It's not an unexpected surprise twist out of an M. Knight Shymalayn film that Adrian Peterson is not present for the Minnesota Vikings' offseason organized team activities. Peterson has not shied away from the fact that he wants out of Minnesota, but the Vikings have repeatedly stated that they are not willing to trade the former MVP winning running back.
Why wouldn't Minnesota want to trade a disgruntled 30-year-old running back with three years and $48 million remaining on his contract? ESPN's John Clayton lays out the main reason behind Minnesota's stance.
"The Vikings need Peterson to make life easier for Teddy Bridgewater," Clayton wrote. "The former Louisville star showed a lot of promise as a rookie, but they need him to grow as a quarterback in his second year if the team is to make a playoff run. Peterson's presence in the backfield provides a huge help in that regard. Head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman have said they have no desire to trade Peterson, and the reason why is he's the best player on their offense and can take a ton a pressure off of their sophomore QB. They won't panic just because Peterson isn't showing up at OTAs."
Peterson practically dragged the Vikings to the post-season by himself in 2012 with Christian Ponder under center. Imagine what he could do with Bridgewater leading the offense.
Minnesota's strong stance signifies that they are all in on Bridgewater's development. It's why the team traded for wide receiver Mike Wallace earlier this offseason and it's why they aren't willing to deal Peterson. Surrounding him with as many offensive weapons (while hopefully improving the offensive line) is a necessity for Bridgewater to reach his ceiling.
Bridgewater threw for 2,919 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 games last season. Over his final five games, he completed 71.7 percent of his passes while posting a passer rating of 105.5. His strong finish has many believing he is a top breakout candidate for 2015 and the Vikings are eager to see what he can do with an array of offensive options around him. Whether or not Peterson will be one of those options remains to be seen.
