The trade deadline is fast approaching, but there is still time for a blockbuster deal. Like one that would send Adrian Peterson to the Dallas Cowboys. It’s highly unlikely, but it could happen.
I don’t like where Dallas is currently situated in the NFL. The Cowboys are not good enough to compete for championships, but they aren’t bad enough to get high draft picks. The Cowboys are stuck in no man’s land and their championship window with Tony Romo is closing quickly. A trade like this would mortgage the future, but give them a true chance to win it all now. The Cowboys offensive live isn’t the best, but a guy like Peterson would make things easier on the line and Romo. A Cowboys offense featuring Peterson would be one of the most dangerous in the NFL.
It will take a great deal to get Peterson from the Vikings; a Herschel Walker-type ransom. And Dallas should pay it, if it hopes to win a Super Bowl with Romo as quarterback. With that said, the Vikings are not going to get anything close to what they gave up in that Walker trade. If they trade Peterson, they can expect get much in return, but not the bounty the Vikings gave to the Cowboys years ago.
Still, Jerry Jones is the most notorious wheeler-dealer in the NFL. If he can try to find a way to get the best running back of his generation, he will.
There are many roadblocks to any potential Peterson trade to Dallas. So many, that the deal is unlikely to even occur. While cap problems appear dire, they aren’t as bad as they appear. Dallas employs the best salary cap gurus in the NFL and they’ll find a way to make space. Still, taking on Peterson would be incredibly difficult.
Of course, the biggest roadblock is the Minnesota Vikings. It’s unlikely they will even consider trading Peterson, unless someone offers a deal that blows them away.
So here’s a fake trade that could work for both sides. (Side note: when will ESPN create a NFL Trade Machine? The amount of time I’d spend on that would ruin me.)
The Vikings send Peterson to Dallas in exchange for DeMarco Murray, Miles Austin, Dallas’ first, second and third round pick this season, a first next year, and a first two years from now.
Adding Austin to the mix is really better for Dallas, assuming they can handle the cap hit. The Cowboys don’t need him. He does have a large contract, which is why the Vikings might not want him. Is that a deal the Cowboys should take? What about the Vikings? Got a better trade for both sides? Or would Dallas be better served trading for someone like Mark Ingram or Maurice-Jones Drew? Sound off in the comments.
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