Running back Adrian Peterson really wants to make it back to the NFL and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Apparently the Vikings have been working the phones trying to trade Peterson for the past few weeks, but haven't been able to find a suitor. The mix of age, price tag, bad press, and time away from the field has deterred teams from agreeing to terms, and now the Vikings are trying to show that they're willing to keep Peterson on board for themselves.
Of course, Peterson just wants to play, wherever it is. He is agreeable to a contract restructure to entice potentially interested franchises, and even has a group of five teams at the top of his list:
The Buccaneers, the Cardinals, the Chargers, the Colts, and the Cowboys
Peterson clearly wants to go to a team where he can be the guy and it makes sense. He just wants to play football.
Apparently, if the Vikings can't find a trade partner, they wouldn't be above outright cutting Peterson, which sounds eerily similar to the Eagles situation with LeSean McCoy. The Eagles were willing to cut McCoy and his extremely high contract until the Bills jumped in with a trade offer.
McCoy comes with far less baggage than Peterson, so the new Bills running back's trade value was considerably greater. Look for Peterson to come to new contract terms as Minnesota tries to trade him before the draft. Who knows, maybe the Colts will give away another first round pick.
I don't see the Patriots interested in acquiring Peterson in a trade, even if he did restructure. The only way he would make it in New England would be if he was willing to take the veteran's minimum, and even then I'm not sure if team owner Robert Kraft would overlook the domestic violence charges.