing Manziel in could rub Bridgewater and his camp the wrong way.

All that being said, Manziel still has undeniable talent and untapped upside. In a good environment like Minnesota with strong talent, a good defense and quality coaching, he actually could have a chance to thrive and turn his career around. Minnesota probably won’t do it for all the reasons already mentioned, but if they’re upset that they’re isn’t a single quality option left in free agency, they’re just not covering all the bases.

Call Tampa Bay

Another backup that could make sense is Buccaneers passer, Mike Glennon. Glennon has starter experience and offers great size and arm strength. He isn’t getting Minnesota to their first ever title, but he really isn’t needed in Tampa Bay with Jameis Winston around and he still has some upside to his game. The Bucs also love third stringer Ryan Griffin and have been wanting to move Glennon for a while now.

Glennon could be the ideal add, too, as he’d be the starter for 2016, but wouldn’t be viewed as a real threat to Bridgewater’s job in 2017. Some of the aforementioned options might be.

Land Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick is even more toxic than Johnny Manziel right now – and that is not easy to accomplish. That being said, he has played in a Super Bowl, is still an elite athlete and still has the upside and talent to be a difference-maker. Some think he’s done in the league, but if he’s not, the Vikes have to consider him as one of the better options.

San Francisco has refrained from trading Kaepernick to this point, but if Minnesota produced the right offer, they’d surely listen.

Other Options

There are a number of directions the Vikings could go. Numerous teams only carry two quarterbacks, so they could just wait for final cuts and have their pick of the litter. They probably want to be a little more proactive than that, of course, so it’s more likely than not that we’ll hear them swing a trade this week.

Other backup quarterbacks who could be at odds with their current team and could be worth a look include Geno Smith, E.J. Manuel and maybe even Aaron Murray. Geno Smith stands out the most as a guy who has some experience and even could potentially be a major steal. He flashed solid ability in the past with the New York Jets and could just need a change of scenery to get his career back on track. Thanks to a similar skill-set to Bridgewater, he could actually be the perfect stop-gap replacement.

Minnesota Vikings Prediction

Ultimately I doubt the Vikings do anything crazy like trade for Geno or Kaepernick or sign Manziel. Those guys all are talented and could offer some upside, but they also all are distractions and would combat the idea that Teddy Bridgewater is still the team’s future under center.

Instead, the likely scenarios are trades involving McCown, Sanchez or Glennon. It really does seem like the Browns want to hold onto McCown and Tampa Bay has also kept too steep of an asking price for Glennon. Sanchez is done in Denver and it’s only a matter of time before he’s cut or traded. With that being the case and Minnesota having an immediate need, look for the Vikings and Broncos to work something out to get Sanchez in Minnesota by the end of the week.