Peterson plea deal...

[IrishViking]

Time to let go boys!! This is starting to remind me of the Harvin situation in terms of him crying and whining about not wanting to be here and wanting his money. All I know is, Spielman made Schneider look like an absolute moron by making that trade. Granted, AP is going on 30 but if Spielman can pull a 1st, 3rd and 7th for a guy that couldn't stay healthy and was a problem child, then I wouldnt be surprised with what he could pull for AP.

As much as I hate to say it, this is making me dislike AP. Like dude.....all this crap going on stems from one thing and one thing only....you being a moron and beating your child but now the State of Minnesota, the fans, and the Vikings are suppose to be at fault?? Give me a break dude....take a hike. What would really make me laugh is if we traded him to some junk franchise like Oakland, Jacksonville or Cleveland. Then he has no choice of where he can go and will play on a crap team.

Like I said before, this couldn't have happened at a better time. Our team is young and the best its been in a while, we hired some great coaches last year and this is the best RB draft class to come out in years. Get some picks for AP and it does nothing but give Spielman ammo to wheel and deal in the draft and find our RB of the future. Not only can we fill our needs but the picks we could get from trading AP would give us ammo to find the RB we need. Not only that but it clears a boat load of money and could allow us to pursue better free agents. It's a win-win no matter what IMO.

Out with the old....in with the new.

Agreed. I would be surprised if the team AP wants offers the best deal. If they do by all means. It's not about hurting AP but just getting the most we can. That said I doubt the Cowboys will be willing to float as much as some other teams considering how solid they were last year. I could honestly see the Raiders taking a shot, given Carr. They seem like the type that would bet the house on an all in with a second year quarterback.

I'd be happy with a 1st and a 3rd or even a 4th or 5th

[Mothman]

I encourage everyone to make a greater effort to discern what's actually coming from Peterson, what's coming from the Vikings and what is just media speculation or sensationalism. For example, the idea that Peterson has become a media whore is absurd. Other than a few brief comments after his hearing in Minnesota, I think he's given one interview to one reporter (Goessling) in months. His father speaking up (and not really saying anything we didn't know already) is more an indication that Peterson himself isn't being a "media whore". Reporters go to relatives when they can't get quotes from players or agents.

Ian Rapoport is speculating that the Vikings could mend fences with Peterson by guaranteeing some of his 2016 salary because Peterson lost around $10 million between endorsements and salary last season. That's a proposed solution from a reporter, not a request from Peterson. As far as I know, the only thing he's said about money at all is that he doesn't feel he should have to take a pay cut.

Regarding this thought that keeps resurfacing in one form or another:

As much as I hate to say it, this is making me dislike AP. Like dude.....all this crap going on stems from one thing and one thing only....you being a moron and beating your child but now the State of Minnesota, the fans, and the Vikings are suppose to be at fault??

He hasn't attempted to shift blame or responsibility for his own actions onto anyone else. regarding fans, the state and the team, this is from the Goessling interview:

I love Minnesota. There are people that have had my back, and supported me. Last year, with the things that took place, had a lot of fans that supported me through everything. For the fans, I would definitely love to come back

Peterson expressed frustration with certain people within the Vikings organization but didn't name names. He also expressed affection for his coaches and teammates. He expressed some disappointment with Minnesota too but from the context of his comments, it's pretty clear that stems from the way certain members of the media treated him. It's reasonable to assume the governor's comments didn't sit well either.

For those who say he doesn't "get it": it sure sounds like he "gets it". For example:

"I'm still uneasy about a lot of things that took place within the organization. Of course those guys ultimately supported me, and I'm grateful for that. But ultimately, with me being able to be on the inside and see how cards were dealt, how things were worded, this, that and the other, it's about protecting your brand, your organization, what you have built. In the (grand) scheme of things, not one person counts over that. I get that."

In other words, he understands the Vikings had to protect their brand and could only stand behind him to a certain extent.

Our interest, fan interest, drives the reports and speculation, not Peterson himself. All things considered, he's kept a pretty low profile for the last 6 months.

Whatever happened within the organization that upset him, it seems clear that it was limited to a few people, perhaps just one. We don't know what was said to Peterson, what he was told before he was placed on the commissioner's list, what led him to feel "ambushed" by that move, etc. so we're not in a very good position to determine whether it's reasonable for him to feel hurt or not. However, he's made it pretty clear that he understands the team's overall behavior and that he still respects and admires the coaches and players he'd be working with on a day-to-day basis.

I really wish everybody would just settle down a little.

[mansquatch]

Jim great post. I was getting annoyed by all this yesterday, but I read your post and realized my policy of ignoring the drama until something tangible happens continues to be the best approach this offseason. I'm trying to stay more focused on the draft and not worry about this AP mess.

[IrishViking]

Jim I get all of that. I just think it's laughable that he feels he warranted any support from anyone. That's my stance. For him to come out and say this indicates he expected more support than he received which is disgusting to me.

[dead_poet]

Good post, Jim. Well said.

[chicagopurple]

The only thing AP has a justifiable right to state publically about this matter it that he SHOULD be " eternally grateful for ANY support he has recieved from both MN Vikes organization and the Community, as this whole mess is MY fault and no one elses." Instead, he and his agent are trying, very poorly, to make him out as a victim.

[The Breeze]

He has a right to say whatever he feels publicly or otherwise....just like anyone else.

