NFL Reinstates Adrian Peterson
The NFL has reinstated Adrian Peterson following his suspension and his stint on the commissioner’s exempt list, the league announced today. According to the NFL’s press release, Peterson’s reinstatement will be effective as of Friday.
“In a letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell,” the league’s release reads, “Peterson was informed that he is expected to fulfill his remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas, as well as the additional commitments Peterson made during his April 7 meeting with the commissioner regarding maintaining an ongoing program of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisors.
“Beyond the requirement to comply with his court obligations and plan of counseling, Peterson was reminded that his continuing participation in the NFL depends on his avoidance of any further conduct that violates the Personal Conduct Policy or other NFL policies. Any further violation of the Personal Conduct Policy by Peterson would result in additional discipline, which could include suspension without pay or banishment from the NFL.”
Peterson, 30, faced child abuse charges last year after physically disciplining his four-year-old son, and was placed on the exempt list early in the 2014 regular season as the legal process played out. Once his case concluded, he was suspended by the NFL for the remainder of the season for violating the league’s conduct policy. Peterson and the NFLPA appealed that suspension and the decision was upheld by arbitrator Harold Henderson, but Henderson’s decision was challenged in court by the union, where Judge David Doty ruled in favor of the running back and the NFLPA.
Despite all the ups and downs in the Peterson saga, his reinstatement ultimately came when we originally expected — the terms of his suspension initially called for reinstatement to be considered no earlier than April 15.
Now that he’s an active player again, Peterson could return to the Vikings and participate in the team’s offseason activities. However, it seems unlikely that he’d do so immediately, considering he reportedly wants to be traded. The former MVP’s agent, Ben Dogra, figures to work on getting his client dealt to another team sometime in the next two weeks, before or during draft night.
The Cowboys and Cardinals have been cited most frequently as potential suitors for Peterson, though it’s not clear if either team would be willing to part with a high draft pick and take on his salary. The Vikings have also indicated they don’t have any plans to trade or release their star running back.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Notes: Strong, Peters, Beasley, Fowler
Teams are in full swing in preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft, meeting with prospects and hosting workouts to fill out final draft boards. Here we will keep up with which prospects are garnering interest in a jam-packed notes post, with any updates added to the top:
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that Louisville tackle Jamon Brown will visit the Broncos, Lions, and Washington, and has private workouts scheduled with the Bengals and Bills.
- Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Rams have visited with LSU tackle La’el Collins and Louisville WR DeVante Parker (Twitter links). In a separate piece, Thomas offers a little more detail on Parker and provides a complete list of all the pre-draft visits that the Rams have hosted.
- Kevin White visited with the Giants today, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan adds that the team is doing its due diligence just in case the wideout should fall to New York, which holds the No. 9 overall pick.
Earlier Updates
- Jaelen Strong definitely has a wrist injury, but he contradicts the report that he will need surgery, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
- In addition to Strong, Todd Gurley, Cedric Ogbuehi, and Tevin Coleman will be having Combine rechecks this weekend, writes Rapoport (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks will meet with University of Louisiana at Lafayette defensive tackle Christian Ringo, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). The team will also host Michigan defensive end Frank Clark (via Twitter). Clark had recently visited the Saints in New Orleans.
- In addition to Kendricks, the Falcons will work out UCLA defensive end Owa Odighizuwa, according to Chase Goodread of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams will visit the Chargers on Monday, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Division II star has already met with the Patriots, Lions, and Cardinals.
- Minnesota defensive tackle Cam Botticelli has a number of team’s interested in his services, writes Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter). The Texans, Eagles, Lions, Seahawks, and Buccaneers have looked into him.
- University of Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux worked out for the Bengals at their local prospect day, according to the Associated Press in USA Today. Legaux will also have the opportunity to work out for the Saints later this week.
- The Saints will also host Tulane running back Dante Butler at their local prospect day on Friday, reports Tammy Nunez of NOLA.com.
- Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong has a fractured bone in his wrist, which should require surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He will be among players that will get combine rechecks this weekend, and the injury could affect his draft stock (via Twitter).
- Potential first-round cornerback Marcus Peters met with the 49ers yesterday and the Falcons today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). Peters will visit with the Raiders tomorrow.
