Why Adrian Peterson Fits on the Giants
Adrian Peterson, yes the Adrian Peterson, may find a new home this offseason and there is good reason to think it could be a certain team out east.
With the Vikings declining to bring back their all-time leading rusher due to his $17 million cap hit, the halfback will test the waters of unrestricted free agency for the first time in his storied career.
A return to Minnesota is perfectly feasible. Jerick McKinnon was far short of a replacement for the then-ailing Peterson. The Vikings’ brass will make an effort to keep him in town, but plenty of other teams are interested in the legend’s services.
Minnesota’s front office believes that Peterson will be unhappy with his valuation on the open market, ultimately returning home with a discount. However, if teams believe that the 31-year-old can return to form, there will be no discounts.
One team that could sure benefit from Peterson’s services would be the New York Giants. Having sent Rashad Jennings packing, Paul Perkins is presumably the lead back at the moment. While Perkins has potential, Peterson would be an astronomical improvement.
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Pairing Peterson with Perkins could certainly improve the ground game for Big Blue, as they were amongst the worst rushing teams in the league last year. He can still get the edge and he won’t have to play as many downs with Perkins around. He won’t need to shoulder nearly as much work as he did in Minnesota.
Peterson is coming off of a meniscus injury that curtailed his season before it even began. However, we all remember the campaign after tearing his ACL a few years back. He can bounce back better than anyone. Besides, even the Giants see he isn’t the same back that challenged Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record, he’d still be best back the Giants have had since Ahmad Bradshaw.
They have enough cap room to make the future Hall of Famer an offer. The Giants know they couldn’t run the ball if they’re lives depended on it last year. It’s unlikely they’ll throw an early pick on someone other than Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette. Besides, neither of those two are likely to be on the board when the Giants pick at twenty-three.
The Giants have a void in the backfield at the moment that needs to be filled. They may have Perkins, but he’d benefit from learning more before he gets the keys to the backfield. Why not fill that void with arguably the best player to take a handoff in the history of football?