The Dallas Cowboys failed to trade for Adrian Peterson in the NFL Draft, but there’s still every reason to believe he might end up in a Cowboys uniform by opening day. The Minnesota Vikings have said all along that they have no interest in parting with their star player, but he’s made equally clear that he wants out. While no deal took place on draft weekend, something unexpected happened: Dallas never did draft a running back, not even in the late rounds when they were a dime a dozen - pointing to their possible intention to still pursue Peterson. But what would the trade look like at this point?

That depends on just how willing Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are to mortgage the future to win now. The team can’t possibly believe that it’s set at running back after the departure of DeMarco Murray and the mere arrival of Darren McFadden to replace him. The Cowboys could easily have had the likes of Jay Ajayi or another similar caliber running back in the fifth round or later as insurance in case the risky McFadden isn’t the answer. But instead they approached their draft board as if they already knew they had another running back in place.

At this point the Dallas Cowboys would either have to give up a 2016 draft pick, say a second rounder, or existing players in order to pull off an Adrian Peterson trade. But if they weren’t planning to make such a move in the coming weeks or months, they’d have taken at least one late round running back. That suggests we’re far from hearing the end of this story, and speculation now shifts toward specifically what Dallas would be willing to give up in such a trade, and what Minnesota would be willing to accept in compensation.

The Dallas Cowboys enter the NFL Draft 2015 tonight with one more shot at nabbing Adrian Peterson via trade, and they’ve left everyone wondering whether they have the gumption to pull the trigger. The Vikings are publicly saying they won’t trade Peterson under any circumstances, but most players have their price tags at which point the team would have to consider such a move. But will the Cowboys be willing to pony up the high asking price, or is this the night in which they finally fully embrace restraint? There are actually more than two options.

It’s feasible that Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, or both will be available to the Dallas Cowboys when they go to make their pick in the early second half of the first round of the NFL Draft. Either running back could provide as much of a dynamic presence as Adrian Peterson, and would come with the bonus of being younger and cheaper and less controversial. However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been known for his flashy moves and love of starpower, and has expressed interest in Peterson since the moment he was suspended by the league and his future in Minnesota looked in doubt. So just what will Dallas do?

That may depend on whether one of the two top notch running backs falls to the Dallas Cowboys in tonight’s NFL Draft. If not, then they just might call the Vikings and offer their first round pick in exchange for Adrian Peterson after all. Whether that ends up being enough to get Minnesota to bite is another matter.