Oakland Raiders: Top running backs to target in 2019 NFL free agency

Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins

Even a year ago, this would have seemed like an awful idea. However, the future Hall of Famer stuck it to Father Time in 2018, putting together a 1,000-yard rushing effort as one of the featured pieces of the Washington Redskins offense.

And yet, even after that impressive bounce-back effort, Peterson probably won’t cost much on the open market. He made just over $1 million with the Redskins last season, and probably wouldn’t warrant a huge raise considering his 33 years of age.

So let’s say the Raiders aren’t interested in throwing too much money at one of the bigger names set to hit the market. Instead, they can sign Peterson to a cheap, one-year deal and use one of their early-round draft picks to find their running back of the future. That allows the young runner an opportunity to learn from Peterson without the pressure of being a Year 1 star.

Plus, we all know Gruden loves scouring the bargain bin for aging veterans. Peterson fits the bill as a capable lead back who can keep the ground game afloat until a young replacement emerges. At this point in his career, he’s probably a more reliable option than Lynch anyway.

This is more of a fallback option, but a decent one nonetheless.