Adrian Peterson To Detroit Lions Rumors: Green Bay Packers, Raiders A Better Fit

Adrian Peterson to Detroit Lions rumors might be exciting for the fans, but teams like the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders continue to be a better fit for the former NFL MVP. On paper, it would be easy to assume that the Lions would be vastly improved by adding Peterson, as the team ranked No. 30 in rushing yards during the 2016 NFL season. Lions general manager Bob Quinn even stated that improving the running game is one of his biggest goals during the current offseason.

A report by NFL analyst Michael Rothstein was placed on his Twitter account, discussing some of the latest Adrian Peterson news. The main point of his report was that while bringing Peterson to the Lions would add some significant star power to the roster, that it would come at the expense of the younger running backs on the roster. That could be a bad idea for the long-term plans of the franchise, even if it could possibly give the team an immediate boost for the 2017 NFL season.

Adrian Peterson’s stats from the 2015 NFL season would certainly be worthy of a lot of money during free agency. While many fans of teams other than the Minnesota Vikings are fully aware of the injuries that cost him most of the 2014 and 2016 seasons, many people forget just how impressive AP was during 2015. In another year where Peterson was named a First-Team All-Pro, he led the league in rushing yard attempts (327), rushing yards (1,485), and rushing touchdowns (11). He also added another 220 yards on 30 receptions for the Vikings.

The other chief concern of any Adrian Peterson to Detroit Lions rumors is just how expensive his next contract might become. While the Minnesota Vikings cut him to escape a three-year Peterson contract and the Seattle Seahawks passed on offering him a new contract (so far), it is still expected that the former NFL MVP wants to be paid like a star running back. That could mean a salary approaching or surpassing $10 million a season, likely pricing him out of the market in Detroit. A contract at that price would mean the Lions cutting other key players on the roster.

The Lions’ salary cap space is already stretched pretty thin for 2017, with only roughly $3.5 million available after taking into account the top 51 salaries and the projected draft pool. That’s not a lot of money to sign a player like Peterson, but he isn’t the only running back who has been linked to the team this offseason. The terrible rushing stats last year have hinted to NFL analysts that this is a team that needed to add a star to the backfield. In addition to Peterson, Jamaal Charles, Eddie Lacy, Latavius Murray, Legarrette Blount, and several other free agents have come up in NFL rumors.

There is still a lot of Adrian Peterson news that revolves around him meeting with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers in the coming weeks. It is no secret that the Raiders have a lot of salary cap space to offer up and that they are looking to sign a free agent running back to replace Latavius Murray. Murray left in free agency to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, creating an even more desperate situation when it comes to the Raiders fixing the backfield. Likewise, the Packers lost Eddie Lacy to the Seattle Seahawks, forcing the team to add someone this offseason as well.

There has been a lot of other Detroit Lions news in free agency that doesn’t center around the running game. Additional Lions’ free agent signings include guard T.J. Lang, tight end Darren Fells, receiver Keshawn Martin, and cornerback DJ Hayden. Back on March 10, the Lions also signed defensive end Cornelius Washington, offensive tackle Ricky Wagner, linebacker Paul Worrilow, and defensive tackle Akeem Spence. The two names that really stand out in this Lions news are T.J. Lang and Ricky Wagner, who significantly improve the offensive line for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

After making the NFL Playoffs last season, the Lions have the No. 21 overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. The top needs for the team include adding a pass rusher, a linebacker, and a top receiver. The team will likely target a player on the defensive side of the ball with that first-round selection. The need to add defense and possibly pull off a draft day trade could also be seen as another reason why these Adrian Peterson to Detroit Lions rumors just don’t make enough sense for the team to seriously pursue getting a deal done.

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