- Pass rusher Vic Beasley has met or will meet with at least six teams drafting in the top ten, writes Rapoport (via Twitter). He will meet with the Titans today, and visit the Jets and Washington sometime next week.
- Florida pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. will visit with Washington as well, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. The visit might be for naught, as most believe Fowler is going to land in Jacksonville on draft day. The Jaguars select third overall.
- Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat visited with the Broncos, who are need of help along the offensive line after losing Orlando Franklin in free agency, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Peat might not last that long, but could provide immediate impact for a team trying to return to the Super Bowl.
- Cardinals running backs coach Stump Mitchell attended Tevin Coleman’s workout at Indiana, writes Josh Weinfuss of ESPN (via Twitter). The Lions already had Coleman in for a workout earlier in the process, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Tony Paulie of DraftInsider.net adds that the Cowboys and Patriots have expressed interest in the Indiana tailback (via Twitter).
- The Rams have scheduled a workout with Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty in Waco, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Brandt notes the team has indicated that it will select a quarterback at some point in the draft.
- The Lions also hosted Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett for a visit, the sixth receiver the team has brought in according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- The 49ers have expressed interest in a number of LSU players, including linebacker Kwon Alexander, running back Terrence Magee, and cornerback Jalen Collins, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com.
- Ohio State speedster Devin Smith told SiruiusXM NFL Radio he had a visit with the 49ers, saying he got a “really good vibe from the coaches and staff,” and that the visit “went really well,” (via Twitter).
- UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks met with Saints’ assistant coaches Joe Vitt and Rob Ryan during his visit with the team earlier this week, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
- Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks worked out for the Bengals at their local prospect day, and could be a player the team keeps an eye on in the middle rounds of the draft, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
- Florida State defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. has visited with the Patriots, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). Edwards will visit with the Texans and Seahawks as well, although Garafolo believes Seattle will need to trade up from No. 63 to draft him.
- Old Dominion basketball player Richard Ross has drawn interest from NFL teams who believe he could be next in line of basketball players making the transition to tight end. The Vikings are among the teams interested in Ross, sending tight ends coach Kevin Stefanski to the school for a private workout, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
- The Browns have conducted a private workout for quarterback Garrett Grayson at Colorado State, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Assuming they don’t trade up in the draft, the Browns figure to miss out on at least the top two QBs in this draft class, meaning a player like Grayson probably represents a more realistic target.
- Washington State wide receiver Vince Mayle has visited the 49ers, Chargers, Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Seahawks, and Washington, and is on his way to visit the Colts today, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
- South Florida cornerback Chris Dunkley has visits lined up with a number of NFL teams, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Dunkley says by the end of the process he will have met with the 49ers, Chargers, Falcons, Dolphins, Patriots, Bills, Lions, and Ravens.
- Coastal Carolina interior offensive lineman Chad Hamilton will work out privately for the Falcons on Thursday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Hamilton previously had a private workout for the Texans.
- Wilson also reported that Western Kentucky tight end Mitchell Henry met with the Chargers for a private workout. Mitchell will meet with an NFC team this week. Additionally, Wilson reports that Marshall cornerback Darryl Roberts has had workouts for the Colts, Eagles, Chiefs, 49ers, and Packers.
- University of Washington pass rusher Andrew Hudson met with the Browns, Buccaneers, and Washington this week, as part of his pre-draft visits, writes Brett Tessler of Tessler Sports (via Twitter).
- Utah guard Junior Salt, BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie, and San Diego State University linebacker Derek Largent are among the players the Dolphins are targeting as late-round picks or priority free agents, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Rob DiRe and Rory Parks contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: AP, Wisniewski, Wootton, Saints
Today is April 15, which means that, under the terms of the NFL’s original suspension, Adrian Peterson is now eligible to be reinstated. Still, nothing has happened on that front so far today, and few expect anything definitive or formal to actually happen in the next few hours either, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
As Rapoport notes (via Twitter), the legal case related to Peterson’s suspension may still drag out for some time, but the league can reinstate him in the meantime, which will signal the end of his time served, making him eligible to start the 2015 season. Time will tell whether that happens with the Vikings or another team.
Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….
