Report: Vikings want to get rid of Peterson 'sooner rather than later'

Cotton

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Report: Vikings want to get rid of Peterson 'sooner rather than later'

Posted by: Master Tesfatsion Updated: May 12, 2014 - 7:44 AM

We’re not even 48 hours removed from the draft, and there’s a report about running back Adrian Peterson’s future with the Vikings.

Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman (He’s a former reporter for the New York Times and Washington Post, among other places) said he kept hearing during the NFL Draft that the Vikings will want to get rid of Peterson “sooner rather than later.” (It's the fourth item in Freeman's draft notebook.)

Peterson is the only running back that will receive over $10 million this season during an era when the value of running backs is on the decline. He’ll make $14.4 million with a base salary of $11.75 million. The only other running back that was scheduled to make over $10 million this year was Chris Johnson, who was cut by the Titans in the offseason and signed with the Jets.

Peterson’s salary will only climb in 2015 when he turns 30, an age that most running backs start to decline. He’ll make $15.4 million in base salary and bonuses, though just $2.4 million will be dead money. The Vikings would save $13 million if they cut him. In 2016 and 2017, Peterson will make $15 million and $17 million, though none of it is guaranteed.

The 2012 NFL turned 29 two months ago and underwent surgery for a third consecutive offseason. Peterson recovered from groin surgery in January and practiced during the team’s voluntary mini-camp two weeks ago. He battled through the lingering groin issue for most of the season but missed two games dealing with a sprained foot. Still, Peterson finished fifth in the league with 1,266 rushing yards.

It seems highly unlikely that the Vikings would get rid of Peterson at this point in the offseason especially with the uncertainly at quarterback. Peterson is someone that can ease the load off a quarterback and that can be very beneficial if rookie Teddy Bridgewater wins the starting position in training camp.

Plus, the Vikings drafted a change-of-pace running back in the third round, Georgia Southern Jerick McKinnon, that general manager Rick Spielman saw as a third down back. That role could change down the road, but the Vikings passed on other opportunities to select a Peterson replacement in the third round, like Auburn running back Tre Mason.

His performance this season will be something to watch because next offseason will be interesting.
 

Rev

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Our turn.


5 players and 6 picks.....
 

Simpleton

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He will turn 30 next offseason, I'm guessing this will be his last year with Minnesota and guess who's starting RB is in the last year of their rookie contract?

He's such a freak of nature that I'd be willing to give him 3 years, 15 million just to see what happens, although I'd make sure to have some young legs behind him just in case.
 

L.T. Fan

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He will turn 30 next offseason, I'm guessing this will be his last year with Minnesota and guess who's starting RB is in the last year of their rookie contract?

He's such a freak of nature that I'd be willing to give him 3 years, 15 million just to see what happens, although I'd make sure to have some young legs behind him just in case.
DeMarco Murray followed him at Oklahoma. Maybe it would be good to make them a tandem here. That's not gonna happen. Seriously one of the positives I see with the organization is the change of attitude toward getting younger.
 

Clay_Allison

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Peterson is the last of the freak RBs, maybe ever. Walker, Campbell and Dickerson were the most talented I ever saw, Peterson is in that class.
 

L.T. Fan

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Peterson is the last of the freak RBs, maybe ever. Walker, Campbell and Dickerson were the most talented I ever saw, Peterson is in that class.
He probably isn't the last. Someone is always just beyond the horizon.
 

Carp

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Okay you have me curious. What would it be and why will the RB position go away.
He is not saying the position will go away, he is saying that it will be viewed with even less importance in the future, so top RB prospects may be turned into WRs, Ss, CBs, whatever.
 

NoDak

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I don't think the running game will ever fall to where it's irrelevant. Imo, everything runs in cycles. The running game will come back. Teams will slowly move to smaller, faster defenses to defend the pass, and somebody will eventually build a hammer running game and grind those defenses to dust. And other teams will try and copy it. Not saying we'll see the running teams of the 70s-80's, but there will be running teams, just the same.
 

Cotton

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He is not saying the position will go away, he is saying that it will be viewed with even less importance in the future, so top RB prospects may be turned into WRs, Ss, CBs, whatever.
It's very obvious how teams view RBs now as far as importance goes. Our kicker is getting paid more than 90% of RBs in the league.
 

boozeman

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I don't think the running game will ever fall to where it's irrelevant. Imo, everything runs in cycles. The running game will come back. Teams will slowly move to smaller, faster defenses to defend the pass, and somebody will eventually build a hammer running game and grind those defenses to dust. And other teams will try and copy it. Not saying we'll see the running teams of the 70s-80's, but there will be running teams, just the same.
NO WAI IT'z A Passing league HURRR
 

Simpleton

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I don't think the running game will ever fall to where it's irrelevant. Imo, everything runs in cycles. The running game will come back. Teams will slowly move to smaller, faster defenses to defend the pass, and somebody will eventually build a hammer running game and grind those defenses to dust. And other teams will try and copy it. Not saying we'll see the running teams of the 70s-80's, but there will be running teams, just the same.
Yea, if only there was a dominant team or two in the league that based their offensive identity around a physical running game, perhaps two rivals in the same division who could play each other in a conference championship game.
 

Carp

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I don't think the running game is obsolete, but the days of the bell cow back are.
 

cmd34

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I could definitely envision a scenario where Murray looks for a big deal, we say no thanks, and make the splash signing of All Day. We'll have the cap room and if we fail to make the playoffs (likely) and bring back Garrett (kill me now), Jerry will need the positive pub.
 

1bigfan13

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Parcells made a good point on Mike & Mike about the running back position.

He pointed out the reason you don't see many workhorse backs in the NFL these days is because the High School and College games have transitioned into more of a spread uptempo style of play.

So there aren't as many RBs being asked to carry it 25 times a game anymore. He basically said the NFL is just using what the college game provides them. So we might as well get used to the split-duty RB who'll only gets 12-15 carries a game because that's what the college game is largely providing.
 

Carp

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We are lucky with Murray...health being his biggest worry, but he is good in the pass game receiving and picking up blitzes.
 

GShock

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Yea, if only there was a dominant team or two in the league that based their offensive identity around a physical running game, perhaps two rivals in the same division who could play each other in a conference championship game.
:lol
 
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