Any money issue is between him and ownership.

What I have learned from this: humility cures resentment and breeds respect.

[frosted]

Does anyone feel it? The tension? It's thick.


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[Pondering Her Percy]

Regardless, it doesn't change my opinion of me wanting him gone. There is no need to pay a RB that much money right now, he's probably hitting the back-end of his career, what he brought to the table is a huge distraction, and there is a great RB class this year.

I mean if we can trade him, it frees up crazy amounts of money and probably gives us a legitimate pick or two. That's an ideal situation IMO.

If he comes back then he comes back, I'm not going to not cheer for the guy. But from a franchise perspective and what's best for this team moving forward....send him packing

[The Breeze]

Does anyone feel it? The tension? It's thick.


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This is getting some ire up for a few...I guess.

I'm just amazed at what a circus it seems when so little has actually been said.

I'm fatigued by the up and down. First he's held out...then given the green light...then shut down and put on the list...then he gets out of court and maybe gets on the field ....then gets goodelled for the season.....wants to come back....gets welcomed back..... he expresses honest doubt....spleens are vented.....venom and vitriol ensue.

I really would be happy with just one more season outta him in purple at this point. Just for my own selfish reasons....it's just football and he's not some morally bankrupt monster wreaking havoc and mayhem.

I'll be lucky to see many games this season anyway, the way things are unfolding.

[dead_poet]

I dug this column by Mark Craig:

A three-step guide to surviving the Peterson saga
http://blog.startribune.com/sports/access-vikings

Especially this bit:

Yeah, the running back position has been de-valued. But greatness hasn’t been. Peterson came into the league in 2007. There have been eight MVPs awarded since then. Only one time did a quarterback not win the award. That was in 2012 when Peterson won it. When healthy, he’s as valuable as any non-QB in the league and more valuable than a lot of the QBs.

[Mothman]

I dug this column by Mark Craig:

A three-step guide to surviving the Peterson saga
http://blog.startribune.com/sports/access-vikings

Especially this bit:

Thanks for the link. That column was a home run. Kudos to Mark Craig for remaining reasonable!

By the way, this was my favorite line:

Decisions, conclusions and reactions are so much better when made with a calm brain, not a hyper heart.

[kurtkeoki]

I dug this column by Mark Craig:

A three-step guide to surviving the Peterson saga
http://blog.startribune.com/sports/access-vikings

Especially this bit:

I agree that a a difference maker at RB is still valuable. People like to sound smart by saying it's a waste to take a RB in the first, or it's a mistake to pay a RB X amount of dollars because they are easily replaceable. If a guy is a difference maker, it's worth it to pay him a lot, or use a high pick. The way people disregard RBs these days, you'd think they were punters or kickers.

[The Breeze]

As far as difference making Rbs go, AD is the penultimate....as evidenced by him being the only non-qb to pull down the MVP in years.

None could say with any certainty that his success was guaranteed on draft day and the same goes for any rb in this draft or the next.

I think what ultimately sets AD apart from any other back is the legit threat of him going the distance on any given carry.

IMO the only other back that consistantly displayed his kind of threat in my days of watching is Bo Jackson. Chris Johnson is similar in that respect and Sanders too...although he didn't have that extra gear of speed that AD has. OJ Simpson had a quality similar and Dickerson, Tomlinson?. Point is these kinds of guys are few and far in between and I can count on one hand the number of rings all of the aforementioned backs own.

I think it's great that AD is under contract and could be a great weapon next season, but I really hope this team continues to focus on it's depth and continuity across the board before launching after these high profile 'skill' players with high draft picks.

I'd scratch my head at a team that drafts RB in rd 3 and rd 1 on consecutive years when they struggle mightily in pass protection and stopping the run.

They should employ themselves to build a solid running game that can be a strength fo their offense.....but hoping to find an AD type back in the draft is less likely than getting a franchise QB IMO.

If they had a kick butt secondary, an elite LB core and a 98ish O-line, I'd be all for them grabbing a highly touted RB/WR this draft.

It may just be a matter of preference in my case....but this franchise has somehow managed to draft guys in Moss and AD who are in the converation of being the best ever at their positions and at the moment have little other to show for it but highlights and deep butthurt.

Fools gold?

[J. Kapp 11]

Thanks for the link. That column was a home run. Kudos to Mark Craig for remaining reasonable!

Couldn't agree more, Jim.

I am typically VERY critical of today's media. I cut my journalistic teeth in the era of "you WILL NOT publish any piece of information unless that information can be verified by two on-the-record sources." Today's "Tweet now, verify? ... eh, maybe later" methods make me sick to my stomach. Big props to a member of the media criticizing his own. Because y'know, publishing things like "Adrian Peterson vows he'll never play for Vikings again" when Adrian Peterson can't even SPEAK to the Vikings until April 15 ... well, that DESERVES criticism.

And Craig makes great points, especially when he talks about paying the man. I've been questioning all along ... why would you PAY Adrian Peterson a million a week to sit at home for 2014 if you're just going to cut him in 2015? Or, as Craig so brilliantly puts it, "Why make a down payment if you're never going to move into the house?" He's also correct in admonishing Peterson to remember that the Vikings TRIED to bring him back last year but were buried under an avalanche of bad publicity (who among us can forget that this entire board shut down in protest of the Vikings reinstating Peterson?).

Just a great column. Sure wish we could see more like it.