- Free agent center Stefen Wisniewski visited Washington this week, but the club is “probably” not the frontrunner for him at the moment, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. Wisniewski has made a handful of visits since free agency opened, having met with the Patriots, Jaguars, and Titans as well. However, it’s not clear whether all those teams have real interest in him, or if the visits were more exploratory in nature — perhaps to get a closer look at Wisniewski’s surgically-repaired shoulder.
- Veteran defensive lineman Corey Wootton, who tried out for the Jaguars and Titans earlier in the offseason, is visiting the Saints today, according to Sean Fazende of FOX 8 in New Orleans (Twitter link).
- The Vikings and Saints, a pair of teams in need of a cornerback, are hosting Georgia corner Damian Swann for pre-draft visits, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Florida State’s Cameron Erving, viewed as the top center in this year’s draft class, is paying a visit to St. Louis to meet with the Rams, today, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The offensive line figures to be one of main areas of focus for the Rams during the draft.
- The Packers will take a closer look at BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie, who is scheduled to visit the team prior to the draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
NFC Links: Gregory, Peterson, Forte
Randy Gregory will get his fill of airports and meeting rooms leading up until the draft. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter, the pass-rushing prospect will hit a new city every day for visitation purposes with eager teams.
The Nebraska product paid a visit to the Cardinals on Sunday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter, while the Saints will host him later this week (Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo on Twitter).
The Saints may have a shot at landing Gregory at No. 13 overall, but the Cardinals at No. 24 would have to bank on serious character-related doubts stemming from positive marijuana test in February to have a shot at Gregory.
Here are some other visits and newsworthy items as Monday winds down …
- New Hampshire receiver R.J. Harris, who totaled more than 4,000 receiving yards at the Division I-FCS program, paid a visit to the Packers‘ headquarters on Monday, notes the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s Weston Hodkiewicz. Already employing wideout Jeff Janis from Division II Saginaw Valley State, the Packers are continuing to pay attention to small-school prospects. Receiver Ricky Collins (Texas A&M Commerce), defensive end Rodney Gunter (Delaware State) and Texas Southern cornerback Tray Walker join a host of larger-school standouts that have visited the Packers thus far.
- Coming off a season-ending injury, quarterback Connor Halliday will visit Washington, reports the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter. The Washington State quarterback suffered a broken ankle to end his senior campaign last season.
- San Jose State receiver Akeem King, who ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the Spartans’ pro day, will visit the Seahawks and Falcons this week, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
- While recent reports have viewed the best window at prying Adrian Peterson from the Vikings will open during the draft, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explains how that might not be the case, considering how the running back’s potential new contract would have to be negotiated in a rapid sequence.
- Matt Forte did not show up when the Bears opened their offseason training program today, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The longtime Bears starter is entering the last year of his second contract that pays $8.2MM this year, and $100K of that is tied to a workout bonus. Biggs points out that of the four running backs slated to make more than the 29-year-old Forte this year — Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch and DeMarco Murray — three of those four received new contracts. Forte, who is training in Florida, attempted to quell concerns on his personal Twitter account about the nature of these early voluntary strength workouts.
North Notes: Bears, Perriman, Draft, Peterson
As the Bears search for Brandon Marshall‘s replacement at receiver, they’ve brought in one of the top draft prospects at the position for a visit, meeting with UCF receiver Breshad Perriman today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Perriman, who posted a 4.25 40-time at his Pro Day, is fighting with Louisville’s Davante Parker to be the third receiver chosen behind Amari Cooper and Kevin White.
Let’s take a look at more from the NFL’s two North divisions:
- The Steelers met with three prospects today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter), who says the club visited with Texas A&M tight end Cameron Clear, West Virginia guard Quinton Spain, and Auburn receiver Sammie Coates.
- Having already brought in UAB return specialist J.J. Nelson for a visit, the Lions met with another special teamer/receiver — Utah’s Kaelin Clay — today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- Though Adrian Peterson was in Minneapolis over the weekend, he did not meet with any Vikings officials, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
- Rob Housler‘s one-year, $1.76MM deal with the Browns contains $750K guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
- Washington defensive end Andrew Hudson just wrapped a predraft visit with the Browns, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), and he’ll meet with the Buccaneers next.
