The Minnesota Vikings have a bit of a conundrum on their hands. Running back Adrian Peterson has made it well known that he wants out of town. However, the Vikings have maintained that they expect Peterson to be with the team in 2015. And really, after missing 15 games last season, no one believes Peterson will hold out, giving Minnesota all the leverage.
But as fans have come to know, things change quickly in the NFL. The Vikings may wake up tomorrow and decide that they don't feel like paying a disgruntled employee $12.75 million in 2015. If that were to happen, Jerick McKinon and Matt Asiata would be the first backs moved up on the depth chart. The duo combined for over 1,100 yards in Peterson's absence last season. But it's still unknown whether either player can be a real difference maker. That is why this mailbag question to ESPN Vikings reporter Ben Goessling is worth reviewing.
@GoesslingESPN what's your thoughts on the Vikings moving back in to the first round to draft Todd Gurley? #Vikingsmail
— Frank Sinatra (@HansenTypo221) April 2, 2015
"Should the Vikings wind up trading Adrian Peterson, it will be interesting to see if they take a run at Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon in precisely the scenario you mentioned," Goessling wrote. "No. 11 is too high for either player, but if the Vikings were to trade Peterson for a second-round pick, I could see them looking at moving up to get one of those two backs. Gurley's health is a concern, of course, but he might be the more complete running back of the two. He only fumbled three times in college - worth noting in light of Gordon's problems hanging on to the ball - and broke 114 runs of 10 or more yards since 2012, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In the event there's a Peterson trade, this is worth keeping in mind."
The Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and a few other teams have been mentioned as possible landing spots for Peterson. It will be very interesting for NFL fans to see how this situation plays out.
