Adrian Peterson Is Taking His Time, but Will New England Wait for Him?
What do Adrian Peterson and ‘Tom and Jerry’ have in common? A lot more than you might think
Adrian Peterson is still a free agent. At an initial asking price of reportedly $8 million per year, is anyone surprised? This comes after Peterson had the worst season of his illustrious and undoubtedly HOF career, but he is nowhere near the guy that once rushed for 2,000 yards and carried a Vikings franchise. Peterson is hitting the trail, shaking hands, and figuratively kissing — well, not babies in hopes of gaining a job that resembles a decent salary. But will he get something he deems respectable? I can’t say on the monetary end of things but at this point in his career considering the money he has earned and accolades he has accomplished, isn’t it time to chase a championship?
Hello, Bill Belichick. Hello, Tom Brady. Hello, New England Patriots. ‘All Day’ can take as many visits as he wants and desires, but there is one place that is undoubtedly better for him that any other — Foxborough, Massachusetts.
As mentioned earlier, Peterson has had a 2,000 yard rushing season on his way to over 11,700 total career rushing yards. However, last year and in only 3 games Peterson rushed for a career low 72 yards. Peterson rushed for three more yards, 75 total in 2014, where he played in 2 fewer games. What this does say, however, is that Peterson has lost a step and needs more help from those around him to be as successful as he would like. There is no better person at giving this assistance than Bill Belichick.
Along with his non-stop learning, game planning ability, and undying love for the game of football, what sets Bill Belichick apart is his way to manipulate players. It sounds a lot dirtier than it actually is, but it covers the broad range of his capabilities. In one example you can look no further than one of last year’s breakout stars, Chris Hogan. Although Hogan was famous for playing college lacrosse before football, and actually playing in the league for a few years, he became a different and more explosive player under the tutelage of Belichick.
Another of the most vivid examples and one that fits exactly with the subject is the way he uses his RB’s, and more specifically what LeGarrette Blount was able to accomplish just last year alone. To address the above part by part, the committee element is important because it not only allows for the best to be pulled out of AP whenever he is on the field but also accounts for his shortcomings. We have all heard about these shortcomings in recent weeks, with the most glaring being his lack of “want to” or his overall pass blocking ability. The “LeGarrette Blount” element is important because the two of them, Blount and Peterson, are really similar backs. They are both tall, big backs, although Peterson is an inch taller and about 20 pounds lighter. They share a similar running styles in that they would both rather plant and get vertical through the middle although they can attack horizontally and/or around the edges. Proof, you say? Blount rushed for 18 touchdowns last year and almost 1,200 yards himself. His closest season production wise was his rookie year in 2010, where he rushed for 6 touchdowns and just over 1,000 yards.
What we are now watching is a classic case of “Cat and Mouse” with Peterson maneuvering strategically in hopes of drawing his desired response from an NFL organization. The big deal here, though, is that there is no way of knowing which organization that could be. But there is one thing for certain here; Peterson already knows where he wants to be. He should be looking for jewelry (if you know what I mean), so his best choice again is New England.
There is no way in particular to say where Peterson wants to land. He left the Patriots last week without a deal and has a meeting set up with New Orleans in the coming week. Reports say he may even have other meetings on the way as he continues to play the waiting game. Although it dates back to the early 11th century and was made popular by one of the great theatrical pieces of all-time, House Party 2, one of my favorite quotes is “time waits for no man.” Take heed, Mr. Peterson. Bill Belichick is the hand of time — don’t make him wait.
