Dallas Fans, Say Goodbye To Demarco Murray, Hello Adrian Peterson

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It sounds crazy right?  Why would anyone let arguably the best running back on the young 2014 season go after what is looking to be a career year?  On top of that, why would you let that guy go and pick up another guy who's best years are likely behind him and will probably bring a P.R. headache along with him.  Here's why:

 You already know what Demarco Murray has done so far on the season; pretty much whatever he wants.  He's run for over 100 yards and a score in every game and will probably continue that streak this Sunday when the Cowboys take on Houston.  Murray is in his final year of his rookie contract and will be looking to get paid at the end of the season, and with good reason.  At age 26 and with at least a couple more seasons of possible Pro-Bowl type performance, Murray will be worth the money that top flite running backs get.  Getting a deal done will depend on not only how much the Cowboys are willing to pay, but also both parties agreeing on how much the deal will be for.  The Cowboys will likely want a three year contract while Murray could be looking to get closer to five years.  Murray's history tells us that he is injury prone and the Cowboys don't want to be paying for a guy who used to be Demarco Murray four years down the line that can't stay healthy. 

So why bring in Adrian Peterson, who is already 29 and has more baggage than any team would want to deal with?

The big thing with Peterson is he's now limited on which teams, if any, will be open to taking him.  While most, if not all of the country is in agreement that the domestic violence situation with Ray Rice and others is absolutely awful and inexcusable, there are parts of the country that at least understand Peterson's approach when it comes to disciplining a child.  While many people would agree that Peterson may have crossed a line, some of those same people would also say that part of their method of discipline involves spanking.  One of the few places in the country where this approach may be understood by a vast majority of people is Texas. You're not going to find a place where 100% of the people are for or against anything, but locations in the South are likely to have a majority of people that agree with where Peterson was coming from, even if they think he went too far. 

Aside from the cultural and moral beliefs, there are the financial reasons behind all of it.  The rest of Peterson's contract is non-guaranteed, meaning that if the Vikings cut him they would save 56 million dollars.  While the Vikings don't have another Peterson on the bench, they do have Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, the latter of which Vikings fans are very excited about.  McKinnon is 22 years old and along with rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, and young wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson, the Vikings are excited about his future.  The Vikings already have budding superstars at every skill spot.  Think about what they could do to bolster their lineup with an extra fifty-six million to work with.

Back to the Cowboys.  Why would they be interested in bringing in Peterson?  Any team that decides they want to step into the waters of signing Peterson will no doubt play the, "Not many other teams are going to want you." card.  And they are right.  There are only a handful of teams that will even consider it and that will bring Peterson's value down.  Remember that earlier this year, Peterson supposedly had a quick conversation where he expressed to Jerry Jones that he would like to play for the Cowboys at some point.  The Cowboys could likely sign Peterson to a cheap contract and for only a couple of years.  Yes, he's 29, but this is still Adrian Peterson.  The O-Line that Dallas has is so good that you or I could run through it.  What do you think Adrian Peterson could do with it?  The Cowboys could give Peterson the ball for a couple of years and draft a young running back during that time who would be ready to take over once Peterson is gone.  

It's not what Cowboys fans want to hear, but re-signing Demarco Murray isn't the best option for the future. When it all comes down to it, it's all about the money and that doesn't just mean money that is brought in, but also money that is saved, which both the Vikings and Cowboys would do with a deal like this.  Whether you like it or not, winning cures most, if not all, ills.  If the Cowboys can bring in Peterson and he can be the Peterson that he has been for a couple of years for them, and if the Vikings can get rid of the massive amount of money they currently owe Peterson, Dallas may have a new, "old" guy running the ball for them. 

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