Dallas Cowboys Rumors: With DeMarco Murray Hitting Free Agency, Odds Of Adrian Peterson Trade Rise


The Dallas Cowboys have faced rumors for the past several months claiming they are trying to land troubled Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, and with a move to allow DeMarco Murray to test free agency, it appears that is even more likely.

This week, the Cowboys announced that they would be letting their Pro Bowl running back test the free agent waters as contract talks between the team and Murray’s agent were going slowly.

“[Murray] is probably going to, you know, get some peace and see what’s out in the market and then we’ll talk and see. I do believe deep down he’d love to stay in Dallas,” Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones told FOX Sports.

DeMarco Murray reportedly wants to stay with the Dallas Cowboys, but keeping him will be difficult. The team just placed a franchise tag on wide receiver Dez Bryant, leaving little wiggle room under the salary cap.

The future of the Cowboys backfield could be heavily influenced by what happens next in Minnesota. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King told the Dallas Morning News that the Cowboys, who reportedly have their eyes on Adrian Peterson, could make a move to trade for him if Murray’s price tag appears to be too high.

King explained the situation as follows.

“Well, I think there’s two questions to ask. Will the Vikings release Adrian Peterson? And I think the answer to that is no. Will he ever play for the Vikings again? I think the answer is doubtful. And I think what it means is that somebody out there is going to have to come up with a trade for Adrian Peterson, which is complicated…Let’s just take the Dallas Cowboys, for instance. In my opinion, at least as of now, I doubt sincerely they’ll put the franchise tag on DeMarco Murray, but they still want DeMarco Murray back. If they are stuck with DeMarco Murray and he’s demanding $12 million a year or some huge sum that they don’t want to pay, they could easily say, ‘We’ll let you go,’ make a trade for Adrian Peterson and sign Adrian Peterson to a new contract so they don’t owe him $13 million for this year so they can have a more manageable cap number on their franchise running back for 2015.”

Whatever happens for the Dallas Cowboys, the rumors regarding DeMarco Murray and Adrian Peterson are likely to grow more intense in the coming weeks. The free agency period is still nine days away, starting at 4 p.m. on March 10.

[Image via Getty]

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