Now that we know running back Adrian Peterson will reach the free agent market, what are the odds he will end up with the New York Giants?
Not that it matters, but Bovada has placed those odds at 5-1, making the Giants second in line behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- and tied with the Minnesota Vikings.
Peterson, who will be 32 next season, had been set to count $18 million against the salary cap next season. He wasn't amenable to a pay cut, so the fact that he will become a free agent is no surprise.
Where will he land? CBS Sports has a list of likely destinations with the Dallas Cowboys at the top.Interestingly, the Giants are not among the five teams mentioned.
The view here, which I have already expressed multiple times, is that Peterson to the Giants is a bad idea.
- He's a fading 32-year-old back with a long injury history who averaged 1.9 yards per carry in just three games last season.
- He is still going to want to get paid like ADRIAN PETERSON, the guy who was a great back a few years ago. That's why he is being let go by Minnesota in the first place. My guess is Peterson is in for a rude awakening on the open market, even with the salary cap going up.
- Peterson's suspension for child abuse makes him toxic to the Giants after their mishandling of the Josh Brown situation. Signing Peterson would make them look completely tone deaf.
Pro Football Focus summarized what Peterson is, and is not, as this point in his career:
Peterson is no factor as a receiver and can’t be trusted to pass block for his QB ... Peterson has become a two-down running back in a league where those two downs are becoming more like one down.
Peterson now needs to be part of a backfield committee, where he can be the running back while somebody else plays on passing downs. If he can stay healthy – far from a given – he can still have a significant positive impact on a new team, but that role clearly wasn’t worth the $18 million he was scheduled to pick up from the Vikings, and it may prove to have a much lower value than Peterson himself will be looking for.
Peterson will get a job somewhere, and he might even be productive for a while. I doubt, though, that he lands with the Giants.