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The trade between the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts that sent Trent Richardson to the Colts in exchange for Indianapolis’ 2014 first-round draft pick raised a lot of eyebrows. There is another deal that should happen that would be even more controversial, however.
The Minnesota Vikings should trade Adrian Peterson and do it as soon as possible. There are several reasons why this makes sense for not only the Vikings, but Peterson as well.
The first and most obvious reason is because Peterson’s trade value can only go down as time passes. He is currently coming off a season in which he came nine yards short of the single-season rushing record. The longer the Vikings wait, the less they can expect back in return for Peterson.
The Vikings’ roster is full of personnel that don’t execute at a high level consistently enough to be a playoff team. This is evidenced by their ranking 19th in the league in total offense and 29th in total defense. A team with a roster full of holes needs as many draft picks as it can get. Trading Peterson would address the need to stockpile draft picks.
To further the interest of making upgrades all over the roster, trading Peterson would clear up a lot of salary cap space for the Vikings. Minnesota is projected to have about $34 million in cap space this coming offseason. If the Vikings were to convince a trade partner to take on the rest of Peterson’s seven-year contract with Minnesota, that number would go up to over $48 million for 2014. The Vikings could sign several quality free agents this offseason with $48 million to spend.
Lastly, the trade would be good for Peterson. The reality of the situation is that with every game Peterson comes one contest closer to the end of his career. Minnesota isn’t going to make the playoffs this season. Getting moved to a contender and thus having a chance to play in a Super Bowl, maybe get a ring, would be great for his legacy.
Someday, the “AD” era in Minnesota will come to an end. The Vikings have a chance now to end it on their terms and get something valuable in exchange for Peterson. Instead of waiting until he’s slowed down and worth far less, it’s time for Minnesota to be proactive and make an aggressive move towards building for the future.
Derek Helling is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DRokSH, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
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