NFL.com’s Rapoport: Arizona Cardinals could tempt Minnesota Vikings into trading Adrian Peterson
Apr 28, 2015, 1:12 AM | Updated: 1:12 am
By now, we all know the Minnesota Vikings would rather not trade Adrian Peterson.
We also know that Peterson would rather play anywhere but Minnesota.
Though there are no official deadlines for a resolution to be found, many view the NFL Draft as a good time for something to get done.
That’s the way NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport sees it, as he said a deal would likely get done on Friday, when teams are set to make their second and third-round selections.
“The Vikings have been very clear, publicly and privately, Adrian Peterson will either play for them or he will play for no one,” Rapoport said. “But if one team is going to tempt them, the Arizona Cardinals are really that potential team.”
Rapoport noted that the Dallas Cowboys are not in the mix, with the same going for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he said, could be in contention, but they would not be the favorites.
“So it seems at this point, if they’re OK with the price and they don’t get the running backs they may want in the first and second round, the Arizona Cardinals could be that team to tempt the Vikings,” Rapoport added.
The latest report says the Cardinals have no interest in trading their first-round pick, 24th overall, to Minnesota for Peterson. At the same time, the Vikings are currently unwilling to accept a second-round pick — or less — for the six-time Pro Bowler who is the franchise’s all-time leader in rushing.
But as Rapoport noted, the draft may change things for one team or another. And if the Cardinals are indeed interested in the 30-year-old and miss out on the top runners in the draft, and the Vikings give up on their goal of landing a first-round pick, then perhaps a deal could be struck.