NFC Notes: Edwards, Wilson, Saints, Vikes
The Cowboys and Bears are among the teams to host Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards for a visit, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The timeline on Edwards’ visit to Dallas isn’t clear, but his trip to Chicago happened last week, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com details in a column today, Edwards is a prospect worth keeping an eye on — while most mock drafts don’t include him in the first round, he’s generating plenty of buzz among talent evaluators around the NFL. One tells La Canfora that “in this [not overly talented] draft, he’s definitely a first-rounder for me.”
Here are a few more items from around the NFC:
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a closer look at Russell Wilson‘s contract situation, forecasting how things might play out if Wilson and the Seahawks don’t reach a long-term contract agreement this year. As Florio outlines, the Seattle signal-caller could still do very well for himself if the team were to use the franchise tag multiple times to keep him under contract.
- Washington cornerback Marcus Peters, UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, and Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper are all visiting New Orleans today, as the Saints consider defensive options, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate (Twitter link).
- The Vikings have “clear interest” in North Dakota edge defender Kyle Emanuel, having observed him at his Pro Day and then later working him out privately, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- The Lions are hosting a Division II prospect, Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams, on a pre-draft visit today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday will pay a visit to Washington this week to meet with GM Scot McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden, a source confirms to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
NFC Mailbags: Hawthorne, Collins, Bridgewater
Here are some notes from some of the most recent NFC mailbags coming out of New Orleans and Minneapolis.
- The Raiders pried Curtis Lofton, the Saints‘ best second-level player in recent seasons, away from New Orleans. As a result, the Saints are planning to use veteran David Hawthorne in his place in the middle and as the defensive signal-caller, ESPN’s Mike Triplett said in the second part of his Saints mailbag. Entering his age-30 season, Hawthorne started weakside backer in the Saints’ 4-3 last year and while he’s a mid-tier performer at best at this point in his career, Hawthorne is incredibly versatile. He’s played four different positions the past four seasons, lining up as the Seahawks’ starting middle linebacker in 2011, before backing up on the strong side in New Orleans in ’12, then moving to an inside spot in a 3-4 look a year later before moving back outside last season.
- While expecting Hawthorne to start regardless of who the Saints draft, Triplett notes the team hasn’t used a first- or second-round pick on a linebacker since Sean Payton arrived in 2006. While they’ve acquired Jonathan Vilma, Lofton and most recently Dannell Ellerbe and Anthony Spencer through trades or free agency, Triplett lists inside backer as possibly the Saints’ No. 1 need. He doesn’t expect the Saints to use their No. 13 pick on such a player but sees that as a key option at Nos. 31 or 44, possibly both, with Shaq Thompson (Washington), Eric Kendricks (UCLA) and Stephone Anthony (Clemson) among the options in that case.
- Landon Collins may be too much of a run-stopping safety to mesh well in the Vikings‘ defense, writes ESPN’s Ben Goessling in his mailbag. Since upper-echelon safety Harrison Smith ventures around the formation with blitzing tendencies, Goessling notes the Vikings probably need a player who can cover ground deep.
- Vikings quarterbacks coach Scott Turner recently traveled to Montana to observe ways to incorporate more quick passes into the Vikings’ offense. A Division II coach for many years, Bob Stitt‘s now at Montana, and Turner was intrigued by the way his offenses can find myriad methods of putting the ball in receivers’ hands via screen passes. With Teddy Bridgewater already having success in the screen game with Jarius Wright and, at times Cordarrelle Patterson, he now has speedster Mike Wallace, which would make acquiring additional intel in this area relevant, Goessling said.
NFC Rumors: Bucs, Safeties, Vikings, Cowboys
With uncertainty at the back of their defense, the Buccaneers are targeting safeties in the draft, tweets Bleacher Report analyst Matt Miller. The team brought in Louisville’s Gerod Holliman for a visit today, and Arizona State’s Damarious Randall will trek to Tampa on Monday.
Both are projected to be selected in the middle rounds of the draft.
The Bucs traded both of their 2014 starting safeties in Mark Barron and Dashon Goldson and now do not have much financial allocation at that spot.
