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NFL Draft Rumors: Cris Carter says “something’s going to happen” with Adrian Peterson

By Stanford Crissey

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ESPN analyst Cris Carter believes the Minnesota Vikings will trade Adrian Peterson despite insisting that they won’t.

Next: 15 biggest draft busts in NFL history

The Adrian Peterson saga continues, as it probably will until be actually see Peterson suit up for the Vikings again.

Reports have been back and forth on whether the star running back will be traded by the Vikings this offseason. At first, Peterson never wanted to play for them again. Later in the offseason, though, the Vikings were denying even the possibility of a trade.

Noe ESPN’s Cris Carter is throwing another wrinkle into the Peterson story, implying on ESPN’s Mike and Mike radio show that he has inside information about an imminent trade of the 2012 NFL MVP.

“I’m under gag order on the Adrian Peterson situation, but I believe something’s gonna happen,” Carter said. “But I can’t talk about it.”

Well, how nice of you to bring up something you “can’t talk about” while on the radio, Cris Carter. Bringing up a topic just to talk about the fact that you can’t talk about it isn’t very informative. Does Carter know what a gag order is? Maybe he was telling the two Mikes what was going to happen via sign language, or wrote it down on a note and put his finger to his lips, but either way, this doesn’t tell us a whole lot.

If Carter does know something, and Peterson is about to be traded, it will have huge implications for the NFL draft. Most running backs wouldn’t fetch a first-round pick, but Peterson is a special case, and the Vikings probably wouldn’t give him up for anything less, even with last year’s child abuse controversy.

The question is, who would give up a first-round pick for him? The Cowboys have been the most frequently mentioned potential destination; Peterson is from Texas, and the Cowboys already have Greg Hardy, so not only have they already displayed a willingness to acquire controversial players, they’d only need Ray Rice to reach 2014 NFL Legal Trouble Bingo. The Cowboys could offer the 27th pick in the draft in a potential deal.

The Arizona Cardinals have also been mentioned; they pick 24th in the first round, which is probably the right value for Peterson, and they’ve needed a running back since some time in the mid-’90s.

The Vikings will have a big decision to make with regards to Peterson. He was in trouble last year, but he doesn’t seem to be viewed as a pariah like Rice or Hardy; he’d probably be welcomed pack by the Minnesota faithful. On the other hand, they might see a perfect opportunity to get some value for him before he enters his decline phase. This is just one of the many intriguing subplots on draft day, so stay tuned.

Next: 30 greatest running backs in NFL history

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