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At the NFL Owners Meetings in Arizona on Monday, Ben Dogra, the agent for Minnesota Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson, pretty much clarified the position of himself and his client as far as their hopes for next season.
Peterson agent Ben Dogra in Phoenix: "I don't think it's in Adrian's best interest to play in Minnesota. Why would it be?" Did not elaborate
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) March 23, 2015
Before any of the Peterson sycophants get all bent out of shape, that's not hearsay or conjecture or anything else. Those words came straight out of Dogra's mouth.
It doesn't appear that Dogra quite understands how the whole trade value thing works. In saying that it isn't in his client's best interest to play in Minnesota, he's pretty much undercut the Vikings' efforts to get what they feel is a sufficient return for him. Not to mention the fact that, if Peterson and Dogra are looking for guaranteed money from another team, what do you suppose the odds are that another team is going to give them the sort of money they're looking for (reportedly $25 million guaranteed) if they know they're forcing their way out of Minnesota?
Pretty much zero, I'd reckon.
No team is going to give Adrian Peterson $25 million guaranteed. No team can, really, offer Peterson as much money as he's under contract for to the Minnesota Vikings for the next three years. And thanks to Ben Dogra, any chance they had of getting even a slight bump in guaranteed money is, in all likelihood, circling the bowl.
And if you don't think Ben Dogra is doing what he's doing without Peterson's complete approval, then I don't know what to tell you. If Dogra wasn't doing what Peterson wanted him to do, Peterson would fire him.
At this point, with Peterson and Dogra continuing to play the "OH WOE IS ME I'M SUCH A VICTIM" card, I really hope the Vikings don't just dump Peterson for whatever they can get. . .which, as mentioned, is getting to be less and less. . .and keep him and just let him sit out. But, sadly, I'm afraid that's what's going to end up happening. And we'll get a handful of people out there that will completely blame the Minnesota Vikings and their fans, even though this entire situation was, once again, generated through the actions of Adrian Peterson, for the low return.