Elsewhere around the NFC on Sunday night …
- The dearth of quality safeties available in this year’s draft could be explained by the position being a second-tier destination for premier athletes, writes Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Since coaches at the high school and college levels funnel the fast, rangy athletes to the perimeter playmaking positions, the back line may be the second-hardest place behind quarterback to find talent, offers Spadaro. The Eagles have been searching for stability there since All-Pro Brian Dawkins left in 2009, but Malcolm Jenkins‘ 2014 arrival helped considerably. Spadaro said Earl Wolff, recovering from microfracture surgery, will have a good shot at the unsettled strong safety job, with second-year corner Jaylen Watkins and recently signed E.J. Biggers set to receive looks there as well.
- Minnesota running back David Cobb has drawn the interest of the local NFL team, visiting the Vikings this past week, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP on Twitter. The Vikings will obviously be at the Golden Gophers’ pro day tomorrow, and Cobb — projected to go in the mid- to late rounds after a 1,626-yard season in 2014 — will be a key performer they’ll observe.
- Miller does not expect Amari Cooper to be Washington‘s pick at No. 5, instead anticipating a defender heading to D.C. (Twitter link). ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper each have Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. going to Washington.
- Cornerbacks Marcus Peterson and Kevin Johnson top the list of potential targets for the Cowboys at No. 27, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Machota clearly expects defense to be the priority here, as he includes Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown, UConn workout wonder Byron Jones and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks in his top five for the Cowboys.
Adrian Peterson Resolution Coming Soon?
Adrian Peterson‘s offseason in the shadows could come to an end this week, with the All-Pro running back eligible for reinstatement Wednesday.
While the best thing for Peterson is probably a new uniform, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune envisions him back in Minnesota as the Vikings believe he has one more productive season in him.
After what amounted to a year off, Peterson is an interesting trade candidate despite being 30 and the running back position’s cratering value. He’s third among all active runners in career carries with 2,054 — behind longer-tenured veterans Steven Jackson and Frank Gore — but produced the best rushing season of the 21st century in 2012 the last time he uncertainty engulfed his offseason. Peterson’s 6.0 yards per carry during his MVP campaign represent one of only four such instances since the AFL-NFL merger a running back who exceeded 200 carries in a season gained more than six yards per tote, joining Jamaal Charles in 2010, O.J. Simpson in 1973 and Barry Sanders in 1997. Only one full season worth of carries separated from that performance, Peterson will be a commodity as the draft approaches, putting the onus on the Vikings.
Vensel believes Peterson is worth more than just a first-round pick but doesn’t think the Vikings can pry one from a team, with Peterson’s salary ($15.4MM cap hit in 2015) dwarfing other RBs’ costs. But CBS Sports’ Joel Corry said the window to extract peak value is approaching soon. The Cardinals and Cowboys have been the most rumored potential suitors.
“It would probably happen while on the clock because that’s when you might get a team that’s willing to give up more than they would previously,” Corry told Vensel. “You’d think [the Vikings] would want a 2015 draft pick, so if you’re going to see something get done, talks will heat up close to the draft or he will be traded during the draft.
“It’s kind of a buyer-beware proposition for Peterson going forward. But if there’s a running back that is going to defy odds, he’s it.”
But Peterson’s contract contains no guaranteed money after 2015, and Vensel points out a redo of his deal to ensure a guaranteed sum is included beyond this season would be the best way to reverse the future Hall of Famer’s current feelings toward his employer.
Vensel also points out the Vikings, whose brass have stood firm on their no-trade stance regarding their most famous player, have wavered from their trade comments in recent offseasons. The Percy Harvin in 2013 trade came after Vikings GM Rick Spielman initially said he wouldn’t do so.
Extra Points: Gregory, Texans, Peterson
Some assorted notes as we wrap up the week…
- The Chargers are bringing Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory in for an official visit after he tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine, writes Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego. Gregory would not have been in the cards this late in the first round without the drug concerns, but the Chargers will be ready to make a decision on this top-10 talent should he fall in the draft.
- The Texans re-signed backup guard Cody White on Thursday, and his one-year deal with the team will be worth $585K with no guaranteed money, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson writes that White has a split salary, which reduces the amount he is owed if he is forced onto the IR due to an injury.
- Adrian Peterson “deserves” an exit and the Vikings “should grant his wish,” opines Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post. The writer emphasizes that Peterson’s apparent resentment towards the organization (including his belief that they didn’t show enough support) is unwarranted. However, the running back could use a fresh start, and Renck believes that won’t happen in Minnesota.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.