losperros wrote:
Good point. Then again, Harvin wanted out. Does Peterson?
I think most of the noise we've heard regarding AD wanting out has been centered around his contract. He doesn't strike me as the headcase that Harvin turned out to be. Plus, there's nothing about the Vikings specifically that contributed to AD's situation, and thus nothing he could run from in Minnesota that wouldn't just follow him wherever he went. So as long as the Vikings pay him I doubt he'd go anywhere else or even want to go anywhere else.
Assuming the Vikings don't draft a RB high, I think it's likely Spielman will just pay him and see what happens. There are the more remote possibilities that AD will be cut outright (would have already happened if the Vikings wanted to part ways with him), or that he is traded (unlikely due to the current contract that would likely need to be renegotiated prior to the trade). There is also the message the Vikings and the Wilfs would be sending to other potential free agent signings and players negotiating extensions - the Vikings stand by their contracts and their players. That could be a deciding factor for some players if they are weighing multiple options during free agency.
I honestly don't think what AD wants or what the Vikings want here is actually the biggest potential issue. I see the biggest potential issue being the league reinstating him. They reinstated Ray Rice within weeks of banning him, but AD remained banned all year and is still banned. The league obviously feels it's on pretty solid ground with this situation, and I'd say if Goodell doesn't feel AD has done his penance and is genuinely remorseful for what he did, there is a good chance AD won't be reinstated in April. The fact that the decision rests in the hands of pretty much one person is disturbing indeed, as even if AD has done everything asked of him, I could still see Goodell reinterpreting the rules to suit his tastes and/or the public image he wants to convey regarding domestic violence issues.
