Raiders Rumors: Oakland A ‘Strong Candidate’ To Land Free Agent Running Back Adrian Peterson

The biggest area that needs to be addressed this offseason for the Oakland Raiders is the running back position, as starting running back from last season Latavius Murray is a free agent.

It was recently reported that the team is not likely to re-sign Murray, giving DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard an opportunity to battle for the starting running back spot that Murray would vacate.

There is also a possibility that the team brings in another running back via free agency or the draft.

On Tuesday the Minnesota Vikings announced that they are not picking up the team option on Adrian Peterson’s contract, making him a free agent.

The rumors began circulating of where the now free agent will land, and according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Oakland is a strong candidate to land Peterson in free agency:

Peterson’s dad, Nelson, also said that the Raiders are a candidate to land his son:

Peterson is one of the most decorated running backs of all time, as in 10 NFL seasons he has been named a Pro Bowler seven times, All-Pro four times and was named the NFL MVP in 2012 when he rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The 31-year-old has a lot of wear and tear on his body, as he played just three games in 2016 due to a knee injury. He led the NFL in rushing in 2015 though, when he rushed for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns. He ranks 16th on the all-time rushing list with 11,747 yards.

He averaged just 1.9 yards per carry in the three games he played in 2016 though, as the Vikings offensive line struggled to find him any holes to run through.

While the future Hall of Famer’s best days are certainly behind him, adding him to a Raiders offense that was already one of the best in the league in 2016 would be an upgrade. Additionally, having Washington and Richard would mean that Peterson doesn;t have to carry the same workload he carried for so many years in Minnesota.

Peterson has expressed desire in going to a team that can compete for a Super Bowl, and the Raiders fit the bill in that.