Adrian Peterson New Orleans Saints Rumors: Peterson To Saints Instead Of Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots


Adrian Peterson-New Orleans Saints rumors have suddenly popped up on the NFL landscape. Peterson could give the Saints a great weapon to work with quarterback Drew Brees, but will the team be willing to open the checkbook to get a deal done? After coming up in New England Patriots rumors earlier in the week and following a time where Peterson was interested in signing with the Seattle Seahawks, the All-Pro running back now has a meeting in place to discuss a contract with the Saints.

A report by NFL analyst Ian Rapaport might come as a surprise to some fans, as this would be a shocking revelation in the NFL offseason. Could an Adrian Peterson-Saints contract be in place before the offseason training camps begin? NFL free agency hasn’t been kind to the Pro Bowl running back, as it has been rumored that he wants a hefty contract to sign with a new team. Since the Minnesota Vikings released Peterson, as many as eight teams have been linked to him, but now there may be a new team ready to make a move.

Adrian Peterson’s stats during his last full NFL season were quite impressive. That came in 2015, as Peterson was named a First-Team All-Pro, leading the league in rushing attempts (327), rushing yards (1,485), and rushing touchdowns (11). He also added another 220 yards on 30 receptions for the Minnesota Vikings. Those are numbers that any team would like to see from the running back in 2017, but he has been very coy about which team would be his best fit in free agency. It may just come down to where he can find the biggest pay day.

[Image by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]

The early Oakland Raiders rumors showed that the team had interest and a lot of salary cap space to get a deal done. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, though, the Raiders are now focused on getting a deal done with Marshawn Lynch. Lynch has ties to the Oakland area, has a lot of fans from his time playing for the University of California, and could give fans something to cheer for before the franchise heads off to Las Vegas. That may have closed the door on a possible destination for Peterson or Jamaal Charles, who is also a running back available in NFL free agency.

The Adrian Peterson-Saints rumors have to take into account that the franchise doesn’t have a lot of salary cap space for the 2017 NFL season. The updated estimate of cap space puts the team at only about $1 million in available funds. This means two key things would need to happen before any Peterson-to-Saints news gets reported. The Saints have to cut some salary and Peterson has to agree to a pay cut. The Saints could not afford to pay for an Adrian Peterson contract worth $10 million, as some NFL analysts have estimated he wants.

Players the Saints already signed during NFL free agency include Alex Okafor (OLB), Travaris Cadet (RB), Manti Te’O (ILB), Darryl Tapp (DE), Chase Daniel (QB), and Rafael Bush (FS). The team also released quarterback Luke McCown and converted a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus for tackle Terron Armstead to clear cap space. This shows the team would be willing to make a few more moves if it meant improving the roster for the 2017 NFL season. Could that lead to a Peterson contract in the next week?

[Image Tom Lynn /Getty Images]

Teams like the Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, and New England Patriots still don’t have an answer at running back for the 2017 NFL season. While the Raiders could still turn to Lynch, the Packers could look to the NFL Draft, and the Patriots want a bargain, the teams all still have holes that could be a good fit a former All-Pro running back. This could possibly indicate that the current Adrian Peterson-New Orleans Saints rumors are simply a move by his agent to drive up the price, but on paper, he could also be a good fit for this team and take pressure off of Drew Brees.

[Featured Image by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images]

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