Peterson deal makes sense
If it’s true, as NFL Network reported Monday, that Adrian Peterson was close to signing a deal with the New Orleans Saints, it’d make sense. Especially for Peterson. This year’s NFL draft, which goes Thursday to Saturday in Philadelphia, boasts one of the deepest runningback classes in years, draftniks say. So it’s doubtful after Saturday, there’ll be many, if any, teams willing to pay millions a year for a reliable runner.
Even one of Peterson’s class. Even if there remain a few teams, such as the Saints, that could use his top- shelf rushing talents.
As running back is a position whose value continues to plummet, Peterson — one of pro football’s standout offensive performers this century — would be wise to sign somewhere in the next 48 hours or so.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Peterson and the Saints were closing in on a deal that would pay him $ 3 million in 2017, with the chance to earn another million through incentives.
A former MVP who has been named to seven Pro Bowls and rushed for 97 touchdowns, Peterson turned 32 last month.
He has missed most of two of the past three seasons: first in 2014, after a domestic-violence incident with his son, then last season, after he tore the meniscus and sprained the Lateral Collateral Ligament in his right knee in September.
In between, Peterson was outstanding in 2015, rushing for a league-leading 1,485 yards.
Minnesota cut him last month rather than pay him his contracted $18 million.
A supreme athlete known as an off-season workout warrior, Peterson could wind up a huge bargain for the Saints at $3 million if he can achieve even 75 per cent of his 2015 production.
WHAT NOW FOR BLOUNT?
New England’s LeGarrette Blount led the NFL last year with 18 rushing touchdowns. But the renowned pounder remains a free agent, having watched the Patriots work out Peterson and attempt to woo others.
On Monday came reports that the Buffalo Bills declined to match New England’s restricted- free- agent offer to under- appreciated RB Mike Gillislee, who impressively backed up LeSean McCoy in Buffalo last year, rushing for 577 yards at a 5.7- yards- per- carry clip and scoring eight times.
Gillislee now will make $ 6.4 million over two years with the Pats. Under RFA rules, Buffalo receives a fifthround draft pick from New England in compensation. Buffalo had assigned Gillislee a much lesser tender, worth $1.797 million for one year.
It’s the second straight year New England has poached an offensive playmaker to whom the Bills either would not, or could not afford to, offer a better deal.
As Gillislee presumably will fill Blount’s bowling-ball role in the Pats’ rushing attack, where this leaves the 30- year- old Blount is anyone’s guess. Some club likely will sign him on the uber-cheap after the draft.
STILL NO TRADES
History warns us to doubt eyebrow- raising news reports leaked in the days leading up to the draft. After this year, we might have to expand that window to weeks. Even months.
Because none of the reported big-buzz trades thought over the past month to be close to completion, or at least plausible, have yet to go down.
On Monday afternoon we learned:
❚ The Seattle Seahawks are unlikely now to deal away Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman. GM John Schneider told local reporters the Seahawks have “kind of moved past” trading Sherman. Although “if someone calls and goes crazy with something, we’ ll discuss it,” Schneider said. Pouring more water on that trade fire: Sherman reported for this week’s voluntary workouts, after skipping last week’s.
❚ Meantime, the Seahawks still haven’t traded retired RB Marshawn Lynch to Oakland. Are the Seahawks asking for too much in compensation from the Raiders? Is Lynch, whom the Seahawks have permitted to strike a new deal with the Raiders pending an agreeable trade, holding out for more money than Oakland is willing to pay? He’d better not hold out much longer. See Blount, above.
❚ ESPN’s Adam Schefter reiterated what he reported in February, that despite reports that won’t go away, the Patriots are highly unlikely to trade backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo to Cleveland, or any club.
❚ The Saints are unlikely now to follow through on a reported trade with New England to obtain cornerback Malcolm Butler.
TRADE- DOWNS?
Most years, more than a dozen trades in the first round are transacted. There have been none so far this year — j ust paybacks on three 2016 first- round deals that give Tennessee the fifth overall pick from the Los Angeles Rams ( so the Rams could pick Jared Goff No. 1 overall), Cleveland the 12th overall from Philadelphia (so the Eagles could snag Car- son Wentz No. 2 overall) and Philadelphia the 14th overall from Minnesota (in the Sam Bradford deal).
The most informed draft observers still insist there isn’t a Top 10 quarterback talent this year.
But at least five of the Top 10 drafting teams badly need a better long- term answer at QB: Cleveland, San Francisco, Chicago, New York Jets and Buffalo. And probably the Jacksonville Jaguars, too.
So although we are now being flooded with reports claiming many Top 10 clubs are shopping their top picks, to move down and acquire more picks, we’re also now hearing reports that — Hey! — Cleveland might want to pick North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky No. 1 overall after all! And San Francisco might take a QB at No. 2, too!
It’s all smoke-and-mirrors game this week, folks.
While anything is possible, especially when a quarterback- starved club has to submit a pick in the first hour or two of the draft, it’d still be surprising if any passer is chosen in Thursday’s first half- hour, or even first hour.
INJURY UPDATE
Dallas selected Jaylon Smith last year in Round 2 on the hope the unresponsive nerve in the supertalented linebacker’s knee would heal, after a year of therapy following his catastrophic bowl- game injury at Notre Dame. NFL Network’s Rapoport reports the nerve indeed is regenerating, but “there is still a long way to go” in Smith’s recovery.