The Vikings talked with the Cowboys last week about a trade involving Adrian Peterson, according to a Sports Headliners source. “I think he’ll probably move on to Dallas,” said the source who is close to the Vikings.
The source stated yesterday he didn’t have an update on talks, but two of his contacts have acknowledged discussions between the Cowboys and Vikings organizations. Flamboyant Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is capable of putting together a trade offer for Peterson that the Vikings can’t refuse.
“Jerry Jones, you never know what he is going to do,” the source said. “He goes beyond the extravagant.”
The Cowboys need a quality running back and Peterson is a former All-Pro. The source believes another reason Peterson could end up in Dallas is because of his personal controversy. Peterson’s beating of his four-year-old son with a switch last year still draws condemnation from some Minnesotans and others around the country but the source said the former NFL MVP will find more tolerance in Dallas. “They accept that type of discipline,” he said.
A deal for the Texas native involving the Cowboys or another NFL team might be made on Thursday or Friday of this week—the first two days of the three-day draft. Internet speculation of late targets teams like the Bucs, Cardinals and Jags as more likely destinations for the disgruntled Peterson who is under contract to stay with the Vikings.
Connor Orr, writing yesterday for NFL.com, made the case the Cardinals who need a running back to complement potent offensive players already in place and he speculates they might make a trade with the Vikings on Friday. It’s believed a second round draft choice, not a first round, is the most any team will offer for Peterson who is scheduled to make about $13 million (not guaranteed money) with the Vikings this season.
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said at a news conference this afternoon about the NFL Draft that his franchise’s view on Peterson remains status quo. “Our position has not changed since all of the statements we’ve made down at the owners meetings (last month). …I think coach (Mike) Zimmer stated it pretty clear that we have no interest in trading Adrian Peterson.”
Vikings Draft Notes
The 80th annual NFL Draft will be held in Chicago with ESPN and the NFL Network televising all three days of rounds one through seven. The first round will be Thursday starting at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time. Rounds two and three will be Friday with drafting starting at 6 p.m. The draft concludes Saturday with rounds four through seven and begins at 11 a.m. Time allocated for each selection in the first round will be 10 minutes per team while the second round allows seven minutes. Teams will have five minutes for picks in the remaining rounds.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for the Vikings Draft Party at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Current and former players will be signing autographs during the evening. Xavier Rhodes, John Sullivan, Charles Johnson, Babtunde Aiyegbusi, Chuck Foreman, Matt Blair, Dave Dixon and Tyrone Carter are scheduled to attend. Players are subject to change. Check Vikings.com for event details including ticket availability.
The Vikings have seven draft picks but Spielman, speaking at his news conference today, left open the possibility of maneuvering for additional selections. His goal in each draft is to have 10 selections.
The Vikings have the No. 11 choice in the first round and Spielman said there may not be that much difference in the quality of players who will be selected from about No. 7 or 8 through No. 20. He would “love” to move down in the first round and acquire more picks. The Vikings have talked with all the top prospects in the draft except for quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota but are undecided as to who they will choose at No. 11.
Character will play a major role in who the Vikings select throughout the draft and Spielman said the team has eliminated certain players from consideration. The club is also using a consultant to help with analytics and Spielman indicated the Vikings might be ahead of other NFL teams in what they are doing. He didn’t offer details other than to say that analytics can play a role in such areas as analyzing players and where a franchise drafts for certain playing positions on the team.
“This person is a lot smarter than I am in spinning numbers,” said Spielman, adding that analytics is just another tool for evaluation and that studying players on tape and what his “gut” tells him remains paramount.
When the Vikings began volunteer offseason workouts yesterday that was Cordarrelle Patterson’s car parked near the east Fieldhouse door at Winter Park. The car, parked on the other side of where other players leave their vehicles, had the words “flashy” painted on the rear window.
The Vikings chose safety Harrison Smith in the first round of the 2012 draft. He has saved negative comments that were written about him prior to the draft. “I just like to have it as motivation,” he said.
Smith on linebacker Chad Greenway’s decision to play a 10th season with the team: “I don’t think you’d find a guy in the building that doesn’t want him back. He’s a heck of a player, heck of a role model and example for everybody in the building.”
History lesson: Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, who played baseball and basketball for the Gophers but not football, was drafted by the Vikings during the 17th round in 1973.