Oakland Raiders: Vikings Reported Asking Price Way Too Steep
By Kevin Saito
If Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie had hoped to finagle some sort of sweet deal for Viking’s running back Adrian Peterson, he no doubt, got a pretty rude awakening. And if ever there was a case of extreme sticker shock, this would probably be it.
Once he’d been reinstated, the rumors and speculation about Peterson’s fate began in earnest. Would he stay with the Vikings? Would Minnesota trade him? And if so, where? Dallas has been linked as a possible, if not likely, destination for the embattled running back. But then word started getting around that the Raiders were players for Peterson’s services.
And of course, much of the Raider Nation grew more than a little excited by the possibility of Peterson donning the Silver and Black.
But this report coming from ESPN’s Adam Caplan should – hopefully – put a pin in all of the Peterson to Oakland talk.
According to Caplan’s original report, the Vikings are – as many of us believed they would – asking for a king’s ransom to let Peterson wear anybody else’s colors for the 2015 season. It’s not enough that the team would have a very sizable chunk of cash taken off of their books for the season – nearly $13 million dollars to be exact – allowing them to pursue other free agents, but the Vikings also want a first round draft pick, AND a starting caliber cornerback. And if they can’t get a starting caliber corner – their biggest area of need apparently – they’ll settle for a second round pick because they believe they can get a starting corner in round two.
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So let’s recap that because it seems fairly important – not only will Minnesota’s trade partner be required to suck up the massive amount of payroll space that Peterson’s contract requires – nearly $50 million over the next three seasons – they will also be required to part with a first AND a second round pick. In this year’s draft.
If there was any question that the Raiders cannot afford to make a deal for Peterson, we can now hopefully, put it to rest.
No doubt, there are some who think it’s a small price to pay for a running back as dynamic as Peterson has been over the course of his career. The Raiders have the money, so why not pull the trigger, right?
It has nothing to do with the money. Yes, the Raiders can afford it financially, thanks in large part to the McKenzie’s management of the cap. It’s having to also give up so much in draft picks that’s the problem. Having to give up their first rounder – the fourth overall pick – and if Minnesota doesn’t feel that D.J. Hayden and/or Travis Carrie are up to snuff, then Oakland’s second round pick – 35th overall – to get a 30 year old running back with a lot of miles on his tires makes no sense whatsoever.
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Putting all of his character issues aside, there is no question that Peterson is a dynamic running back. And he would instantly bring life and credibility to Oakland’s running game. It would make the Raiders a real threat to run the ball on each and every down. Which of course, would open up the passing game for Derek Carr and his stable of receivers.
If they made the deal that the Vikings reportedly want for Peterson, the Raiders would have a solid and productive rushing attack. For a little while, anyway. At 30 years old, there is no telling how long Peterson will remain productive in the backfield, but even if he manages to stay healthy and dynamic for the remainder of his deal, that gives Oakland three years with AP in the backfield. Three. After that, do you really see the team ponying up the cash for a then 33 year old running back?
Given the amount of wear and tear on his body already, there is no guarantee that Peterson will be able to continue playing at the level he has over the course of his career for the next three seasons. One could argue that taking his lost 2014 season out of the equation, we are already seeing the inevitable slip in production as a running back ages.
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The Viking Age
In 2012, Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards for a very healthy 6.0 yards per carry. Insane numbers, right? He followed that up in 2013 with 1,266 yards and a 4.5 yards per carry average. While still a fantastic season, and the sort of productivity in the backfield the Raiders have only been able to envy for a long while now, it is still something worth noting. Very few running backs get better as they get older. Very, very few. And though Peterson is an athletic freak, time catches up to everybody.
The Raiders would undoubtedly have a few very good seasons with Peterson in the backfield. But two or three seasons, tops. Yeah, they’d be a really terrific two or three seasons, but what would Oakland be giving up in return for those two or three good years? What if they were able to land an Amari Cooper or a Leonard Williams? Put those guys into the mix with Oakland’s core of young, explosive talent – Carr, Khalil Mack, Latavius Murray, Rod Streater, Sio Moore – and the Raiders could have a decade’s worth of really good seasons.
Exchanging two or three really good seasons for what could potentially be a decade’s worth of really great seasons would be a really poor decision. As great as Peterson is – and he really is – you cannot mortgage the future or sacrifice what it is you’re building. Especially when the shelf life on what you’d receive in return is so short.
There are some of the Raider faithful who passionately disagree with the idea of passing on Peterson, and its understandable. Riding a twelve season streak of losing is brutal. Raider fans want to see their team return to prominence and start winning again. That too, is understandable. Very understandable. But pulling the trigger on the deal Minnesota reportedly wants would be incredibly short sighted and though it may satisfy in the moment, it would fling the future into a lot of doubt.
With a high pick and a ton of elite talent at the top end of the draft board, McKenzie absolutely must stay true to his vision for rebuilding this team. He cannot scrap it all for the chance to have a couple of good seasons with Peterson in the backfield. This is about the bigger picture, and the long term vision for this franchise.
When looking at this deal, and what the Vikings apparently want in return, you have to look at not just what you’re getting, but more importantly, what you’re giving up. Minnesota didn’t do that when they pulled the trigger on a trade for Herschel Walker all those years ago. Their vision was short term and it blew up in their faces big time. Because of that short term vision, Dallas thrived and built a dynasty. In large part, all of those Super Bowl wins in the 90’s were built upon that trade.
McKenzie absolutely must learn from the past and avoid that same pitfall. Minnesota’s asking price is far too high and there is too much on the line for the Raiders this year. McKenzie’s vision for the franchise is beginning to come to fruition, and it would be absolutely foolish to abandon it now.
The Raiders cannot afford the deal Minnesota wants to make. What they’d be giving up far exceeds what they’d be getting in return. And as tempting as it is to acquire a back of Peterson’s caliber, McKenzie must hold firm and take a pass.
It’s a deal that may look good now, but it’s one that will look radically worse a couple of years down the line. Just ask Minnesota.