The Detroit Lions Make the Most Sense for Adrian Peterson
By Jason McIntyre
Odds are out for where Adrian Peterson may end up signing, now that he’s been released by the Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings +250
Green Bay Packers +260
Oakland Raiders +1000
New England Patriots +1000
New York Giants +1500
Dallas Cowboys +2500
Field +140
You’ll hear plenty about the Dallas Cowboys, because Jerry Jones love splashy, but they have no money, unless Peterson wants to play for peanuts.
[Aside: Story you may not see – Peterson has fathered at least seven kids (the number of women who have those kids is unknown), and my guess is that he can’t go anywhere to play for pennies because this will be his last big contract.]
The Detroit Lions make the most sense, and not just because they play in a dome, in a division Peterson knows well, with a chip on his shoulder facing his former team twice.
1. Salary-cap wise, the Lions are in good shape and can afford Peterson or Jamaal Charles.
2. The Lions haven’t had a high-end RB since Barry Sanders (retired in 1998!) and no Detroit RB has been an actual threat in over a decade (when Kevin Jones rushed for 1,133 yards as a rookie in 2004).
4. Here’s how the Lions rushing attack has looked the last five years, since Matt Stafford became the healthy, full-time starter:
2016 – 27th in yards per carry (made playoffs)
2015 – 26th in ypc
2014 – 29th in ypc (made playoffs)
2013 – 22nd in ypc
2012 – 18th in ypc
2011 – 13th in ypc (made playoffs)
5. The Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1991 and are 0-3 in the playoffs with Stafford at QB. Here were his RBs in those losses: Kevin Smith (6 rushes, 21 yards); Joique Bell (12 rushes, 43 yards); Zach Zenner (11 rushes, 34 yards).
The mere threat of a running back will not only help the Lions sluggish ground game, but certainly take pressure off the defense, which is improved, but still a liability.