Adrian Peterson Trade Would Fetch Vikings No More Than 4th Round Pick?
By Dan Zinski
If the Vikings are compelled to trade Adrian Peterson in the coming days, what could the team realistically hope to get back?
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It’s probably crazy to believe the Vikings could get back a first or even a second round pick in return for Peterson given his age and contract situation. Realistically, a mid-round pick is probably what we’re talking about.
ESPN’s John Clayton put it this way while speaking to 1500ESPN this morning:
What's the value of Adrian Peterson in a trade? John Clayton tells us on @1500ESPN, "Best-case scenario it's a 4th-round pick."
— Phil Mackey 🎙 (@PhilMackey) March 9, 2015
If “best case” is a 4th round pick, then realistically we’re probably looking at a 5th.
Of course, as a wise man once said, it only takes one team to make a market.
As another wise man once said, never underestimate Rick Spielman. Nobody thought the Vikings would get much when they traded Percy Harvin. And they ended up getting three picks for the receiver including a first.
The Vikings will not get the kind of deal for Peterson that they got for Harvin obviously, but is it totally silly to think that Spielman might be able to squeeze a 3rd-rounder out of some team?
If all the Vikings can get is a 4th, then you have to question whether it would be worth it to make a trade at all. If all the Vikings want to do is dump Peterson on someone and they don’t really care what they get back, then make the trade. If they care about getting value? Then they should just hold on to Peterson and pay him.
Right now the Vikings hold all the cards. Peterson is under contract. They don’t HAVE to do anything except welcome him back to the team in 2015 and pay him what his contract says they owe him. Peterson is acting like he’s calling the shots, but he’s not.
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