Should the Vikings even want to bring Adrian Peterson back in 2017?
By Adam Patrick
A decision on the running back’s future with the Minnesota Vikings will have to be made by the team within the next three weeks.
As of Wednesday, only 14 full days remain for the Minnesota Vikings to decide if they want to bring back long-time running back Adrian Peterson under the terms of his current contract or not.
At 4 p.m. ET on March 9, a new league year will officially begin and Peterson’s base salary of $11.75 million will become fully guaranteed for the 2017 season. If a decision by the Vikings has not been made by then, they still have until March 11 before Peterson is due another $6 million for a roster bonus.
Trading or releasing the running back before March 9 would free up some much needed cap space for Minnesota, $18 million to be exact.
A lot of speculation has surrounded the Vikings and this specific decision they need to make this offseason. But should Minnesota even really want to bring back a delusional, soon to be 32-year-old running back whose lack of versatility is finally starting to catch up to him?
Peterson may think he has earned the $18 million he is currently due in 2017, but a running back’s value in this day and age is not what it was when he first entered the NFL back in 2007.
In a league that has become more centered around the passing game, the average salary of a running back in 2016 ($1.59 million) was less than that of a wide receiver, tight end, kicker, and even a punter. Running backs only averaged a higher salary than fullbacks, long snappers, and random special teams players last year.
Team’s these days are always trying to save money wherever they can and the running back position is where a lot of them have succeeded in doing so.
So while Peterson thinks he deserves to play out the rest of of his outrageous contract, it just does not make a whole lot of sense for the Vikings to keep him on the roster at his current terms. It actually just does not make a whole lot of sense for Minnesota to keep Peterson on the roster in general for 2017, regardless of his salary.
The Vikings’ offense is currently in the middle of shifting their focus more on the passing game and less on the power running scheme that they have used during the majority of Peterson’s time with the team.
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Minnesota’s fans can argue all they want, but the current skill set of Peterson does not fit in with what the team hopes to accomplish on offense in 2017. The Vikings 588 total pass attempts in 2016 were the most by a Minnesota offense since the 642 they threw during the 1995 season.
If Peterson would consider taking a lesser role in the offense, then perhaps he could return in 2017. But his previous seasons have proved that he likes to get a certain amount of touches per game and he will let everyone know about it if he does not.
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The best option for the Vikings next season would be to move on from Peterson. It may not be a change that some want to even consider, but it is a change that is necessary for the team’s chances at success in 2017.