Adrian Peterson and Tony Romo are two of the biggest names that will be on the move this offseason. There is lots of speculation that Romo will either end up in Denver or Houston, while it’s anyone’s guess where AP could sign. In AP’s case, however, the lists of teams are getting shorter by the day with New England signing Rex Burkhead, and Seattle signing Eddie Lacy. Both Romo and AP are skilled veterans but are huge question marks in terms of value, Romo is injury prone and really needs a good offensive line to be effective, while AP is an aging star who will probably be looking for big money and a multi-year deal. The following are my thoughts on where each player could sign.
Adrian Peterson
Peterson is a workhorse running back who has been the star and face of the Minnesota Vikings for ten years, however, he will not be returning in 2017. The Vikings have recently signed Latavius Murray, and are moving on.
Last year AP was limited to only three games due to a torn meniscus. However in 2015 at the age of thirty, Peterson ran for 1,485 yards, averaged 4.5 yards per carrying and had 11 touchdowns in 15 games, proving he is still an elite running back.
New York Giants
[the_ad id=”384″]The Giants seem like the perfect place for a back like Adrian Peterson, not only do they need an RB but Peterson would be the perfect match on the ground for Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall. Having AP there will open up the offense and give Eli Manning more options. As of right now, the Giants are going into the season with Paul Perkins, Orleans Darkwa, and Shane Vereen. With Perkins being a rookie, Darkwa, and Vereen used as third-down backs, Adrian could place in perfectly with this offense and free up OBJ and Marshall for big passing plays. However with the signing of Marshall, they could shy away from the type of contract Peterson would want and RBs like LeGarrett Blount, Tim Hightower, and DeAngelo Williams would come at a much cheaper price and still be an upgrade from what they have now.
Oakland Raiders
With Murray signing in Minnesota the Raiders are left with rookies DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard as the go-to guys, in only 87 attempts last season Washington averaged 5.5 YPC, while Richard in 83 attempts averaged 5.9 YPC which isnt bad at all, but both are only 5’8 and the Raiders could use a big back to replace the over 6 foot Murray . The issue with these two is that neither one is really an every down runner when Murray was out of the lineup they only averaged a combined 3.6 YPC. Signing AP would give a team who is poised to be a major contender that extra weapon on offense. The Raiders do have options as rumors persist that Marshawn Lynch may come out of retirement to play for Oakland if that’s the case it could mean one more team off the list for AP.
GreenBay Packers
The Packers lose Lacy to Seattle and now have to make the decision on whether WR turned RB Ty Montgomery can handle the workload as a full-time RB. He wasn’t a very good receiver and has shown he can be a good back by averaging 5.9 YPC. With Peterson in the mix, the Packers will have a standout RB to go with superstar QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Jordy Nelson, all three probable future Hall of Famers. AP will make an already potent offense into one that may be close to unstoppable, this will all depend on what the Packers desires are at the RB position and if they want to spend the money.
Tony Romo
Romo was the star quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys for the past twelve years, however, in the past two years, he has only played a total of five games due to shoulder and back surgeries. Last year these injuries open the door for Dax Prescott to take over and become the number one QB. This leaves Dallas with two options; trade Romo or release him. Money wise either way Dallas is stuck with a load of money tacked on to either 2017 budget or 2018 depending on what they do. I won’t get into the money side of this, that’s a whole other article. So let’s see what teams could possibly land Mr. Romo.
New York Jets
The Jets are a team in need of a lot of things and the QB position is one of them both Ryan Fitzpatrick (FA) and Geno Smith (signed with Giants) gone this year. The signing of Romo will give the Jets a much-needed face of the franchise for a team that seems to be starting a rebuild. This rebuild, however, could prove to be a reason why Romo doesn’t end up here. If they are starting over a high contract like Romos doesn’t really fit in with a team dumping salaries.
Denver Broncos
Denver has been the rumored landing spot for Romo since Prescott threw his first TD. It makes sense, they have the defense to make a run at the Super Bowl and Tony would be a great fit for standout wide receivers like Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, whose numbers dropped with Trevor Siemian behind center. The only thing that may put a stop to this move is the fact that Broncos GM John Elway seems to be onboard to have Paxton Lynch take over the reins. With that being said, having Romo there for a year or two could give Lynch enough time to develop and learn from a caliber QB. Plus with Romo’s injury problems Lynch could still get a handful of starts.
Houston Texans
[the_ad id=”693″]The Texans are another team long thought of as a landing spot for Tony. With Brian Hoyer signing in San Francisco and Brock Osweiler traded to Cleveland the door is wide open for Houston to sign or trade for a starting QB. The most likely scenario is for them to wait it out and hope Romo becomes a free agent and then they can sign him to their own contract and maybe not pay him the 40 million he is owed over the next two years. The problem with the Texans right now is what type of QB do they want? Do they want a 37-year-old injury prone QB that may or may not make it through the season or do they want to hopefully draft a starter and allow him to develop? The other option they have would be a guy like Jay Cutler or Ryan Fitzpatrick they are both younger than Romo and come at a cheaper price.
In the end, both Peterson and Romo have pros and cons. Adrian has the best chance to have the better year at his position and improve any club he signs with. Tony, however, is getting older and is very injury prone; he may be able to help a team in the short run but probably won’t make much of a difference, unless he lands in Denver where he could probably give them that extra push to get them back to the big game at the end of the year. Look to see Peterson sign with the Raiders and Romo end up in Houston.