Adrian Peterson has decided to skip the Minnesota Vikings’ Offseason Training Activites (OTAS), as Jason Deans reported earlier, costing himself a $250,000 workout bonus in the process and furthering trade speculation.
Granted, the Vikings still hold Adrian Peterson’s rights, and that may not be a good thing. He’s still owed $12.5 million this coming season and about $42 million over the next three years, via Spotrac.com. That’s a hefty sum for a 29-year old running back, no matter how skilled he is.
But nevertheless, the Vikings hold his rights. AP has the choice to either play for them or not play at all. He could retire and join Barry Sanders, Jim Brown, and Robert Smith as running backs who retired before their bodies forced them to. That’s not a likely solution for a player who tried his hardest to beat Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record not long ago.
However, considering All-Day’s agent is Ben Dogra, the standoff is expected to last longer than it reasonably should, as Dogra has a history of being stubborn in negotiations. AP could (and possibly should), as a result, miss next month’s mandatory mini-camp, costing himself $72,980, and training camp, creating a possibly massive headache for the Vikings.
Since Dogra (who is presumably behind Peterson’s actions) has indicated he wants Peterson to play hardball with the Vikings by having him miss OTAs, the Vikings need to buckle down and prepare for a fight. They must fight by convincing Peterson to end the hold-out and they must fight the media, who will be swarming Peterson’s teammates and coaches for their thoughts on the matter. It’s not going to be easy though, as the Peterson saga will surely dominate any and all headlines about the Vikings.
Rather than a long drawn-out quarrel between player and team though, at some point, it makes sense to simply trade away the headache. This is exactly what the Vikings, as a league source has indicated to LWOS, are making more of an effort to do after Peterson’s refusal to appear at OTAs. However, there is a problem in determining the trade value of a former 2,000-yard running back who will soon be thirty years old. If the Vikings can find a willing partner, expect a deal to be made for Peterson to avoid a potential holdout struggle by Peterson and Dogra.
Main Photo:
GREEN BAY, WI – NOVEMBER 24: Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings is tackled by Mike Neal #96 of tyhe Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 24, 2013 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Vikings and the Packers tied 26-26 after overtime.(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
