Dallas Cowboys 2015 Draft: does Adrian Peterson trade have legs?

By Jake Robison | April 23, 2015

The Dallas Cowboys and Adrian Peterson are becoming more linked by the day in the words of the media and the minds of the fans – but is that truly the sentiment inside the Cowboys decision making room? The Minnesota Vikings keep saying they have no interest in trading Peterson for any price, but as has been shown consistently over the years, most every player other than a franchise quarterback can indeed be had for a big enough haul. So what are the odds that Dallas ends up pulling the trigger?

First, there are the words from Dallas Cowboys exec Stephen Jones, who suggested this week that he couldn’t see giving up draft picks in order to acquire a running back. But is that any less of a smokescreen than the Vikings continued insistence that they’re not open to any trades? The caveat with all of this isn’t merely the fact that Peterson is controversial, or aging, or locked into a large contract, or injury prone.

It’s the fact that the 2015 NFL Draft is unusually chock full of running back prospects. Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley are potential first round talents, while several other backs like Duke Johnson are solid second or third round prospects. In other words, if the Dallas Cowboys can get a great young running back in the first few rounds of the draft, why trade one or more of those picks for an aging injured pariah like Adrian Peterson instead? Those are the questions that the Cowboys leadership will have to answer internally before the Draft arrives next week.