The Raiders had the worst rushing attack in the NFL in 2014 and still don’t have a proven running back on their roster capable of taking the pressure off young quarterback Derek Carr, but that might change soon. The NFL Network reports that the Raiders have shown interest in acquiring six-time Pro Bowler Adrian Peterson, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. 
The 30-year-old Peterson sat out all of last season because of domestic violence issues, but the league reinstated him earlier this week. Despite being under contract with the Vikings for three more years, the former MVP’s future in Minnesota is uncertain and he could end up traded prior to next season.
If the Vikings do deal Peterson, the Raiders could be a fit because of both their need for a top-end back and their available cap space. Oakland has plenty of salary room for Peterson, whose cap hit exceeds $15MM in each of the remaining years of his contract (it’s $15.4MM in 2015).
The Raiders’ cap situation is much better than that of the Cowboys, who have been linked to Peterson this offseason. Oakland has roughly $12MM more to spend than Dallas, per Smith, but he also notes that Peterson to the Bay Area is unlikely because the rebuilding Raiders aren’t an expensive, over-30 player away from contention. Nonetheless, given the Raiders’ dearth of offensive weapons, it’s a situation that bears watching as the offseason progresses and Peterson’s future becomes clearer.